A tweet too far

Twitter and Facebook users are to be warned of the risks of contempt of court, the Attorney General has said.

Dominic Grieve QC MP will publish advisory notes on the gov.uk website and twitter from this week to help prevent social media users committing an offence. Previously, these advisories have only been issued to print and broadcast media.

Recently, Peaches Geldof named the women allegedly involved in child abuse by the Lost Prophets singer Ian Watkin. 

Geldof apologised and said she had mistakenly believed their names had already been released by the courts. Last year, Sally Bercow, the Speaker’s wife, paid out compensation after falsely insinuating in a tweet that Lord McAlpine was involved in child abuse. 

Grieve says: “Blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook mean that individuals can now reach thousands of people with a single tweet or post. 

“I hope that by making this information available to the public at large, we can help stop people from inadvertently breaking the law, and make sure that cases are tried on the evidence, not what people have found online.” 

The advisories will be published on the Attorney General’s Office section of the gov.uk website and also through the AGO’s twitter feed, @AGO_UK. 

Andrew Terry, media specialist at Eversheds, says: “We are all publishers now. And with that comes great responsibility. 

“Recent examples have shown the power of social media to not only derail court proceedings, but also to devastate lives and livelihoods. The fact that the Attorney General is shining a light on these issues, and attracting significant media coverage, is very welcome. 

“We will need to wait and see whether advisory notices will actually be read and understood by those outside the traditional media. And even if they are, whether they help to curb reckless behaviour.”

Amber Melville-Brown, head of Withers’ reputation management team, says: “There are anti-social consequences to social media. 

“We need to wise up and educate the thousands of untrained 'citizen journalists' who now outnumber the traditional reporter, trained to some degree in the basics of media law. The plethora of voices across the Internet will not shut up where there's a good story to tell, gossip to spread or opinions to impart—and free speech is a valued commodity in a democracy where that speech complies with the law and doesn't risk the rights of others. 

“But we need to wise up to the consequences of our use of the internet. The Attorney General's guidance should prove the first lesson in social media school that is badly needed to ensure that it can continue to provide a powerful service to society, rather than become an anti-social pariah."