Not only could your angry status update, a threatening message, or online rant hurt someone's feelings, it could even get you arrested. Know the laws about social networking before you hit 'send'.

Step away from the keyboard! That tweet you were just about to send, or message might be hilaaarrrious to you – but it might also be illegal.

A rash number of people have recently been through court for comments, and messages they've made on the internet. Their crimes include:

Harassment - you won’t leave someone alone

Menacing behaviour you write something that may scare someone

Threatening behaviour-making someone believe you’re going to hurt them

Grossly offensive comments -saying outrageously nasty things about a sensitive issue

Don’t be grossly offensive, particularly about sensitive topics

What does ‘grossly offensive’ mean though? And what counts as ‘sensitive’? While one person might get away with saying shocking things, another could end up in court when the law cracks down to make a point. This is why you need to be careful.



Going on recent evidence, if you’re commenting on a subject in the news, be careful – even if you’re only joking. Your dark humor may not be seen as funny. And, remember – on Twitter and Facebook especially – your twisted joke could be seen by anyone.

If your sending harassing or threatening messages on Facebook don't think twice think 4 times before hitting send. If you are harassing or threatening anyone using any social media platform first you seriously need to get a life and seek help (just a suggestion. But if you do send anything threatening in anyway on Facebook you could face up to a year in jail. If the person ask you just ONCE and only ONCE to leave them alone, and you continue then it turns into felony harassment and you could be facing 5 years in prison.

After schoolgirl April Jones was abducted in Wales, 20-year-old Matthew Woods made a joke about it on Facebook. He was jailed for 32 weeks for his offensive comments, while 20-year-old Azhar Ahmed was given community service and a fine for criticizing soldiers in Afghanistan on Facebook .

Don’t be a troll

Yes. We know. The online world is chock-a-block full of people calling other people fat, stupid, ugly etc. But, beside the obvious point that THIS IS MEAN, harassing someone online (known as ‘trolling’) is legally shady, too.

“It’s extremely easy for police to trace you,” says David Allen Green, legal journalist and lawyer. “You’re not anonymous online. If you’re causing trouble, Twitter or Facebook will hand your IP address over on request.”

So no matter how much someone is peeing you off – whether they’re famous, or someone at college you just frickin’ can’t stand – stick to the age-old rule of ‘If you wouldn't say it to their face, don’t say it at all’.Putting it in writing is actually worse then saying it to their face. By putting it in writing you can not only land jail time but also a hefty civil suit for liable (written) slander, and harassment.

When Olympic diver Tom Daley received a stream of mean comments on Twitter the police were at the 17-year-old perpetrator’s house within hours.

Don’t joke about riots or terrorism (or anything ‘scary’ for that matter)

The law has no sense of humor. And ‘but it was only a joke’ rarely stands up in court. Irony doesn't always translate in publishing, so if you write anything where someone might not get that it’s a joke you could be in trouble.

The Communications Act 2003 says that anything published that is ‘menacing’ – and therefore likely to upset an average Joe – could be an offence

Paul Chambers went to legal hell and back after jokingly tweeting he would blow up an airport. And tough ‘incitement to riot’ sentences were doled out after the London riots of 2011.

Never name a rape victim. EVER .

Rape is an emotive and misunderstood crime. However – whatever your views – you should never, under any circumstances, publically identify the victim. Not even if the defendants are found not guilty. Rape victims have the right to remain anonymous for their entire lifetime. The law exists to encourage rape victims to come forward and report what happened to them without fear of identification.

After a footballer was jailed for five years for raping a teenage girl, many of his team’s supporters named her on Twitter. They were promptly arrested and a couple have since been charged.

Am I really at risk of breaking the law online?

Many think you should be able to say whatever the hell you like online. We live in a free country, right? Also, people get away with saying horrific stuff online all the time. Why can’t you?

The trouble is the law is constantly changing and you don’t want to suddenly become a test case. The reality is you have no idea if your tweet, Facebook status or message is the one that’s picked up on.

“Just because you didn't know the law, doesn't mean the law will treat you any differently if you break it,” says David. “What people need to realize is that social media is not a safe place and getting a criminal record could destroy your future career.”

If you’re desperate to vent, leave it for one sleep and see if you’re still desperate the next morning. It’s more than likely you’ll have cooled down and may be able to see the potential problems of writing ‘I’M COMING TO KILL YOU’ on your ex-boyfriend’s Facebook wall. I really do not think up to 5 years in prison is worth it.

Its not unknown that I myself was a victim of cyber stalking. I DO NOT TAKE THIS TOPIC LIGHTLY. I was stalked and harassed on and off for 3 years. When I say on and off I mean my stalker would stop for a month or six months and start back up again.I did not know one thing about cyber harassment, cyber stalking, or cyber bulling. In fact I did not even know it was a crime at the time. Long story short after a 3 year long miserable battle he is now is prison for lets just say the rest of his life.

4 months ago I met a potential client that owns a recording studio in Nashville, to talk about handling his social media for his studio. The meeting lasted maybe 30-45 mins and at the end we both agreed that at that time it was not in his budget. I have had little if any contact with this person since then, until today. While at work today i received a strange message on Facebook asking me if i knew who *Dick Harry* was. I replied yes and stated what is written above on how i knew him. The person identified herself as his daughter and stated that if I had any contact with her father again she and her mother would lets just say threatened my son and I, to put it lightly. I simply replied with "I apologize I only met him once and please do not contact me again" the messages of course continued without a response from me. Point being I am sure that these ladies are not mentally well to send what they sent to someone they did not know, and there is no telling how many people that are harassing that they do know. Also I am also sure that they do not know that they are committing a crime. They are oblivious to the facts on internet laws like millions of others out there.

Am I going to report these women? No (unless they found a way to contact me again). After speaking with a very good friend that is a special agent with the TBI he gave me the best advice "blog, write and inform" I hope in some way many of you now will think twice before you tweet something or send a Deming message to someone via social media. If you have read this entirely then you can not say "you did not know it is illegal, you have now been well informed!

Last note if you or someone you know has fallen a victim of these crimes please reach out to me, there are many ways I can help and point you in the right direction. Do not ever feel alone in your battle, take it from someone that has lived through it survived, and came out 10000xs STRONGER!

Published by Kris Degioia