There is no doubt that backbiting is something awful and despicable. This is because Allaah has likened it to eating the flesh of your dead brother. Is there anything more awful than that?
The flesh of a human, and that being his brother, and he being dead, have all been mentioned to show the horrific nature of backbiting. The original state of a Muslim is that he should have a clean heart, love his fellow Muslim brothers, and love for his brother what he loves for himself. The default is to have a good expectation of them. Scholars have allowed lying for the sake of causing reconciliation between people and if anything causes massive problems, the truth is not permitted in that circumstance. Talebearing is to gossip about a person to another, even if it is actually what the person said and the person relaying the information is honest about the information he is sharing. However, the issue is when he is sharing the information, he does it with the intention of creating trouble between people and creating animosity. The Legislation has outlawed this.