Image Source Twitter bird: Goldenrail http://ipswhatsup.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/can-i-get-that-in-twitter.htmlImage Source cage: Pearson Scott Foresman http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cage_%28PSF%29.jpg

Tweety’s Freedom

Twitter, Terms of Service NET303 Policy Primer

from Twitter Terms of Service, 2012

When you sign up for Twitter, you are explicitly warned that all content that you upload, including the up 140 character messages called Tweets,are solely your own Responsibility. By signing upyou agree to these terms.

Image source Justitia http://morganguyton.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/applauding-rick-perrys-executions-retributive-justice/Image source Arrest http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Arrest.svg&page=1

Defamation is an offence punishable by law

Spreading bad information about someone can be harmful to that person’s reputation. If this happens in a person-to-person environment it is slander. If it is done in public it is called DEFAMATION.

“What you say on Twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly" from Twitter Terms of Service, 2012

Image source: Joshua Daniels http://joshuadaniels.theworldrace.org/

Tweet!

The problem with makingdefamatory tweets on Twitter is that a simple message that is sent from a phone in a matter of seconds without too much thought, may potentially reach millions of people.Moreover, the messages are persistant, meaning that when a post is retweetedit cannot be retracted bythe original sender.

Source Courtney Love story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-430_n_831302.htmlSource Chris Cairns story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027Source Tom Daley story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-diver_n_1722739.html

There are more and more examples of cases where authors of posts on Twitter get in trouble with the law or settle out of court to avoid legal consequences

Suing over Tweets

And there are even those who sue Twitter for content uploaded and published through their services.

Suing Twitter

Twitter in their Terms of Service simply state that: THE TWITTER ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR […] ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS OR THIRD PARTIES

Twitter is never Liable

Twitter reserves the right to change the services as well as the Terms of Service without prior notice to you.

Twitter

By accessing or using the Services you agree to be bound by the Terms of Service.

You

The agreement

Image source http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/david-one-goliath-nil.html

Communications that Twitter considers important, you may not be able to opt-out from receiving.

Twitter

You may not use the Twitter service for the purpose of spamming anyone.

You

You agree that Twitter and its third party providers and partners may place advertising anywhere on the Services.

About unsolicited content

By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed)

Twitter

Nothing in the Terms gives you a right to use the Twitter name or any of the Twitter trademarks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features.

You

About copyright

And so you see, according to Twitter’s Terms of Service, they have little to fear and much to gain. Most responsibility for content is the user’s and Twitter is free to use this content anyway they see fit.

Image Sources (in order of appearance)

Bird Cage, Pearson Scott Foresman, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cage_%28PSF%29.jpg

Twitter Bird, Golderail, http://ipswhatsup.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/can-i-get-that-in-twitter.html

People around the world, Joshua Daniels, http://joshuadaniels.theworldrace.org/

Courtney Love story, A McCartney, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-430_n_831302.html

Chris Cairns story, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027

Tom Daley story, P Dodds, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-diver_n_1722739.html

Arrest, Abu Badali, http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Arrest.svg&page=1

Lady Justitia, Morgan Guyton, http://morganguyton.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/applauding-rick-perrys-executions-retributive-justice/

Sumo Wrestlers, Omega Constellation Collectors, http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/david-one-goliath-nil.html

ReferencesAFP. “Twitter Sued by Brazilian Govt over Police Alerts.” The Times of India, 2012. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/social-media/Twitter-sued-by-Brazilian-govt-over-police-alerts/articleshow/11807665.cms

BBC News. “Ex-cricketer Chris Cairns Wins £90,000 Libel Damages”, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027.

Black, P. “Will Marieke Hardy’s Twitter Case Change Australian Law for Ever?”, 2012. https://theconversation.edu.au/will-marieke-hardys-twitter-case-change-australian-law-for-ever-5432.

Dodds, P. “Tom Daley Twitter Controversy: UK Police Arrest Teen Over Malicious Tweets At Olympic Diver”, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-diver_n_1722739.html.

Dugan, L. “Twitter Defamation Cases Are Heating Up.” Mediabistro, 2011. http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-defamation-cases-are-heating-up_b12799.

Gardner, E. “U.K. Judge Makes History in Twitter Defamation Verdict”, 2012. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/chris-cairns-lalit-modi-twitter-defamation-verdict-305342.

Martin, B. “Defamation Law and Free Speech”, 1996. http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/dissent/documents/defamation.html.

McCARTNEY, A. “Courtney Love Settles $430,000 Twitter Defamation Lawsuit”, 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-430_n_831302.html.

Twitter. “Twitter Help Center | The Twitter Rules”, 2012. https://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-abuse-or-policy-violations/topics/121-guidelines-best-practices/articles/18311-the-twitter-rules#.

Twitter. “Twitter Terms of Service”, 2012. https://twitter.com/tos.