Modern social media etiquette

It’s easy to get into hot water or offend others online. Here’s our guide to modern social media etiquette TAGGING

YOUR mom taught you how to behave at the table, to mind your Ps and Qs, not to hurt people’s feelings and to think twice before you say something. Why then do these rules often fly out of the window when it comes to the world of social media? Barely a month goes by when someone isn’t in some of kind of trouble for posting something others deem rude, offensive, in bad taste or invasive.

So what’s acceptable and what’s not? What are the legal pitfalls? We asked experts to help us navigate the everexpanding digital obstacle course. It’s best to ask permission before tagging anyone in a picture, says Daniel Post-Senning, author of Emily Post’s Manners in a Digital World: Living Well Online.

“Because when you tag, you’re publicly exposing them in some way,” he explains.

There are two things you can do about unwanted tagging, says Lauren Dallas, social media guru and founder of business strategy company Growth Academy.

One, you can remove the tag, and two, you can activate your privacy settings on Facebook so you can review anything you’ve been tagged in before it goes on your profile. Go to Settings > Timeline and tagging > Review and enable “Review posts you’re tagged in”.

Should you be concerned about offending the poster by removing the tag?

“Absolutely not,” Dallas says. “It’s your prerogative to remove tags you find unflattering or inappropriate.”

According to South African law you also have the right to ask the poster to remove a picture you find offensive or damaging, says Carla de Beer of The Digital Law Company.

“And if they don’t, they could be charged with defamation.”