Twitter reveals secrets: Details of British users handed over in landmark case

[The Northerner]

For the first time, the American social networking site has bowed to a court action brought by a British group complaining that they were libelled in messages.

The individuals who brought the legal action were councillors and officials at a local authority, South Tyneside.

They launched the case in an attempt to unmask an anonymous whistle-blower who calls himself Mr Monkey.

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In their attempt to unmask Mr Monkey, the South Tyneside councillors and officials went to court in California, where Twitter is based.

They obtained a ruling ordering the company to release contact details, location information and computer addresses of the individuals behind four accounts on the website. The court granted the order after it was told, by lawyers for the council, that messages posted on the accounts had been libellous.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/8544350/Twitter-reveals-secrets-Details-of-British-users-handed-over-in-landmark-case-that-could-help-Ryan-Giggs.html