Twitter Offences = Public Offences
We have all heard the stories of employees getting fired due to inappropriate images or activity on their Facebook accounts. It’s no biggie. People know and are beginning to be more mindful of their Facebook content and Facebook has also improved their privacy options. Nonetheless, other social media platforms may have yet to fully establish the similar boundaries to protect users from scrutiny.
Twitter has recently been plastered on the news regarding a negative articles about users with nasty tweets that have landed them in jail! According to an BBC article, lawyers in the UK have stated that there are parts of the UK legislation that can virtually be used to prosecute internet users with unlawful online activity. Unfortunately, a local student has faced the wrath of these lawyers and the UK legislation after posting racially abusive content about a football player on his twitter account. He has then been charged under the Crime and Disorder Act of posting abusive comments such as racially aggravating remarks. Consequently, the student has now been sentenced to 56 days of jail!
Sadly, this is only the most recent case of internet users posting content that have landed them in prison! Earlier this year, there have been other convictions of similar cases. Last month, another die-hard football fan posted racist comments at a rival football club which has deemed a violation of the Malicious Communications Act. The poor or unfortunate lad has now received a four month suspended jail sentence. Last week, a Law student was also charged under the section 127 of the Communications Act after sending racist tweets to a former football player in hopes of provoking an reaction.
Yes, social media is indeed fun and word spreads fast. However, just like Facebook, Twitter users need to be if not more mindful of their tweets given the lack of privacy settings Twitter offers compared to Facebook! The existing issue now are user’s lack of knowledge that virtually anything posted on the virtual space of social media platforms can be used as evidence to create a robust police case to prosecute individuals!
For more detailed readings of the different prosecutions and cases visit >>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17530450 <<<
Fellow internet users, please refrain from any abusive comments, encouraging unlawful acts such as riots, menacing communications or any unlawful comments that can result in jail time for you! The world of social media is not a virtual playground for individuals to voice their heated and controversial comments! It is a platform of fast information sharing, sharing that IS monitored by the government or police!
