When the Internet Lies, the Law Speaks: SNAILS Wins $1.5 Million in Landmark Defamation Case

After nearly four years of digital mudslinging, Canadian bass producer SNAILS (Frédérik Durand) has officially been vindicated in court. A Canadian judge ruled that Durand was the victim of false, malicious online allegations, awarding him $1.5 million (CAD) in damages and issuing a permanent injunction against his defamer.

The case centered on a California woman, Michaela Higgins, who operated the now-deleted Instagram account @evidenceagainstsnails, which circulated unverified accusations of sexual assault and abuse. The court found that Higgins had no firsthand knowledge of any claims she reposted and offered zero credible defense. Justice Nicholas Devlin called the online smear campaign “reckless, defamatory, and destructive.” Notably, Michaela Higgins is the former girlfriend of Space Jesus (Jasha Tull) and also the force behind the @evidenceagainstspacejesus account. The ruling now marks Higgins as one of EDM’s most egregious exploiters of the #MeToo Movement, which was meant to bring light to the stories of real survivors of abuse.

“This judgment isn’t about silencing survivors,” wrote the honorable Devlin in his ruling. “It is about holding individuals accountable when they recklessly destroy reputations without evidence.”

Durand described the ordeal as a “pure nightmare,” saying the lawsuit was the only path left to reclaim his life. “For years, I stayed quiet while people lied about me,” he said in a public statement. “This case was never about money. It was about truth.”

The verdict, delivered in Alberta, now stands as one of the largest defamation awards in Canadian music history. Legal analysts say it sends a strong signal to social-media users who amplify serious accusations without verifying facts: reposting isn’t reporting.

While Durand’s name is legally cleared, the fight for reputation restoration continues in the court of public opinion. Years of cancelled bookings, dropped festival appearances, and death threats left lasting scars. Yet, as he put it, “The truth still matters — even in 2024.”

For an artist once known for unleashing his signature Vomitstep sound on massive crowds, this victory marks a quieter but no less powerful drop — one that reverberates through the culture of online accountability, free speech, and the fallout from cancel culture.

The Bigger Picture

In an era where outrage spreads faster than truth, the SNAILS case serves as a sobering reminder of what happens when digital activism collides with digital negligence. The #MeToo Movement was never meant to become a weapon for misinformation, yet that’s what happens when stories spread without scrutiny.

As Conscious Electronic has long championed, this moment demands a higher standard of integrity in the electronic scene — one that honors both survivor voices and due process. Truth and empathy can coexist. Justice and accountability can, too.

And as this case proves, the internet might roar with lies for a season — but eventually, the law speaks louder.