A comparative analysis of the provisions of criminal and civil legislation that provide for liability for the dissemination of false and defamatory information allowed the author to conclude that, as a result of changes in the legislator's understanding of unlawful speech behavior, namely, the introduction of criminal liability for the dissemination of knowingly false information that defames the honor and dignity of unspecified individuals, has broken down traditional notions both about the concept of proving criminally punishable slander and about the distinction between civil and criminal liability for the dissemination of such information. According to the author, when deciding on the criminal-legal qualification of verification of disseminated information, it has lost its legal significance, since it is impossible to verify the accuracy of information regarding unspecified persons