CorpComms Magazine

Three out of five Twitter users are not aware of the legal implications of posting a tweet to the microblogging site, according to a recent survey by law firm DLA Piper.

Half of Twitter users do not consider any possible legal ramifications before they post a tweet, especially where libel law is concerned.

DLA Piper found that the number of people who have post comments on social media channels has risen by 13 per cent since 2008 to 67 per cent. And for those in the 18 to 24 year old age group, this figure rises to 89 per cent.

More than one third of respondents believe that Twitter users should be held to the same journalistic standards as if they were writing in regional or national press. More than a third believe that Facebook and LinkedIn users should be subject to the same legal requirements as journalists in te regional or national press.

The report said: 'It has long been accepted that online behaviour differs from the behaviour people would exhibit in the real world due, largely, to the anonymity it allows.'

Almost eight out of ten in the over 55s age group believe that stringent libel laws should apply to content published on social media platforms, compared to just over half of those aged between 18 and 24.

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