Top Ways to Get Sued for Posts on Social Networking Sites

Dawn Hawkins
Some people just never learn and there is one thing that everyone should be aware of, your angry posts on social networking sites can end in a lawsuit. There are several things that you can do to end up fighting a lawsuit in court because of something that you hastily posted on your social networking site. Avoiding the rant that you are about to post on social networking sites like FaceBook will keep you out of the courtroom. Be certain that you are sure that you want to deal with paying for a lawyer and fighting for yourself when you have to explain why you posted something terrible about something on a social networking site.

Top things to avoid posting on social networking sites that could get you sued:

Photographs- Posting "nasty" photos of someone on the internet in any capacity can get you sued faster than you can get them uploaded. It is a very bad idea to post photos of someone in a bad light on social networking sites no matter what the circumstances are. You don't have the right to do it and it is likely that you will lose a court case battle when the person in question takes you to court.

Disparaging Remarks- Making remarks about someone, especially if you name that person by name, in a social networking setting can get a lawsuit slammed on you faster than you can say the words "lawsuit". You cannot defame someone's character on the internet or anywhere else for that matter. Some things should be left private and some things should never be said at all. Get your anger in control or it could cost you more money than you can afford.

Lies- Never, ever lie about someone on a social networking site. This is one of the worst offenses that could get you sued. These types of remarks are generally made when you are extremely upset or angry over some situation that has occurred. This type of posting is the most common thing that you should avoid if you want to stay out of the courtroom. Telling lies about someone just because you are angry and want to get even with them sounds like a good idea when your head is spinning with anger. It can turn out to be the most costly comment you ever made in your life.

Comments about Work- Making comments about your job, your workplace or your boss can get you fired. It can also get you a court date if the company sues you for those remarks. This is an iffy situation because these types of cases are rather new in courtrooms. It could really go either way. The point is, you should be careful in what you say on social networking sites about your job or workplace. It is better not to say anything in public that way just to be on the safe side. Even if you won the court case, it could cost you a lot of money in lawyer's fees. It just isn't worth the possible costs.

These are the top ways in which you can be sued for posts that you make on social networking sites like FaceBook. You should keep in mind that anything posted on these sites can be spread like wildfire and it can take no time at all for it to get back to the person or place that you are posting comments about. It takes about two seconds to get a screen shot or to print something from a website to use as proof in a court case. Even if you quickly change your mind and remove the post, chances are, someone could have already taken the screen shot or printed it out. Don't take the chance. Keep your postings on social networking sites to a minimum and don't post bad things that you know someone will not like in the least. Otherwise, you may as well sit and wait to be served with court paperwork.

Published by Dawn Hawkins

I am a freelance writer who has been working from home for two years writing for online communities. I previously worked in the accounting department in a corporate office. It was a very long commute and the...  View profile

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.