CLIENT CONTEXT
A high school teacher in Hanoi unexpectedly became the subject of a viral social media post featuring a personal vacation photo from years ago. Although the image was neither inappropriate nor illegal, misleading captions led to online criticism that affected her personal reputation and professional standing.
LEGAL CHALLENGE
The key legal issue was whether the dissemination of an unaltered photo—paired with misleading context—constituted a violation of image rights and personal dignity. Additionally, identifying anonymous users and non-official platforms posed a significant enforcement challenge.
LEGAL STRATEGY
LPA focused on defining the act as indirect defamation through the “use of imagery accompanied by distorted narrative.” Lawyer Trang and the legal team coordinated with social media platforms to trace the source of dissemination and filed formal takedown requests.
LEGAL PROCEDURE
Within 5 business days, the legal team submitted formal complaints to three major platforms and worked with the Department of Information and Communications for regulatory enforcement. Key distributing accounts were suspended, and the original posts were taken down.
RESULT
The client restored her reputation and resumed work after the school issued a statement clarifying the situation. LPA also proposed an internal media policy to the school, offering guidelines on personal image use to prevent future PR risks.
