Woman Sued $50,000 Over a Single Tweet

You knew it was eventually coming… a Twitter lawsuit.  In the times where anyone will sue you for anything it seems, Horizon Realty Group is taking a Twitter user to court over a simple tweet.

The company says Amanda Bonnen defamed them when she sent out this tweet on May 12, 2009:

It should also be made clear that Bonnen had only 20 followers — that is, before she closed her Twitter account.

She is being sued for $50,000, according to ChicagoNow.com.

It seems the lawsuit is doing more harm to the company than the original tweet could have. Take a look at what some other Twitter users were saying when this story broke on Tuesday:

This is definitely a company that does not know how to embrace social media or use it to their benefit. Most companies today welcome criticism and complaints as a way to improve themselves. Southwest Airlines for example responds personally to tweets from passengers who may or may not have enjoyed their flight for a particular reason.

This just goes to show that corporate America has a lot to learn about how to handle the Internet, especially freedom of speech when it comes to the public’s opinion.

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