Individuals could be at risk of legal action if they post particularly violent reviews against a hotel or restaurant on social networks such as Twitter, media law expert David Poulton says.
Poulton, from Minter Ellison Lawyers, told News.com.au that users making defamatory comments on social networks will not likely receive any protection from the sites on which the comments were posted.
“There’s plenty of cases where what’s been published on the internet has led to defamation proceedings,” Poulton said. “In cases involving defamation law in some ways the exposure to damages might be the least of their worries because they’re often extremely expensive and time consuming. They can drag on for months, if not years.”
“You’re certainly talking about hundreds of thousands in potential legal expenses and damages.”
Poulton also said that users who believe they are anonymous can actually be tracked down, and that smaller businesses may have the possibility to sue.
“People perhaps are not quite aware of the amount of power they have…They may think their little story or clip on YouTube was just a bit of fun, but the power of the internet is it can be seen around the world.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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