Legal Definitions - false light

False light is a type of invasion of privacy where someone spreads lies about another person that would be considered offensive to most people. This can cause emotional harm to the person being lied about.

To prove false light, the person who was lied about must show that:

• The person spreading the lies did it on purpose or was reckless
• The lies were made publicly
• The lies were highly offensive
• The lies caused personal harm, like emotional distress

False light is similar to defamation, which is also about spreading lies. But false light is more about emotional harm, while defamation is more about harm to a person's reputation.

For example, if someone spreads a rumor that a person is a thief, and that rumor is not true, it could be considered false light. This is because being called a thief is highly offensive and could cause emotional harm to the person being lied about.

Another example could be if someone spreads a rumor that a person is gay, and that rumor is not true. This could be considered false light because being outed as gay could be highly offensive and cause emotional harm to the person being lied about.

These examples illustrate how false light can cause emotional harm to a person and why it is considered a type of invasion of privacy.