One social media outlet that certainly doesn’t have many “black and white” guidelines is Twitter. When I think of Twitter, celebrities instantly pop into my head. Anyone can follow celebrities and stay up to date with what they are tweeting. But are there rules as to what they can tweet? How about guidelines for what I can tweet about? Can Twitter be utilized as a platform where you can tweet about anything and no consequences will follow? How can you differentiate between tweeting a joke, and tweeting a threat?
I can go on with question after question. You too may be thinking what is appropriate to tweet. The reality of it is, the world is continuously trying to figure it out.
A current article that I stumbled upon my Twitter homepage titled “When a Twitter Post Can Land You in Court,” was published on time.com. It discussed a case where a tweet was viewed more than just a joke.
Gareth Compton, a British politician tweeted after Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, a journalist for London’s Independent newspaper made a statement on radio in regards to the moral qualifications of British politicians to comment on human-rights issues such as the stoning of women. Compton’s tweet read, "Can someone please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death? I shan't tell Amnesty if you don't. It would be a blessing, really."
The police in London viewed this tweet as a violation of the Communications Act of 2003. According to the article, Compton was released on bail, as further investigation continues.
Although I still cannot develop a clear answer to the question of what the policies of social media entail, I can tell you that it’s important to think twice before you tweet something that you may view as harmless. You just don’t know how others will interpret it. That’s simply it…interpretation. It’s important to avoid any future trouble with your tweets by making sure your intent will certainly match interpretation.
-Angela Daidone
Good Points
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