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Original poster

Has a chatroom or message board conversation ever stood up in court?

64 replies

fairyfly · 02/07/2006 20:43

I was just sat here wondering ( like you do), how long it would be until someone was arrested using evidence off a place like mumsnet.

How long will it be till social services and the police watch places like these and get license to do something about it.

I'm not talking about paedophilia or sex crimes, i realise that happens. More to do with child welfare, basic law breaking etc.....

Do you think looking into the history of mn would stand up in court?

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 02/07/2006 20:44

Interesting question ff. Especially given some of the violence threads.

Pruni · 02/07/2006 20:48

Message withdrawn

Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 20:50

I think before we know it it is going to start happening and then others will follow suit, probably ending in some very appropriate and needed arrests and some very wrong and innapropriate ones.

I think the web is still a semi hidden world that isn't always discussed and we are on the cusp of a huge chgange in criminal law.

OP posts:
giraffeski · 02/07/2006 20:50

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 02/07/2006 20:51

Message withdrawn

Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 20:51

You can pruni, but people would look into patterns and study them for quite sometime.

OP posts:
WelshBoris · 02/07/2006 20:51

Dont text messages and letters get used in court though?

And you can write what you want in them?

Pruni · 02/07/2006 20:54

Message withdrawn

WelshBoris · 02/07/2006 20:56

I think a lot of the time people get lulled into a false sense of security on here, and forget its the internet

We have seen plenty of examples of family members and "friends" keeping an eye on posts resulting in name changes

I dont know how the court system works, but things are changing so who knows?

nicnack2 · 02/07/2006 21:01

take it this come under the telecommunications act so yes i think that conversatons could be used in court, however there is also data protection etc.

essbee · 02/07/2006 21:03

Message withdrawn

ginmummy · 02/07/2006 21:09

Small point here but who's to say that the information I registered on mumsnet is real? You can register for an email address and there's no one to check any of the details you give, not even if the house exists, and there's also nothing to stop you saying that you're from a certain part of the country.

On the subject of how easily would it stand up in court, what's to stop me going to a cyber cafe and registering someone I hate with a false email address and a false MN identity and posting something to the effect that I abuse my kids??

I can't see that going very far in court as it can't be proven that it was that person who posted.

Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 21:10

because you can find out what computer it is coming from, thats how.

OP posts:
ginmummy · 02/07/2006 21:12

But a cyber cafe is totally anonymous!

WelshBoris · 02/07/2006 21:13

I dont think a solicitor would use evidence without checking out the ISP address first

Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 21:14

Well im not talkimg about someone who goes to a cyber cafe. Of course you would have the brains to do that if you were knowingly pissing about and playing with the law.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 02/07/2006 21:16

She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named seemed willing to give it a bash . . .

[runs and ducks]

Pixiefish · 02/07/2006 21:16

Someone was sued for a lot of money for some insulting things they said in a chat room. This is a couple of months ago but can't remember the finer details

tamum · 02/07/2006 21:19

Surely it would be hearsay though? I mean JF was a completely made-up persona, with made-up posts, and I can't see how you could guard against that really. It might possibly be corroborating evidence I suppose, but it couldn't be any more than that I wouldn't have thought.

tamum · 02/07/2006 21:20

Ah, libel would be different, certainly, I meant evidence of violence and stuff.

Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 21:21

Well maybe in ten years tamum she would be prosecuted for fraud.

OP posts:
Original poster
fairyfly · 02/07/2006 21:22

or maybe another word that isn't fraud.

OP posts:
tamum · 02/07/2006 21:23

Yes, fraud could work too, couldn't it? I just meant as evidence that something had happened in RL, like someone writing on here that they had been abused in some way, that would just be hearsay, wouldn't it? (I dunno, I don't know anything about the law, I am making this up as I go along....)

gothicmama · 02/07/2006 21:24

possible but if they are just convos then probably not people can still change their mind as in rl convos if situations change

expatinscotland · 02/07/2006 21:25

good to 'see' you about, tamum!

fwiw, i once shopped someone for benefits fraud - she was NOT entitled to ANY benefits at all b/c of her visa status and boasted often about duping the system - based on what she wrote on a board.

BUT she posted w/her initials and there were other circumstances that made it easy to figure out who she was.