I like to engage with people on social media about my beliefs and political views, is this a problem? I have a public social media profile and I encourage robust discussion about social issues on my page. Am I responsible for what other people say? I believe in free speech, surely if I let everyone have their say then I can’t be sued for vilification?

I have a public social media profile and I encourage robust discussion about social issues on my page. Am I responsible for what other people say?

Answer

The law concerning liability for statements on social media is a developing area. There are some recent decisions that suggest that you can be held responsible as the publisher of third-party comments on social media pages that you control and can moderate. It can be a risk to let free and open debate play out on your social media page without any oversight and moderation of comments.