Why You Need to Watch What You Share on Social Media

If you’re a parent, you’ve most likely warned your children about the dangers of social media.  After all, sharing too much could help the “bad guys” find you.  However, the same goes for adults.  Too often, you may think you are sharing your deepest thoughts with a select number of your inner circle.  Unfortunately, it’s just not true.

Take for example the young lady who decides to vent about the “crazies” at her job.  The last thing she expects is a call down to human resources.  Or, the father who decides to extol the virtues of his live-in girlfriend.  Only, he’s receiving spousal support with some conditions.  And, then there’s the guy that was severely hurt at work.  He’s enjoying his time off.  In fact, he’s chosen to document his antics in picture form.

The scenarios we’ve painted are not surreal.  In fact, they are taken from personal observations.  You may think that you’ve protected yourself with social media privacy controls.  You may be surprised to learn otherwise.

Social Media and Insurance Adjusters

Your first inclination is that the insurance adjuster for your adversary is spying on you.  You may be entirely correct.  However, there are some things you should know.

You could decide to sift through your contact lists and see if you have an inadvertently let a stranger in you private arena.  That’s doesn’t mean you’ll find the mole.  Perhaps it might help to know that insurance adjusters are precluded from “befriending” claimants on social media.

That’s not to say insurance adjusters aren’t using your posts against you.  Consider this recent news report.  In this case, the insurance company is investigating social media posts to determine risks.  According to the report, carriers use public social media posts to evaluate risk.

What else?  Posts on social media have been used to document fraud.  Bottom line.  You’ll want to check your privacy settings to see what a stranger can see.  Sadly, you may also want to look at the veracity of your friends.

For more information on personal injury claims and social media, you should review this article.

Family Law and Social Media

No doubt you think you have the friendship thing down to a science on social media.  You have sorted through relationships and limited who can see what.

Here’s some information you might not want to hear.  Not all of your friends might really be as close as you’d hope.  Let’s say for example that you’ve decided to live with your girlfriend.  Your ex-wife was the bigger breadwinner during your marriage.  She’s been court ordered to pay you alimony for ten years.

There are conditions on the spousal support.  One clearly negates payments if you cohabitate with someone new.  Your girlfriend starts tagging you in posts about the wonderful things you do for her.  And, just happens to mention that you spend each and every evening snuggled up in bed.

You are quite enamored with your new love as well.  However, you aren’t planning on marrying her for at least another eleven years.  What’s the sense?  After all, why shouldn’t you collect those alimony payments?

Did we mention that the settings on your girlfriend’s posts are public? Whoops.  You’ll learn that for sure when you’re called into court when your ex attempts to end payments for spousal support.  Your divorce agreement contained language stating that alimony stops if you start to cohabitate with someone else.

Not to mention?   There is meaning behind the saying that there is no “fury like a woman scorned.”

Contact Us

At the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we can easily remind you of the many reasons social media can hurt your case.  Have questions?  Contact our office regarding your concerns.

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