One reason blogging has been such a phenomenon in recent years is the freedom it gives to an ordinary, otherwise unremarkable person. It provides a platform for anyone who wants to be heard – quite literally turning bedroom-based bloggers into overnight superstars (think Perez Hilton).
However, a precedent was set in a Manhattan supreme court yesterday. It ruled that Google should hand over information regarding an anonymous blogger who called Vogue model Liskula Cohen a “skank” on Blogger.com.
The judge rejected the blogger’s defence that blogs “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions, including invective and ranting”.
This landmark case could have far-reaching effects on the blogging community.
The social media landscape is constantly being redefined and, while it may still be a legal grey area, this case shows that it is most definitely not above the law. Companies need to sit up and take note as case law starts to catch up with the fast pace of the digital world.
We’ve encouraged our clients to set out clear company guidelines when it comes to social media, marking out policy regarding blogs, Twitter and Facebook .
If this is something you haven’t addressed yet, perhaps now is the time to put it on the agenda.