Featured image by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Most of us have an active social media presence. We use social media on a daily basis. We often spend hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, or watching Tik Toks. It has become a part of many people’s daily ritual. And while some people are happy to just consume content, many are active and regularly make posts, too.
To demonstrate the scale of social media, as of 2024, it’s estimated that there are more than 33 million social media users in Canada alone. With this amount of exposure and the vast user base, you have to be careful when using platforms like Twitter and Instagram. If you are not, you could land yourself in potential legal trouble. In the article here we explore what issues can arise from your social media presence and how you can avoid them.
Potential Legal Issues Arising from Your Social Media Presence
Many parents believe social media is harming children. However, adults must be alert, too. For example, there have been instances where social media content has landed people in legal or employment trouble. In other words, we all need to be mindful about our social media presence.
Defamatory Language in Your Social Media Presence
Racist, homophobic, or generally abusive language on social media can be used as evidence against you. There have been instances where people have been taken to court for the language they used on social media. For example, in the UK, racist or homophobic language can be considered a hate crime and result in a prison sentence.
Copyright Infringement
You have to be incredibly careful with your social media presence when using material such as images, videos, and quotes from other people or businesses. Many companies have their intellectual property protected by trademarks or copyrights.
If you infringe on these rights and attempt to profit from the intellectual property of other businesses, they could take legal action against you. Indeed, some experts believe that copyright infringement is one of the top five legal issues on social media.
Breaking of Company Policies
Most businesses have strict social media usage policies. Moreover, they don’t take kindly to being bashed online. There have been legal cases where companies have dismissed employees because of their social media presence.
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How to Avoid Legal Issues from Your Social Media Presence
We can see that social media is a potential land mine and can leave you in legal trouble. To avoid this, you can do the following:
- Check your employees’ social media usage policies.
- Discourage employees from creating inflammatory content.
- Keep posts neutral in tone where possible.
- Avoid posting any crude, derogatory, or otherwise inappropriate media.
- Always check copyright rules if using other people’s content.
- Check carefully the content and affiliation of any sources you share.
To start, we advise using a social media checking service such as Triton Canada to see how your current presence and activity shape up. This can help with future employment opportunities and ensure you don’t encounter any issues. After that, just think about your posts; instead of rushing to post whatever pops into your head, take a careful and considered approach.
Use Your Social Media Platforms Wisely to Avoid Problems
When used correctly and sensibly, social media can have a positive influence and shouldn’t cause you any legal issues. The most important thing you can do to safeguard your social media presence is consider your actions each time you post. In other words, carefully think about each post you make.
Endnote
Regardless of how innocent or harmless you think your posts are, take a step back and spend a few minutes thinking about how others could perceive them, and if they could cause any negative backlash. If so, refrain from posting. Overall, judiciously consider your social media presence each time you post.