There’s been a surge in celebrities, sportspeople and politicians making the headlines recently for their ill-judged comments on social networking sites but there’s a chance you could be at risk of doing the same.

Social networks are great for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, and for sharing photos and videos. However, the informal nature of these sites can also make it more likely to say something we shouldn’t either professionally or legally. 

For example, many companies and organisations now have extensive social media guidelines setting out what is and isn't acceptable for employees to say on social networks. Posting to Facebook or Twitter could have real life consequences if you breach these rules so it’s a good idea to check what’s in your company policy or contract to avoid the risks. 

There can be legal implications too; that it seems many of us might not be aware of. According to our research only 44% of people could correctly spot illegal activities when given a number of scenarios including activities on social networks. 

A simple way to check your own understanding of how the law applies online is to take our free online test. There are also some steps you can take to stay legal online:-

• When you log-on, don’t let your common sense log-off! A status update or tagged photo that seems like a harmless prank could have unpleasant consequences.
• Check your employment contract or company policy to make sure you know what you can and can’t say online
• Just because everyone else is Tweeting about a topic doesn’t mean it’s legal to do so – if there’s any doubt, it’s best to say nowt!
• If you are going to post something negative about someone online, be absolutely sure it is true before you click “update”
• If you are using the internet to protest, for example against the activities of a particular company, make sure that what you say is fair and truthful. 
• Be especially careful posting to Twitter or Facebook after a night out.

Our guides also have a lot more advice on staying legal online, and using social networking sites.