Claudine Morgan and Hannah Gornall write for Influence Magazine on whether you can be sued for a social media post
Claudine Morgan, Partner, and Hannah Gornall, Associate, in the Reputation Management team write an article for Influence Magazine on whether you can be sued for can be sued for a social media post.
In the last decade, the explosion of digital media has had a colossal impact on reputation management and the legal framework that governs it. Defamation cases have historically only included claims against mainstream publishers and journalists, however, in today’s hyper-connected world, defamation is now a risk for anyone with a social media account. When we post, repost or publish content, we can unwittingly find ourselves on the receiving end of a defamation claim, whether intentional or not. For PR and comms professionals, this presents both challenges and opportunities.
The rise of social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and others has added new dimensions to this legal issue. We can broadcast content to widespread audiences instantaneously and without censorship. The prolific use of social media on mobile phones also means that digital content can be published in a matter of seconds, often with little thought involved. While social media users can transmit their views and opinions to the world at large, most are unaware of the potential legal ramifications. Emotion fuelled keyboard rampage, can have significantly damaging and expensive legal consequences.
Read the full article in Influence Magazine here.
