Even if you think you are just posting a rant on your Facebook page, be aware: libel is still libel.

A BC man has been awarded $200,000 in damages for defamatory posts written about him on social media.

Brandon Rook’s ex-girlfriend, Noelle Halcrow, took to sites like Instagram to write a series of posts in an attempt to hurt Rook’s reputation.

The executive director of the Public Legal Information Association of NL, Kevin O’Shea, says the ruling can provide judges an estimate of how much people can be awarded in similar cases.

He adds that it still will always be particular to the situation of the person being slandered. Things that will be considered are the harm to reputation, what cost did they undergo trying to repair the harm and what was the mental distress caused for that particular person.