Australian Gov't Official Fired For Googling 'Knockers' From Home With Office Laptop

UK Commission Explains That Public Tweets Are Public

from the in-case-you-were-wondering dept

Thu, Feb 10th 2011 9:56pm — Mike Masnick

Apparently, a woman in the UK didn't seem to realize that her Twitter account was public. After finding out some of her Twitter messages were picked up and mentioned in some newspapers, she complained that this was a violation of her privacy rights. This resulted in a case before the Press Complaints Commission, who explained that information that you put out publicly is not private info. Thanks for clearing that up. Public info is public. Good to know.

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Filed Under: privacy, twitter, uk

34 Comments

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Torinir (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:15pm

Obvious ruling is obvious.

Yeah, yeah... I had to say it.
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xenomancer (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:19pm

Re:
"Yeah, yeah... I had to say it."

The same way someone was bound to bring that law suit. They just didn't do it for the lulz.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:20pm

I don't know exactly why I'm laughing but that is just hilarious.

Why people put information on public forums and expect privacy?
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Laurel L. Russwurm (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:31pm

it's all relative
Yes, it sounds funny when you understand that Twitter is a public forum. The thing to remember is that most of the people in the world are not aware that it is a public forum.

People sit in their private homes and type words on their computers for their friends to read. The same way people not so long ago typed letters that they put into envelopes, stamped and dropped in a mailbox. Just because many people use computers is no guarantee they understand them.
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Atkray (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:33pm

Re:
She had to enter a password to login, therefore it must be private.

/sarc
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:39pm

They should have pasted their ruling onto a photo of a cat. She would have understood, then.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:40pm

Re: it's all relative
The thing to remember is that most of the people in the world are not aware that it is a public forum.

The thing to remember is that everyone who joins Twitter has an obligation to know what it is. I mean, they even have an option to make their posts private. What more do you want? A Twitter employee to come to your home and explain it to you?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:43pm

About public did anyone knew that Einstein is a trademark and copyrighted?

CNN: Granddaughter wants share of Einstein estate profits

WTF!?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:53pm

Re: Re:
You just made the wheel on Mike's wagon fall off.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:54pm

Heavy bricks are heavy.

I always wonder if Tomoyo's Room is the source of this.

http://manga.clone-army.org/t42r.php?page=207&lang=
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TamArgument, 10 Feb 2011 @ 10:56pm

Re:
But without virtually indefinite IP laws we wouldn't have geniuses like Einstein.
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mike allen (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 12:22am

the problem was that a newspaper published her tweets for some reason she complained the word idiot springs to mind.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 12:31am

Re: it's all relative
The thing to remember is that most of the people in the world are not aware that it is a public forum.

citation needed
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Christopher (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 12:39am

Public tweets are public.... the information BEHIND the tweet (who posted it and when) is not usually public, so that is protected.
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Chargone (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 1:02am

Re: Re: Re:
wagons have wheels? why does nobody Tell me these things?!
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 1:26am

Twitter's TOS pretty clearly state you own your tweets.

Journo should have asked for permission, or it's theft.

Reproducing someone's tweets without consent is irresponsible.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 2:25am

Oh. My. God.
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Wolfger (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 3:01am

Re:
That's absolutely wrong, Christopher. The tweet is public, your names (screen name and user name) are a part of every tweet. The time it was posted is fuzzy... you see "x minutes/hours/days ago" instead of a timestamp. Of course, if it says "4 minutes ago", you know exactly when.

example, off a random hashtag search:
screen name: sl33stak
user name: Jamie A MacDonald
@TechCrunch I prefer MY #Kickstarter project of #Detroit http://kck.st/e93ANp Well..If you're into #Photography anyways.
7 minutes ago via Echofon
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Michael, 11 Feb 2011 @ 3:40am

Re: Re: it's all relative
"What more do you want? A Twitter employee to come to your home and explain it to you?"

Is she cute?
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xenomancer (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 3:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
does your wagon just have four freely rotating squares on it? i hope they're all the same size!
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xenomancer (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 3:47am

Re: Re: Re: it's all relative
not particularly, she's the ugly twin sister of Brunhilda from Mel Brooks 'Robin Hood, Men in Tights'.
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xenomancer (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 3:49am

Re:
No. Way.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 5:09am

Re:
yeahbut it is not quite that simple
(from https://twitter.com/tos)
You retain your rights to any Content you submit, post or display on or through the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed).

You agree that this license includes the right for Twitter to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals who partner with Twitter for the syndication, broadcast, distribution or publication of such Content on other media and services, subject to our terms and conditions for such Content use.

Such additional uses by Twitter, or other companies, organizations or individuals who partner with Twitter, may be made with no compensation paid to you with respect to the Content that you submit, post, transmit or otherwise make available through the Services.
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btrussell (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 5:10am

Re: Re:
Way!
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 5:28am

Would that include private messages or @person messages sent on Twitter?
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ethorad (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 6:36am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Only because the buggy wheel manufacturers learned from the buggy whip manufacturer's mistakes, and now continually supress anti-gravity technology.

Ever wondered why it's always 20 years away?
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TamArgument, 11 Feb 2011 @ 7:49am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
"does your wagon just have four freely rotating squares on it?"

That would make his wagon a freetard.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 7:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
it has to have squared wheeled, round wheels are patented
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Joe (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 8:16am

Re: Re: it's all relative
I'll see your "citation needed" and raise you a "citation needed."
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isaac the k, 11 Feb 2011 @ 8:59am

Long Cat
Long cat is pleased by this.

Because long cat is loooooooooooooong.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 11:00am

Re: Re:
Sounds like there is no real right to or expectation of privacy on Twitter. I wonder how this makes that Icelandic politician and the EFF feel right now?
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 11:30am

Re: Re: it's all relative
That is like saying private messages on Facebook will forever remain private. They won't. Eventually facebook will have a breach internally or externally, and something with the expectation of privacy will be public.
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teka (profile), 11 Feb 2011 @ 5:20pm

Re: Re:
All those provisions seem to spell out that Twitter is the one with the license to display (use) any content you give them. There is nothing that says anyone without a connection or business relationship with twitter can freely use your content.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2011 @ 7:10pm

Twitter, Facebook, MySpace...human vanity and stupidity know no bounds.
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