Article originally published on Greenpeace, 22 July 2020 – accessible here
Across the EU, journalists, activists, academics and their organisations are facing legal threats or fighting lawsuits designed to shut them up. These lawsuits, brought by companies or powerful individuals and designed to silence critics, are called SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation
SLAPPs often target journalists and media outlets, however, they are also used against activists and NGOs, and academics who speak out in the public interest.