CorpComms Magazine

Almost half of Scottish Twitter users do not consider whether their tweets could be in breach of the law before they post them, according to a recent study commissioned by law firm DLA Piper.

The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 Scottish adults found that less than a fifth had read Twitter's terms and conditions, and just one out of ten of them were aware of their legal rights.

Up to 70 per cent wanted special guidelines brought in, and almost 40 per cent believed that social media users should be held to the same standards as journalists when posting comments online.

John McKinlay, head of DLA Piper's Scottish Intellectual Property and Technology Group, said: 'The legal downsides for unwary bloggers can be significant. Regardless of any uncertainties over the status of online intermediaries, the original author of unlawful material will be considered responsible for their posts. Defamatory comments in social media have led to pay-outs of many thousands of pounds.'

http://www.corpcommsmagazine.co.uk/news/1807-twitter-users-ignorant-about-libel-laws

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