Court orders Twitter to reveal identity of a tweeter

TWITTER has been ordered by a High Court judge to reveal the identity of an anonymous user.

Judge Colm Mac Eochaidh granted the order after hearing an outline of tweets sent after a Prime Time documentary on a hospital supplies firm.

The court was told that the plaintiff, Stephen Walsh of Crinken Glen, Shankill, Co. Dublin, was a whistleblower who contributed to an the exposé about how hospital staff received expensive holidays and gifts from medical firm Eurosurgical Ltd.

It is alleged that a Twitter user intended to identify the whistleblower publicly and, it was alleged, issue a series of defamatory statements about him including an allegation of insurance fraud.

Daniel Fennelly, for Mr Walsh, asked for an order to force Twitter to disclose the name, address, email, IP address and internet service provider of the Twitter account holder @JonezTom so a defamation case could be brought.

Mr Fennelly said Twitter’s policy was not to act until ordered by a court as part of a legal process.

Following the judge’s order, he said Twitter had provided the email account, telephone number and IP address of the account holder, whose account has been suspended – but had said it did not have the name or address.

These will now be pursued through the internet provider. The defamation case is now set to continue.