4 tips for protecting reputations in the digital age

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4 tips for protecting reputations in the digital age

The children of high net-worth clients can unknowingly create large libel and defamation exposures.

Marilyn Horrick on October 12, 2011

Being sued for slander used to be a rare event. Now it is easier to become exposed to this risk with the help of the Internet.

The incredible growth of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr and now the new Google+ mean that it is easy and tempting for people to express their opinions, positive or negative, on people and subjects that could leave them exposed. Add personal blogs to the mix and the risks expand enormously.

And while parents should be astute about such risks and are more cautious of the digital world, their children know no other life. Many assume the digital world is safe. Their lives take place on line with texts, tweets, and friending, not to mention emails.

Two Grade 11 students in Alberta were suspended after bullying remarks were made in an email and eleven students in Ontario were suspended after posting remarks about their principal on a Facebook page. More such stories are surfacing every day.

A broker recently shared an incident where a high school student created a MySpace page defaming one of their teachers. The parents were sued for more than a million dollars – and were not protected by their home owners insurance. This kind of exposure is particularly important to high net-worth clients.

You can review your clients’ coverage to make sure they are protected. And then you can both feel at ease.

Here are some helpful hints to share with your clients to help them prepare their children for safer use of digital media:

1) Remember that photos and comments on social media or in email can easily become public and once reproduced they are out of your control. Material posted can often be viewed by your child’s school officials, fellow students, neighbours or potential employers.

2) Avoid bullying comments in texts, emails and particularly on social media pages.

3) Think before you post. The photo may be funny, or you might be mad about something, but once material has been posted, the moment of response lasts for a long, long time.

4) When students are away at university, their judgment may not be the same as when they are at home, and some parental counsel can help prevent embarrassment and exposure.

A few cautions to your clients, particularly upscale clients who may have much to lose, can potentially save them from both financial and emotional stress. Insurance can only cover the financial losses if the client is covered.

Marilyn Horrick is the assistant vice president, Chubb Personal Insurance, Chubb Insurance Company of Canada. The views, information and content expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Chubb Insurance Company of Canada or of any of The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. The information provided should not be relied on as legal advice or a definitive statement of the law in any jurisdiction. For such advice, you should consult your own legal counsel.