Journalists routinely purchase libel insurance, but now insurance companies are selling such policies to ordinary citizens. The growth of social media has led to an increasing number of users regularly venting online, and sometimes there are consequences. Musician/actress Courtney Love, for example, spent six years in court accused of libeling her former attorney and later a designer, ultimately paying $780,000 in settlements. Libel insurance costs an average of $33 per month bundled with traditional home or car insurance policies. Continue reading Libel Insurance Policies More Common in Social Media Era

Twitter promotes itself as a protector of over 200 million people who publicly share their lives online. But increasingly, carefree tweets are conflicting with differing global laws and standards in new markets for the microblogger. The company’s hands-off approach is being tested as it enters markets in France, Germany, China and Brazil. As it is increasingly subject to local laws, Twitter is facing challenges regarding free speech and censorship. Continue reading Twitter Facing Free Speech Challenges in Global Markets