According to legal information firm Sweet and Maxwell, internet-related libel cases in England and Wales increased from seven to 16 in the year ending May 31st.
This has, quite predictably, been linked to the continued rise of popular social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Korieh Duodu, a media specialist with law firm Addleshaw Goddard, remarked: "People who find themselves damaged on social media sites can often find it time-consuming and difficult to have the offending material removed, because many platform providers do not accept responsibility for their users' content."
Mr Duodu added: "Such is the speed at which information travels through social networks that one unchecked comment can spread into the mainstream media within minutes, which can cause irreparable damage to the subject who has been wronged."
Posted by Andre Dixon
