Twitter can be an avenue for people to talk back

Twitter continues to be a blessing for activists and journalists but in some cases remains an untapped opportunity for brands and politicians. People’s ability to visibly talk back — and do it collectively via a hashtag — can be a revealing gift and an image damaging disaster.

Twitter began in 2006 and three years later one billion tweets had been posted. Today more than one billion tweets are sent each week and in excess of five hundred thousand accounts are created each day.

Examples of law being applied to tweets are emerging and the first Australian defamation case involving Twitter has become an attempt to test the communication platform’s liability as a publisher.

To look into the missed opportunities, humiliations, and legal aspects of Twitter I spoke with Associate Professor, Axel Bruns, from Queensland University of Technology; Axis Legal Principle, Sara Dolpopolo; and Canberra Times columnist and UTS Journalism academic, Jenna Price.