Dealing with Offensive Tweets: Should We Act Against Those Spreading Rumors Too?

Respected Sirs, an employee of my company, Misys, has been posting materials on Twitter that are grossly offensive and inciting. It has become difficult for Misys HR to control its employees, and his manager has identified the person who we thought was doing it. That person has refused to sign a confession, so we will file an FIR and work with the police to gather evidence that points to him. He has called us "LITTLE HR" on Twitter. Now, after the police have identified him through hard work, we want to know if we should also take action against people who are associated with spreading the rumors.

I should also say that RamTheSkiver has posted an open letter to Misys's former CEO on Twitter! He has also created fabricated headlines using pictures from Misys's official Twitter account. RamTheSkiver never explained what he means by his postings. He does not answer when we ask, "What did you mean by that?"

I saw his Twitter profile, and your words are right. He is openly maligning. Let's get this resolved. I would request experts from the cyber world to respond; however, let's hear from the HR gurus in the forum.

This is beyond serious damage to an employer's brand. It looks like a case of cyberbullying as of now.

Thank you, (Cite Contribution), so much for understanding. It's beyond defamatory and is ruining the Misys image when we read it. It's shocking that Misys has pressed charges and filed for jail time for RamTheSkiver. Misys wants to know if we can also press charges against his associates for spreading the rumors?

Respected sirs, should we impose charges on RamTheSkiver associates for spreading rumors?

I think you have misinterpreted him. Considered advice has already been provided. Knee-jerk reactions that I see have not been echoed by any of the experts here, and I would strongly suggest you respect the advice given already. Your company needs to get its maturity, communication, and strategy right; otherwise, you will end up being the bigger loser.

RamTheSkiver or anyone else is not bound to respond to your queries on Twitter or anywhere else. They have the right to voice their opinion. Since you are already exploring legal options, you have recorded your intent. Why do you expect anyone who is doing this to help you by clarifying their stand or statements?

Without trying to be offensive, I have to also say that some of your comments and queries above have been pretty difficult for me to comprehend. Have you considered if there is a simple communication gap somewhere that is festering a wound?

I wish to share the expert's suggestion I received on this case:

"The act performed by the person is not cyberbullying but is beyond cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a general term and has no specific legal value in a specific context.

Legal Recommendations

I recommend that the person who is defaming the company be handled not only under cyber law but also under IPC and CPC sections. Ideally, I recommend that the person who has maligned the name of the company be tried for defamation under IPC and CPC, and also for issuing threats (if any) and/or criminal intimidation (if any). Defamation is a very serious offense, and if dealt with properly, it can generate very serious and positive results.

Steps to Take

The company has to approach the Police Cyber Cell and seek their help. The company, through authorized government officials of the cyber cell of the police, should try to find out the traffic that this particular person has been able to generate on this website/account on Twitter, as this will help the company somewhat ascertain the damage caused by the person's defamatory posts against the company.

There are many Cyber Forensic experts who can help you locate the exact location, both current and past, of the person who posted the defamatory materials against the company. Also, the Cyber Forensic expert will help in collecting data on this issue and will help in strengthening the case when represented before the apt courts.

The matter has to be dealt with in a mature and serious manner because he is maligning the name of a company via social networking sites, and God forbid if these details reach the company's foreign clients, then they might even discontinue their business with the company."