# Defamation and leaked private footage in Georgia Defamation is not a crime in Georgia — you sue within 100 days. Spreading private footage is a crime (Article 157¹). What to do as victim or accused. [Compensation for moral damage](https://mmlaw.ge/en/moral-damage-compensation/) · October 19, 2026 · 6 min read · Updated: October 20, 2026 In Georgia defamation is not a crime. It is a civil dispute: you sue within 100 days and ask for publication of the judgment and compensation. Unlawfully obtaining and spreading private-life information or footage, however, is a crime if it caused significant harm (Criminal Code, Article 157). Violating a secret of private life is punished even without harm — by up to 10 years in prison (Article 157¹). ## In short QuestionDefamationViolation of private lifeWhat it isA false fact that damages your reputationUnlawfully obtaining or spreading private information, photos or videosIs it a crime?No — it is a civil disputeYes — Article 157¹; Article 157 only if it caused significant harmWhere to goA courtThe police or the prosecutor's office; a court for compensationDeadlineA lawsuit within 100 daysA report — as soon as possibleOutcomePublication of the judgment, compensationUp to 10 years in prison, compensation ## What defamation means under the law Defamation is a statement that contains a substantially false fact and damages a person's reputation (Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression, Article 1). A statement is information that was made public or shared with even one other person. The Criminal Code has no article on defamation. The key question is fact or opinion. A fact can be proved or disproved — “he stole money”. An opinion is an assessment — “she is a bad doctor”. Opinion is fully protected and no one is liable for it (Article 4). If in doubt, the court treats a statement as opinion (Article 7). ## A defamation lawsuit: deadline and proof - File within 100 days of the day you learned, or could have learned, of the statement (Article 19). Missing this short deadline is a common mistake - You must give the court the statement, say which fact is false, and explain why it damages your reputation (Articles 13 and 14) - The author is liable unless they prove that the statement does not contain a false fact - If the claimant is a public figure, such as a politician or official, the author is not liable if they prove they reasonably checked the information beforehand and did not know it was false (Article 14) - The court tries to settle the dispute and may set up to 10 days for that (Article 6) ## What the court can order - Publication of a notice about the court's judgment, in a form set by the court (Article 17) - If that is not enough — compensation for financial and/or moral damage - If the information was spread through the media, the correction must be published in the same media (Civil Code, Article 18) - Forcing an apology is not allowed — the court cannot order one (Article 17) ## Private-life footage — when it is a crime Unlawfully obtaining, keeping, using or spreading information about someone's private life or their personal data is a crime if it caused significant harm (Article 157). Unlawfully obtaining, keeping, using or spreading a secret of someone's private life is a more serious crime and is punished even without harm (Article 157¹). - Article 157¹ — obtaining, keeping, using or spreading: 4 to 7 years in prison - The same via the internet, social media or broadcasting: 5 to 8 years - For gain or repeatedly: 6 to 9 years - By a person obliged to protect the secret, or by abusing one's position: 7 to 10 years - Article 157 is lighter: a fine or up to 3 years, up to 4 years online, up to 5 years for gain or repeatedly, 4 to 7 years by abusing one's position Secretly recording a private conversation or spreading the recording is a separate crime (Article 158). If your photo or video was published without consent, even without a crime you can ask a court to stop it and, if the author is at fault, to award compensation, including for moral damage (Civil Code, Articles 18 and 413). No consent is needed, for example, for footage taken in public or linked to someone's office. ## What to do if it is being spread about you - Keep the evidence: dated screenshots, the link to the post, the author's page and the comments. Don't delete the messages - If private footage or information is being spread, go to the police or the prosecutor's office — an investigation can identify the author - Report the post to the social network, but save the evidence first — once deleted, it is hard to recover - For defamation, sue within 100 days. You can also ask for an interim measure, such as banning the defendant from certain actions (Civil Procedure Code, Articles 191 and 198) - If a company, website or employer spread your data, complain to the State Audit Office (Law on Personal Data Protection, Article 22). The law does not cover a person's own posts made for personal purposes (Article 2) ## If you are the one accused - Opinion and assessment are not defamation — the first question is whether you stated a fact or an opinion - You are not liable if you did not and could not know the information was false (Article 16). Statements made in court or during an investigation are also protected (Article 5) - A lawsuit cannot be about a statement concerning an undefined group of people or one where the claimant is not clearly identified (Article 6) - If a lawsuit is clearly groundless and meant to silence you, you can claim reasonable compensation from the claimant (Article 18) - If charged under Article 157 or 157¹, what matters is consent, the type of information, significant harm (under Article 157) and who really spread it. Someone who handed the information to investigators to report another crime is not liable for obtaining and keeping it (notes to these articles) ## How we help - We check whether it is defamation, an opinion or a crime, and which route is better - We help you secure the evidence and file a report with the police or the prosecutor's office - We prepare the lawsuit within the 100-day deadline and claim a correction and compensation - We defend you in court and during an investigation if you are accused of defamation or of spreading private information ## Legal basis - [Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/33208) - [Criminal Code of Georgia](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/16426) - [Civil Code of Georgia](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/31702) - [Civil Procedure Code of Georgia](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/29962) - [Law on Personal Data Protection](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/5827307) Official texts (in Georgian) — Legislative Herald of Georgia, matsne.gov.ge. Important: this article is general information based on the law in force on the date it was published. Laws change and every case is different, so it doesn't replace advice from a lawyer. Before you act on it, contact us. MMLAW is not responsible for decisions made solely on the basis of this article. [Compensation for moral damage](https://mmlaw.ge/en/moral-damage-compensation/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is defamation a crime in Georgia? No. In Georgia defamation is a civil dispute — you file a lawsuit within 100 days. The Criminal Code has no article on defamation. However, unlawfully spreading information or footage about someone's private life is a crime if it caused significant harm (Article 157), and spreading a secret of private life is a crime even without harm (Article 157¹). ### What is the penalty for sharing private footage in Georgia? For spreading the secret of private life — 4 to 7 years in prison; via the internet or social media — 5 to 8 years; for gain or repeatedly — 6 to 9 years; by a person obliged to protect it — 7 to 10 years (Article 157¹). ### What is the deadline for a defamation lawsuit? 100 days from the day you learned, or could have learned, of the statement (Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression, Article 19). This is a limitation period: if you miss it and the defendant relies on it, the court will reject the claim. ### Someone is posting lies about me on social media. What should I do? Save screenshots and links, then report the post to the social network. If it is a false fact that damages your reputation, file a lawsuit within 100 days. If your private photos or information are being spread, go to the police or the prosecutor's office. ## Related topics - [#Your rights](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/what-to-do-if-detained/) - [#Online & digital](https://mmlaw.ge/en/cybercrime-lawyer/) - [#Criminal law](https://mmlaw.ge/en/criminal-defense-lawyer/) - - [Cybercrime lawyer](https://mmlaw.ge/en/cybercrime-lawyer/) - - [Unauthorised access to a computer system — Article 284](https://mmlaw.ge/en/crimes/hacking-article-284/) - - [Computer crime for financial gain — Article 286¹](https://mmlaw.ge/en/crimes/phishing-online-theft-article-286-1/) - - [Violation of private life — Article 157, 157¹](https://mmlaw.ge/en/crimes/private-photos-article-157/) - - [Blackmail with private photos](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blackmail-private-photos/) - - [Criminal defence lawyer](https://mmlaw.ge/en/criminal-defense-lawyer/) - - [Juvenile lawyer in Georgia: legal help for minors](https://mmlaw.ge/en/juvenile-justice-lawyer/) - - [Detained in Georgia? Your rights and what to do](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/what-to-do-if-detained/) Blog ## All articles - [Criminal defense](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/foreigner-arrested-in-georgia/) — Foreigner arrested in Georgia: rights and first steps October 11, 2026 · 5 min read - [Administrative law](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/deportation-from-georgia/) — Deportation from Georgia: grounds, deadlines and appeal October 11, 2026 · 5 min read --- Source: https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/defamation-and-privacy-georgia/ · MMLAW · +995 551 00 43 00 · info@mmlaw.ge