Videos Alleging Strangers Have Monkeypox Run Risk of Libel Suits

Posting a video to social media that falsely implies others have monkeypox could be grounds for a libel lawsuit, defamation attorneys say.

One such TikTok video depicted a woman sitting on a train with a genetic condition that causes small, raised tumors to form across her skin. A picture of a monkey and a question mark captioned the video, implying wrongly the woman in the post had monkeypox.

False claims like that TikTok video can heighten shame around chronic skin conditions as well as monkeypox. The videos—and the fearful messaging that accompanies them—reflect a lack of understanding about how monkeypox ...