Spurious legal action for defamation: Let us Italian call them SLAPPS too

Questo articolo è disponibile anche in:

For what reasons will Ossigeno currently use the English term SLAPPto indicate the phenomenon of frivolous complaints

OSSIGENO March 20^th 2026 – We all know what a slap is, and dictionaries provide a precise definition: it is an act of moderate violence in which a person strikes another person with their hand with the intention of punishing them for something they consider wrong and harmful. For some years now, it has also come to mean something else.

In the Anglo-Saxon world, SLAPPS also refers to the complex social phenomenon that Ossigeno documents: that of SLAPPS, spurious legal actions which abuse the judicial system, to target and inconvenience journalists, bloggers, activists, and others who legitimately disseminate information and opinions that are unwelcome to those who promote these legal actions. Saying “spurious lawsuits,” is insufficient . It does not fully explain what the lawsuit is about; you have to add “i.e.” each time, along with further descriptive phrases and various clarifications, which are never exhaustive enough.

It was brilliant to call this phenomenon “SLAPPS” and transform the word into a meaningful acronym that says it all: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. This definition immediately makes it clear that is is about cases in which someone leverages a legal instrument to their advantage, in order to obtain a limitation on another’s rights, something no one should ever demand, especially not in the name of justice.

The acronym SLAPPS does not explicitly refer to journalists. It makes it clear that these punitive legal actions can be used not only against journalists, but against anyone who allegedly impairs someone’s image or personal interests by expressing their opinions or disseminating information of public interest.

For this reason, Ossigeno will commonly use the term SLAPP / “Schiaffi” to refer to the phenomenon of “spurious lawsuits.”

Giving an appropriate and meaningful name to recurring social phenomena that Ossigeno wants to bring to public attention is essential to promoting awareness. A name helps promote a more focussed discussion.. It cuts down on circumlocutions. It avoids misunderstandings. It helps interlocutors focus their attention and identify that part of the problem that concerns them. SLAPPS make it clear that the phenomenon is moderately aggressive , therefore unjust, and that these actions can be directed against any members of society, who can be targeted by legal actions strategically designed to embarrass , and to punish for a non-existent offence: that of having legitimately exercised the right to speak and express views on matters of public interest. ASP wt