There is no
doubting the power and growing influence of Twitter. Over the last two weeks we
have seen Olympic Medal Winners and losers tweeting to their fans about how
they feel. After Usain Bolt won the 200m gold on Thursday evening his twitter account
was getting 80,000 tweets a minute. That is another record that he has broken.
The
highlight of the Olympic Opening ceremony for me was following the commentary
from @queen_uk .
The world of business has got the message with many brands
seeing the platform as a way of getting their message across to a huge audience
in a matter of minutes. It has also given us access to previously hidden worlds
including brain surgery –
But we have
also seen a downside. I have mentioned some of these before. Earlier this year there
was the student who was sent to prison for sending offensive tweets following
the illness of Fabrice Muamba. And then there was the bizarre prosecution of
Paul Chambers for posting his wish to blow up Robin Hood Airport because it was
closed.
Understanding
the power of twitter can actually help us to tweet without getting ourselves
into trouble. So here are just a few tips.
Firstly be
aware that the law of libel applies as much to twitter as any other
publication. So if you say something that is not true and is offensive you
could find yourself being sued. However much someone annoys you still have to
be careful what you tell the world about them.
Secondly
you must be sensitive to the risk of criminal action. Poor Mr Chambers is a
case in point. He was obviously not threatening to blow up an airport but had
to go through two appeals before he cleared his name. And without high profile
celebrity support he might not have been able to do that. So avoid anything which
might be interpreted as a threat! It is always wise to give yourself an hour or
so before you respond to an annoying tweet. Things seem different when you have
calmed down a bit.
Do not use Twitter
or Facebook for that matter to get back at your boss or work colleagues! You can still be subject
to disciplinary action and the evidence is there for all to see. Remember the
football sacked for sending homophobic tweets about another player –
In fact
just remind yourself that what you are saying can be seen by the whole world. It
only takes a few retweets for your comments to be read by thousands. So don’t
say anything that you wouldn’t say on live TV or in a crowded pub!
Even in a crowded pub you can always deny everything later.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who is with issues while using the law, then you definately need to have another person exactly who appreciates this law. On the whole, prison law corporations guide these priced having violations or maybe misdemeanors. Even so, you will discover specialized Truck Accident Lawyer Atlanta GA of which cope with unique appropriate complications. targeted visitors law firms, one example is, deliver tips in addition to counsel to help buyers handling motoring in addition to move complications. For anyone who is the subject of some sort of prison research, subsequently you might need a prison law firm who is going to manage this substantive difficulties on the violations you could have also been offender connected with enacting.
ReplyDelete