Background
In my last article Freedom of Speech in the Societal Web I commented that a responsible application of freedom of speech was the best route to interacting on the web.
The challenge
The challenge here is when someone feels that they have been ‘wronged’ – shouldn’t they be able to speak up and right the wrong. Principles yes, the person no – this report (part of a collection of fiasco’s worth a read on their own merits) in the Daily Telegraph, a UK based ‘broadsheet’ newspaper, reported this case last month, although it’s somewhat older.
Five top Facebook fiascos – Telegraph
In July last year, businessman Mathew Firsht was awarded £22,000 in damages from a former friend, who made false accusations against him on a fake profile on Facebook.
Grant Raphael, a freelance cameraman, created the bogus page after the men had a falling out. It contained inaccurate claims that Mr Firsht was gay and about his political views and falsely accused him of lying to avoid paying debts.
Mr Firsht, in his late 30s, and his company Applause Store Productions Ltd – which finds audiences and warm-up acts for television and radio – were awarded the damages for libel and breach of privacy following a ruling at the High Court.
It’s a good example of how something can get out of hand.
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