Social media can be a dangerous sport

On more than one occasion, I’ve talked about how Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be dangerous. That is, our posts in these public environments that never disappear and cannot be erased can be dangerous. New lawyers have had job offers retracted; lawyers have been asked to leave their firms; and secretaries have been fired … all because of posts of personal activities or comments seemingly unrelated to the job at hand. But, everything is relevant as the advocate would say.

Today, I’m in Chicago, preparing for the ABA’s annual conference. In reading the newspaper, I can across an article about a Chicago corporate landlord suing a former resident for an apparent offhand remark on Twitter about her supposedly moldy apartment.  In comes the "sheriff" (the landlord) with a suit for libel.

Courtney Love was sued earlier this year for calling a designer something nasty.

Needless to say, there has been an incredible amount of publicity in both matters … Unless you believe that all notoriety is good publicity, you might think twice not only about what you post publicly, but also about what you sue for … Both sides will walk away with mud on their face.

One thing is for sure, though. This new environment sure is powerful and far-reaching!

Categorized in: Technology