In legal literature, the dissemination of false information on the Internet is referred to as online defamation. However, Ukrainian legislation does not enshrine this term, which creates difficulties with respect to legal protection against online defamation. So, the aim of the article is to determine the legal remedies for countering defamation of public figures on the Internet. The research involved the following methods: analysis, case study, graphic methods. The study revealed the main contradictions in defamation research and identified unexplored aspects of the issue. The legislation of Ukraine and other countries of the world with regard to defamation and protection against libel is examined. International aspects of providing protection against defamation and the researchers' recommendations on how to balance the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy are studied. Highlighted in the conclusions are that the study established the need to improve Ukraine's legislative framework on defamation issues, make changes in educational programs and improve the media literacy of the population. Prospects for future research include the study of the means of settlement of defamation cases at the international level.