Unforeseen consequences of posted content

The same things that make social media platforms incredible tools also make them vulnerable to misuse.

One issue, which is becoming more and more prevalent, is that social media posts and comments are often an individuals’ opinion.

All interactions with social media form part of your digital footprint – and much of this is permanent. Even if a website is removed, there are tools online that allow you to view historical versions of webpages.

Many high-profile celebrities and brands have been caught out by posting comments which have turned out to be alienating against sections of society, racist or just plain offensive. In some cases, the fallout does not begin to be felt until many years after the original post. Sometimes, this is because the post has just been rediscovered, and other times it is because changes have taken place in society since the post was made, and what was considered acceptable once is no longer considered appropriate.

Here is just one example: Cricketer suspended for historical tweets