It often seems that the issue of online defamation is
confined to small businesses or to local and regional businesses. Usually
large national companies service so many individuals that it is inevitable to
receive some negative publicity. Online commentary, some of it negative,
is viewed as a cost of doing business. Traditionally, it is smaller
businesses or more localized businesses that need to guard against negative
online commentary because, since these businesses service fewer customers, negative
comments reflect a larger proportion of clients. Most businesses are less
concerned about negative comments in 1 out of every 10,000 than they are about
negative comments in 1 out of every 100 customers.
However, as we have repeatedly noted on this blog, the power
of the Internet and the power of social media is changing the traditional
view. Negative online comments are no longer simply an issue of
numbers. A single powerful negative review can be more damaging to a
company than 1,000 less powerful comments. The size of the company and
its customer base is no longer a relevant consideration. An
article, printed on January 22, 2013 in the Washington Post, reports on “a challenge companies face with the growth of
social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Before, someone in a far
flung local in Australia would not be able to cause such a stir. But the power
of social media means that negative posts about a company can spread from
around the world in seconds.”
The power of social media will only increase over the next
few years. Controlling online reputation has already become a vital
matter of survival for businesses, regardless of size. While it is
impossible to put the proverbial “genie back in the bottle” and return to the
pre-Internet days, businesses can take steps to ensure that they maintain a
positive online presence which can bolster profitability and improve the
quality of the business.
Since 1980, Gross & Romanick, P.C. has been representing
businesses of all sizes and has been positioned at the intersections of law,
business and technology. We have been advising businesses on how best to
protect themselves against abuses of technology and ensuring that their legal
structure affords them the flexibility necessary to thrive as needs and demands
change. If you have business issue, please contact our office at (703)
273-1400 or email our managing partner, Edward Gross at law@gross.com.
