Keith Arrowsmith, Head of Intellectual Property & Media
The person hiding behind the Twitter account may find him/herself open to judicial criticism if the information is correct.
However, readers are unable to decide for themselves the credibility of the source of the gossip, and each of the celebrities may find it hard to trace the publisher.
The UK has a complicated system of protecting privacy, and a well established mechanism for protecting reputation. Our judges have, in response to the applications made and the information provided, decided that the privacy of the celebrity is more important than the public’s interest in them.
We may disagree with that decision, but trial by Twitter isn’t a mature response. Family relationships are hard to maintain in the public eye in the best of times, and professional journalists are well versed in balancing both sides of the argument. Each of those named in the twitter feed will be spending the day dealing with the rumour mill – regardless of whether the information was true or false.
May 9th, 2011 - 2:48 pm
So if the twitter account is right the twitteror could be in trouble; but if it’s a load of old rubbish nothing happens, except that a few lives of the twitterees may ne made very uncomfortable. What a fine legal system, still let’s keep on deluding ourselves that it’s the ‘envy of the world’.