In a global environment, social media sites must be aware of differing standards and laws among their many users. The line between hate speech and free speech is rarely clear, and social media sites try to clarify their own stance through their own terms of use and guidelines. Somini Sengupta examines the issue in “On Web, a Fine Line on Free Speech Across the Globe.”
The UK High Court recently stated in Chambers v Director of Public Prosecution[2012] that the Internet was a “public electronic communications network.” One of the possible ramifications of this decision is that tweet that you thought was private, is now subject to a much wider range of regulation. This decision underscores that when considering social media, you need to be aware of the global reach and context of your engagement. “United Kingdom: The Twitter Judgment: The Law With Unintended Consequences?” by Chris Watson, Joanne Wheeler and Bailey Ingram looks at the issue in greater depth.