Author: Laura Baglow

Protecting your reputation as you reopen for business

Even a casual glance at social media these days suggests that every individual reacts differently to the implementation of social distancing measures introduced at businesses to enable their reopening. Some appreciate the steps taken for their safety. Some feel it unnecessary. Others perceive social distancing measures that meet or exceed the guidelines as being inadequate.

Although most business owners and managers welcome the re-opening of their shop, pub or other premises, many have found it challenging to make the necessary arrangements to protect workers and customers. From adapting physical layouts and the flows of people within them to acquiring suitable PPE and disinfectant, many businesses have found implementing social distancing both costly and time consuming.

Imagine then, for a moment, the heartache – and very real business damage – that could be caused by an untruthful customer review, post from a disgruntled employee, or anonymous comment you’re certain came from a competitor:

“It was obvious our waitress had Corona!”

 “That place is so unclean you’re bound to catch the virus there.”

 “There were 100 or more people in the shop when I visited.”

 “The manager put me at risk by making me clean all the surfaces ten times a day.”

“Our manager is forcing us back to work in totally unsafe conditions – we’re virtually on top of each other”.

It might sound a bit far fetched, but we’ve seen content like this ourselves and business owners are clearly worried – calls on the Nick Ferrari’s LBC radio programme filled nearly an hour when the subject came up on his programme last week.

When a person publishes information that can be shown to have actually damaged the reputation of a person or business, and that information is untrue, it might be possible for NetRights to intervene on your behalf. Whether it’s getting the untrue content removed, securing a public redaction or apologies, or seeking financial compensation, we’re often able to remedy the situation before further reputational damage is caused.

[The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice. Please contact NetRights to discuss your circumstances with our friendly and professional team.]

 

 

Could carelessness on social media land you in court?

Did you know that you can be sued for posting something online that is not true or for sharing or endorsing a false post made by someone else?  Did you also know that if you are sued, you could be ordered to pay compensation and legal costs and forced to make a public apology?

If the answer to these questions is ‘no’, then you are not alone, as recent research suggests that nearly 50 per cent of the UK’s 45 million social media users are not aware that they are legally responsible for what they do and say online.

Social Media Training for Businesses

When it comes to social media, most businesses will have the usual… Facebook, Insta or LinkedIn accounts locally promoting their offering. This is the standard nowadays. So if we can all agree, whether we like to or not, that the world revolves around good socials as the new standard of advertising, then what does this mean for advertising standards?

Have nude photos of you or your teenager been posted online?

It can be devastating to discover that intimate pictures of you or your teenage son or daughter have been shared online. Unfortunately, not all relationships or friendships last the distance and not every ex-partner deals with a relationship breakup well. Sometimes people will publish or threaten to publish online intimate photographs or videos that they obtained during the relationship as a way of causing distress or embarrassment to their former partner. This unauthorised sharing of private sexual photos or videos is called “revenge porn” and is a behaviour that is on the increase, particularly amongst young adults. It can cause great upset, distress and embarrassment to its victims and their families.

Social Media: The unconscious privacy threat

A patient who is unconscious in an Intensive Care Unit is at their most vulnerable.  Often fighting for their life, the individual is not in control of their body or of their surroundings. In a busy hospital ward, an unconscious patient is seen by many people, from doctors and nurses, catering and cleaning staff to their relatives and friends.

Is your reputation being threatened?

Has someone threatened to post something about you online? Or has a journalist been in touch about an article they intend to publish about you? Unfortunately, sometimes a business competitor, an ex-employee, an ex-partner, someone you have met in your personal life or even a member of the public can post malicious or false posts about you online for all the world to see. If you are a public figure or a high profile company you may be more likely to be the subject of negative media interest.

New Media and Communications Court list reflects surge in internet defamation claims by Laura Baglow

On 1 October 2019, the Civil Procedure Rules will be amended to create a new formally designated specialist Media and Communications list in the Queen’s Bench Division. From this date onwards all High Court claims that include a claim for defamation, misuse of private information, data protection and/or harassment by publication must be issued in the new list. New procedural rules will also apply to media and communications cases, including a pre-action protocol. This development reflects the growing increase in media claims in the Courts, after the decline of past decades.

Has your personal information been shared without your permission?

It can be extremely upsetting if your personal information has been shared online or elsewhere without your permission. This could include your financial details or medical information or even details of your address or a photo or video of you. Sometimes a person’s personal information is leaked by mistake by companies or organisations or sometimes it can be shared deliberately by disgruntled individuals such as ex-partners or ex-employees.

The death knell for ‘kiss and tell’?

In a recent privacy claim involving a ‘kiss and tell’ publication, the Claimant was a former lottery winner. He and his then wife won £41 million on the ‘Euromillions’ Lottery in 2012 and their win was surrounded by extensive publicity. In 2016 the Claimant started a sexual relationship with the Defendant whom he met in Tenerife. Their relationship broke down the following year and she wrote and published a book about their relationship entitled “Google Me No Lies”.

Privacy rights and aerial images

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAEs) have become increasingly popular and are now being sold online or on the high street in the thousands. However, because most drones have cameras fitted which record and store footage captured from the air, they can also present considerable privacy and data protection risks.