Digital Defamation: Why Deleting a Post Doesn’t Delete the Damage

In a gripping Malaysian High Court decision, the line between online venting and legal liability was sharply drawn.

A former cybersecurity engineer, Lai Zhen Yean, published an 18-minute read on Medium titled “My Experience Working at a Toxic Cyber Security Company.” The post, though “unlisted,” was shared with colleagues and later archived by WayBack Machine—making it permanently accessible.

The article was a scathing exposé, accusing his former employer (LE Global Services Sdn Bhd, part of the LGMS Group) of everything from poor leadership and unethical practices to psychological manipulation and even criminal conduct. He described the CEO as vain and image-obsessed, likened the company to “Malaysia’s North Korea,” and called one manager a “creepy creature.”

But here’s the twist: despite deleting the post, the damage was done.

The court found:

• The article was defamatory, malicious, and targeted.
• The defendant’s claim that it was “fiction” destroyed his own defense of justification.
• Automatic archiving made the post permanently accessible—even after deletion.
• The defendant was liable for foreseeable republication via WayBack Machine and viral sharing on Low Yatt Forum.