Heroic or just plain risky? The Twitter approach to the proceedings backfires

Twitter was very recently ordered by the Supreme Court of New South Wales to provide information about an anonymous tweeter divulging confidential information through a series of 'venomous tweets'¹. The judgment is notable for any online platform or website which publishes confidential information. It's also a timely reminder that in a dispute about the court's jurisdiction, careful consideration must be given to strategy; taking the approach of not participating in proceedings may be fraught with risk.

JUDGMENT AGAINST TWITTER

What happened?

The rogue tweeter made a series of tweets which disclosed confidential financial information in relation to the plaintiff, Company 'X' (whose identity has been suppressed). The tweets were delivered using a number of twitter accounts and the identity of the tweeter was unknown to Company X.