With the benefits and joys of social media also come the risks, harms and dangers.
Your Facebook posts may not be private, even when among “friends.” A judge in New York ruled that photos of a plaintiff were discoverable. The judge “wrote in his ruling that the user ‘consented to the fact that her personal information would be shared with others, notwithstanding her privacy settings. Indeed, that is the very nature and purpose of these social networking sites, or they would cease to exist.'” The photos – of the plaintiff standing and smiling – may damage her credibility as well as her personal injury claim against a chair manufacturer sued over an allegedly defective office chair. More here: NY Judge Finds Nothing Private About Facebook Postings
A teacher in Massachusetts was recently forced to resign after making statements about students and teachers on Facebook. Allegedly, “she wrote describing students as “germ bags” and parents as “snobby” and “arrogant.””
Lesson: Be careful what you say online; know your privacy setting; know the Terms of Use of the sites you use.
If you are a business owner or employer, have you taken steps to address issues related to official work social media pages and to employee usage of work equipment for their own social media pleasures? Ignoring these issues is asking for trouble.
