Guiding you through

Social Media - Be Careful!

The legal dispute between Elon Musk and Vernon Unsworth, the man who helped to rescue boys trapped in a cave in Thailand, may have dropped out of the press over the last few weeks, but a recent case shows the lack of accuracy of Mr Musk's assertion that Twitter was just the forum for a 'schoolyard spat' that would not be taken seriously by users who expect to read 'opinion, not facts'.

The case involved a tweet made by the agent of a former chairman of UKIP in the run up to the last General Election. It showed a man said to be standing next to 'child grooming taxi drivers', the apparent inference being that he kept company with paedophiles. The High Court awarded the man £40,000 in damages.

In the circumstances, Mr Unsworth's claim for $75,000 does not look excessive.

If you use social media, it is important to remember that publishing defamatory comments on the Internet can wind up causing a deep hole in your pocket.

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.