Be Careful What You Post on Social Media

Social media is quickly becoming the primary way to communicate information, ideas, and often pictures to support the written word. Authors Marisa A. Tradatti and Anna C. Hore note, “There’s a whole generation of people for whom tweeting is as natural as breathing, for whom the word ‘friend’ has become a verb, and for whom Web 2.0 is the only media platform they know.” Facebook alone has over 1 billion users—about one-seventh of the world’s population—with other platforms like Instant Message, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and plain texting and e-mails adding countless more users. While many think that what they post on social media is only seen by the person they are communicating with, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Once something is posted on social media, it can be shared by the recipient or even accessed by hackers, putting private information at risk.

But why is the availability of personal information a problem if the person posting it knows their thoughts and admissions may be viewed or hacked by others? Frankly, whatever is posted on social media can be a potential nightmare if, at some point, a person finds themselves in court and on a witness stand. While each state has their own rules regarding the use of social media as evidence, most states already are allowing this use. Florida, for example, had a landmark case in January of 2015 resulting in the presiding judge, Judge Gross, writing, “Because information that an individual shares through social networking websites like Facebook may be copied and disseminated by another, the expectation that such information is private, in the traditional sense of the word, is not a reasonable one.”

So, without a doubt, a person must be careful about what they post on social media. No one is exempt from possible legal involvements, and the possibility that what they have written or what pictures, videos, or YouTube postings have been made in the past can be used for evidence in a case. In fact, a real-life example takes place on a regular basis in the divorce courts of Florida, where social media pictures of a spouse partying and drunk affect child time-sharing judgments, or pictures of a recent upscale lifestyle (new boat, car, or jewelry) affect the amount of alimony and child support ordered.

In conclusion, it is wise to say that social media should be used only to share information and pictures a person would want “the whole world to know.”  If you are planning to need legal counsel for a family law concern such as divorce, modification, or parental time sharing, Attorney Grant Gisondo offers a free, initial, in-office consultation where he can personally answer your questions and share how he can help. His office is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. If you live in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, or Orange County, you can call his office at (561) 530 4568 for an appointment. His office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and, for new clients, Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Attorney Gisondo is also licensed to practice law in New York and Washington, DC.