SLAPP
Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation
Example
Did you see Nunes filed a lawsuit against the lady that runs the Devin Nunes's Cow Twitter account?
Man, who hasn't that guy filed a SLAPP suit against?
SLAPP stands for "strategic lawsuit against public participation"
Related Slang
| Woke | Aware of social issues |
| Get woke | Become aware of social issues |
| Performative activism | Advocating a cause to gain social standing |
| Tree hugger | A person who cares about the environment |
| TGAL | Think globally, act locally |
| Hacktivism | Hacker activism |
| FOS | Freedom of speech |
Can you survive our Dungeons & Dragons slang quiz?
SLAPP stands for "strategic lawsuit against public participation." SLAPP suits are most often filed by corporations, developers, and governmental entities that are attempting to discourage valid criticism of their actions.
When an individual or organization criticizes a corporate or governmental entity's actions, the entity may respond with a SLAPP. For example, in 2004, the RadioShack Corporation sued former RadioShack dealer and RadioShackSucks.com owner Bradley D. Jones, in an attempt to force Jones to shut down his anti-RadioShack website. This lawsuit was a textbook SLAPP.
However, the entities that file SLAPPs often don't care whether these lawsuits succeed. A SLAPP's true intent is to silence an entity's critics and show the cost of speaking out against powerful organizations. Typically, SLAPP suits are settled or withdrawn before being litigated fully, but by then, they've often already done their damage.