When you’re facing a business dispute, you may be thinking about how to protect your business’s assets, keep your employees focused on their work, or address other concerns – not about your Facebook or Twitter account.
You may, however, have a knee-jerk reaction to broadcast the details of your business dispute on social media. And with the growing interconnection between our daily lives and our social media platforms, it may feel completely natural to so. For many people these days, posting on social media feels about as natural as breathing.
But is it really a good idea?
Keeping your business dispute away from social media might be one of the wisest decisions you make during the process. Here’s why.
Social Media Posts May Be Used Against You
Social media posts that you make about the dispute could come back to haunt you in court. Because you made the post, many of the ordinary rules governing out of court statements don’t apply. And because social media has a “social,” informal tone, a post made in a moment of anger or joking could land you in a very awkward spot in a case – or even cost you your best legal argument. In order to avoid these risks, it’s best not to comment about the situation at all.
It’s Bad for Business
Unsurprisingly, posts about business disputes on social media often have a negative effect on the business, even when you can confidently say that you and your business have done nothing wrong. Your clients and customers want to view you as a resource they can trust – not as yet another social media “talking head” who falls for drama and posturing. For these reasons, it’s best to project an image of professionalism and standing above the fray by staying silent about disputes over your social media channels.
It’s Never “Just” A Post
When we post to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media sites, we tend to think of the “post” as the content we shared to the Internet. However, nearly all social media sites collect or embed other data in these posts, from the date and time they were made to the computer’s IP address or the GPS coordinates from which the post was made. This information is often publicly discoverable and can be retrieved even if the post is deleted – meaning that, if it can be found and used against you in the dispute, it will be.
We Help You Find Your True North
Business disputes occur often in the working world, but they shouldn’t occur at all over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other similar platforms. It’s just not worth it. If you find yourself in a business dispute, the smartest thing you can do for yourself is keep calm and find an attorney who help you with your case.
At CKB VIENNA LLP, our experienced California attorneys can help you anticipate, address, and resolve business disputes in a manner that is consistent with your business goals. To learn more, contact us today by telephone at 909-980-1040 or via our short online form.