The Internet is now an essential aspect of almost every business but in legal terms, it creates significant risks, not least because it is so fast moving and so difficult for a business owner to control, in terms of legal and business risk. The internet also presents challenges because the law is struggling to keep up and due to the fact that it can be virtually impossible to determine, in the case of e-commerce transactions with an entity based abroad, which jurisdictional laws would apply in the event of a dispute.

In terms of potential problems with staff, the main risks created by the internet and social media are:-

If you do not already have an Internet use and social media policy, you should strongly consider getting one which has been carefully thought through and to ensure that the policy is consistent with other employment law policies, contracts and your business generally. It is also vital that any policy is backed up by ongoing training and monitoring, and that the policy is expressly stated to be variable because opportunities and risks are constantly evolving in this age of digital revolution.

If this is something you would like to find out more about, please contact Stewart Pettigrew of the Corporate Team on 0141 333 6750.