London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 21, 2026

Social media and the law: Could your next tweet get you in trouble?

Social media and the law: Could your next tweet get you in trouble?

Some people use Twitter to live tweet Love Island. Others use it to complain that their Deliveroo order arrived cold.

A lot of the time, we fire off tweets or stick up Instagram stories without a second thought.

But what if the police turned up at your door because of something you posted?

When it comes to social media law, there can be a fine line between banter, bullying and defamation.

Dr Christian vs. Arlene Foster


You might've seen Embarrassing Bodies presenter, Dr Christian Jessen, recently had to pay £125,000 in damages to DUP leader Arlene Foster.

Not something we had on our 2021 bingo card.

It's because he tweeted claiming the politician was having an affair outside of her marriage. It wasn't true.


Rumours spread online all of the time, and most of us aren't double-checking the source of information before sharing something online.

So if you've posted something untrue about a celebrity or politician - could you be made to empty your wallet in damages too?

"Yes, you could," says Eva Bracha, from Cohen Davis Solicitors.

"Nothing would stop them from coming forward and having a claim."

Although, it's less likely. Eva says tweets like Dr Christian's are more of a risk, because of the context.

"Because of who he is, his following on social media is massive... that's what amplified her claim.

"Also because of the gravity of the accusation that he made. It was highly embarrassing, it harmed her reputation."

Eva Bracha works with legal cases related to social media

If you've posted about celebrity rumours before, Eva says, "don't be worried about anyone showing up at your door and saying you're in breach of the law".

"Just be reasonable with what you're posting on social media," Eva suggests.

"If you see that something is attracting a lot of hate and negativity, and you could be part of the mess, just think about what you're saying."

Eva gets phone calls every day from people who want to take legal action against people bothering them online.

She posts insights into her job, and tips for safely using the internet, on her social media accounts.

'But, what if I'm anonymous?'


For things like abuse and harassment, the law is more clear cut.

Last week, eight men were arrested for sending racist abuse to a Tottenham player on Twitter. There have been a number of similar cases in the past.

Eva says this is called "malicious communication".

"We deal with so many individuals who get trolled in the public eye," she says.

"People think if they post under an anonymous account, they can't be found.

"You can be found, we uncover so many anonymous trolls. You've just got to be so careful what you write."

'Taking part in their downfall'


Something else Eva's law firm deals with is non-consensual sexual images being shared.

She says it's really important not to get caught up in the sharing of images like that, even if you don't mean it maliciously.

"You become part of the mess. Even if you share a tweet, you are taking part in someone else's downfall," she says, adding that it's a civil offence to do so.

And if you're the person in the images?

"Screenshot everything," Eva says, and always contact a legal expert.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9 Percent as Energy Costs Threaten Economic Recovery
NHS Hospitals Cancel Surgeries as Extreme Heat Pushes Ward Temperatures Above 40 Degrees Celsius
UK Heatwave Forces Emergency Measures as Wildfire Risk, Hospital Disruption and Drought Intensify
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
×