I have
spoken before about the legal dangers of tweeting first and thinking later –
But we
still need to get this important message. Whatever is posted on Facebook or
Twitter or anywhere else for that matter is read in the real world, by real
people and can have real legal consequences. It never ceases to amaze me when
people engage in very public arguments of Facebook. It is as though they want
to make a point to a particular person but forget that their entire friend list
is also in the audience!
I imagine
that was the case when a Plaid Cymru councillor libelled an opponent on twitter
and had to shell out over £50k in damages and costs last year, or when the
young student mentioned in my pervious blog tweeted offensive comments and
ended up behind bars.
It is as if
there is a belief that Social Networking happens in a virtual world where no
one gets upset or there is no comeback.
One person
who should have taken more care is Mr. Alan O’Neil. He is facing bigamy charges
in the USA.
He was found out when his two wives discovered each other via the "People
You May Know" feature on Facebook!
Now that is
a very extreme combination of criminal behaviour, stupidity and bad luck.
But the
message is still clear. Be aware that what you post can have serious
consequences.
Which begs
the question – is it worth it? Well I can’t talk with the amount of tweeting
that I do! Social Networking is with us to stay and has changed the way we
communicate. The important thing is to remember to take as much care with what
we publicly post as we would if we shouted it out in a crowded bar. Or maybe take a deep breath and ask - 'Do I really want to repeat this in a witness box?'.
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