1. NET303 Policy Primer Twitter, Terms of Service
Tweety’s Freedom
Image Source Twitter bird: Goldenrail http://ipswhatsup.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/can-i-get-that-in-twitter.html
2. from Twitter Terms of Service, 2012
When you sign up for
Twitter, you are explicitly
warned that all content
that you upload, including
the up 140 character
messages called Tweets,
are solely your own
Responsibility. By signing up
you agree to these terms.
3. Spreading bad information
about someone can be harmful
to that person’s reputation. If
this happens in a person-to-
person environment it is
slander. If it is done in
public it is called
DEFAMATION.
Defamation is an offence punishable by law
Image source Justitia http://morganguyton.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/applauding-rick-perrys-executions-retributive-justice/
Image source Arrest http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Arrest.svg&page=1
4. “What you say on Twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly"
from Twitter Terms of Service, 2012
Tweet!
The problem with making
defamatory tweets on
Twitter is that a simple
message that is sent from
a phone in a matter of
seconds without too much
thought, may potentially
reach millions of people.
Moreover, the messages are
persistant, meaning that
when a post is retweeted
it cannot be retracted by
the original sender.
Image source: Joshua Daniels http://joshuadaniels.theworldrace.org/
5. Suing over Tweets
There are more and more
examples of cases where
authors of posts on
Twitter get in trouble
with the law or settle out
of court to avoid legal
consequences
Source Courtney Love story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-430_n_831302.html
Source Chris Cairns story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027
Source Tom Daley story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-diver_n_1722739.html
6. Suing Twitter And there are even those who
sue Twitter for content uploaded
and published through their
services.
7. Twitter in their Terms of Service
Twitter is never Liable simply state that: THE TWITTER
ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR […] ANY CONDUCT
OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD
PARTY ON THE SERVICES,
INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, ANY DEFAMATORY,
OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL
CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS
OR THIRD PARTIES
8. Twitter
Twitter reserves the right to
change the services as well as
the Terms of Service without
prior notice to you.
You
By accessing or using the
Services you agree to be
bound by the Terms of
The agreement
Service.
Image source http://omega-constellation-collectors.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/david-one-goliath-nil.html
9. You
You may not use the Twitter
service for the purpose of
spamming anyone.
Twitter
Communications that Twitter
considersimportant, you may
not be able to opt-out from
receiving.
You agree that Twitter and its
About unsolicited content
third party providers and
partners may place
advertising anywhere on the
Services.
10. About copyright Twitter
By submitting, posting or
displaying Content on or
through the Services, you
You grant us a worldwide, non-
exclusive, royalty-free license
Nothing in the Terms gives
(with the right to sublicense)
you a right to use the
to
Twitter name or any of the
use, copy, reproduce, process,
Twitter trademarks, logos,
domain names, and other
adapt, modify, publish, transm
distinctive brand features.
it, display and distribute such
Content in any and all media
or distribution methods (now
known or later developed)
11. And so you see, according to Twitter’s
Terms of Service, they have little to fear
and much to gain. Most responsibility for
content is the user’s and Twitter is free
to use this content anyway they see fit.
12. Image Sources (in order of appearance)
Bird Cage, Pearson Scott Foresman, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cage_%28PSF%29.jpg
Twitter Bird, Golderail, http://ipswhatsup.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/can-i-get-that-in-twitter.html
People around the world, Joshua Daniels, http://joshuadaniels.theworldrace.org/
Courtney Love story, A McCartney, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-
430_n_831302.html
Chris Cairns story, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027
Tom Daley story, P Dodds, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-
diver_n_1722739.html
Arrest, Abu Badali, http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Arrest.svg&page=1
Lady Justitia, Morgan Guyton, http://morganguyton.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/applauding-rick-perrys-
executions-retributive-justice/
Sumo Wrestlers, Omega Constellation Collectors, http://omega-constellation-
collectors.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/david-one-goliath-nil.html
13. References
AFP. “Twitter Sued by Brazilian Govt over Police Alerts.” The Times of India, 2012.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/social-media/Twitter-sued-by-Brazilian-govt-over-police-
alerts/articleshow/11807665.cms
BBC News. “Ex-cricketer Chris Cairns Wins £90,000 Libel Damages”, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17512027.
Black, P. “Will Marieke Hardy’s Twitter Case Change Australian Law for Ever?”, 2012.
https://theconversation.edu.au/will-marieke-hardys-twitter-case-change-australian-law-for-ever-5432.
Dodds, P. “Tom Daley Twitter Controversy: UK Police Arrest Teen Over Malicious Tweets At Olympic Diver”, 2012.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/tom-daley-twitter-police-olympic-diver_n_1722739.html.
Dugan, L. “Twitter Defamation Cases Are Heating Up.” Mediabistro, 2011.
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-defamation-cases-are-heating-up_b12799.
Gardner, E. “U.K. Judge Makes History in Twitter Defamation Verdict”, 2012.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/chris-cairns-lalit-modi-twitter-defamation-verdict-305342.
Martin, B. “Defamation Law and Free Speech”, 1996.
http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/dissent/documents/defamation.html.
McCARTNEY, A. “Courtney Love Settles $430,000 Twitter Defamation Lawsuit”, 2011.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/04/courtney-love-settles-430_n_831302.html.
Twitter. “Twitter Help Center | The Twitter Rules”, 2012. https://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-abuse-or-
policy-violations/topics/121-guidelines-best-practices/articles/18311-the-twitter-rules#.
Twitter. “Twitter Terms of Service”, 2012. https://twitter.com/tos.
