<![CDATA[The rapid growth of social media use has led to an increase in the number of lawsuits related to language, particularly defamation. In such cases, the meaning of a post is often disputed, necessitating an objective linguistic analysis. This study aims to describe the role of forensic linguistics in proving criminal defamation on social media, as well as the challenges of utilizing linguists in Indonesia. The method used is a literature review employing a qualitative descriptive approach to books, journal articles, and legislation, including Law No. 1 of 2024 and Constitutional Court Decision No. 105/PUU-XXII/2024. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study indicate that forensic linguistics plays a role in (1) interpreting the meaning of utterances through semantic and pragmatic analysis, (2) distinguishing between statements of fact, opinion, and emotional expressions to assess elements that may defame a person’s honor or reputation, and (3) tracing the authorship of texts through idiolect analysis. Identified challenges include the lack of uniform methodological standards, the absence of a mechanism for expert qualification, limited data context, and the need to maintain expert independence. This study concludes that the involvement of linguists contributes to a more objective evidentiary process; however, linguistic conclusions remain merely an aid to judges and do not determine a person’s guilt or innocence.]]>
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