Google, Facebook and Twitter have now been served with injunctions by the Police ordering them to remove photographs purporting to be of Jon Venables. This follows the announcement from the Attorney General’s office on Monday which threatened contempt of court proceedings against those individuals who originally posted or subequently retweeted the photos. The photos uploaded … Continue reading
The Attorney General Dominic Grieve has warned that Twitter users who have posted or retweeted pictures claiming to be of Jon Venables, who murdered James Bulger as a child 20 years ago, may be fined and could face a prison sentence. An order is in place to protect the identity of James Bulger’s killers, Venables … Continue reading
What should an employer do if a story relating to one of its employees is made public through the press? An article in the London Evening Standard recently exposed a Transport for London worker who had made racist and anti-Muslim comments on his Facebook page. The story, investigated by the Standard following a tip-off, details a number … Continue reading
The Court of Appeal in London has suggested that Google and other online platforms may be liable for defamatory comments posted by users of their websites. The ruling confirmed that websites must act on complaints reasonably quickly to maintain their status as mere “facilitators” rather than publishers, which would expose them to greater liability for libellous comments posted … Continue reading
Kevin Poulter imparts some cautionary tales of extra-curricular tomfoolery There are no laws founded on principles of common sense. It is something that comes with experience and with experience, you will realise that sense is all too often uncommon. Professionalism, on the other hand, is more objective. As lawyers, our employers, clients and the public … Continue reading
PODCAST: with guest, Anthony Lyons Anthony Lyons is a charming, intelligent part-time LPC student who works as a paralegal at top London law firm Mishcon de Reya. What’s more, Lyons boasts an entrepreneurial zeal, organising the #AskaTrainee Twitter Q&A through his impressive social media following. In short, he’s the sort of person who you’d expect … Continue reading
The Metro has reported that three civil servants have been dismissed from the Home Office following allegations they breached social media guidelines. Information obtained through a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the dismissals followed postings on Facebook, MySpace and Bebo that brought the government department into disrepute, in breach of an internal social media … Continue reading
A New Year means a new start, but Kevin Poulter can’t help but dwell on his disastrous Christmas escape With Christmas over and 2013 already well underway, I feel compelled to relay to you a short story from late last year. Let me take you back, only a few weeks (although it seems like months), … Continue reading
Michael Gove may have been aware of a campaign of online bullying by members of his team, reports the Guardian. Two special advisors are accused of bullying journalists and political opponents from an anonymous twitter account. New information suggests that the Education Secretary misled Parliament over his knowledge of the alleged transgressions and breach of … Continue reading
The BBC has reported a case in Northern Ireland in which a High Court judge has awarded damages of £35,000 against an unknown person who defamed people on Facebook. The identities of the three individuals who were libelled directly and by implication – and the business in which they worked – have not been revealed at the request of … Continue reading
Kevin Poulter 