Blackmail

Blackmail

Blackmail is the act of threatening to reveal information about a person, or even do something to destroy the threatened person, unless the blackmailed target fulfills certain demands. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature.

In a broader sense, blackmail is an offer to refrain from any action which would not be legal or normally allowed, and is thus distinguished from extortion.

The word is derived from the word for tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids. This tribute was paid in goods or labour (reditus nigri, or “blackmail”): the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi, or “white rent” (denoting payment by silver).