Twitter users may need to think twice before typing their next 140 character-long tweet. An accountant in England today was found guilty after sending out what was considered by the court to be a threatening tweet.
Along with being found guilty, Paul Chambers was fined $1,500 after a British court convicted him of sending out a threatening tweet, which included comments about blowing up an airport in South Yorkshire.
Frustrated by an airport closure, Chambers sent a tweet to his 600 followers that read:
Crap! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!
Once sent, Chambers forgot about it and continued sending tweets. It was not until days later, however, that an employee of Robin Hood Airport discovered Chambers’ tweet. The employee said he stumbled across the tweet when researching Robin Hood Airport on Twitter and notified the airport’s security. Officials then notified the police.
The tweet was not intended to be a threat, according to Chambers. Instead, it was a joke to be read by his own followers who were being updated of his travels.
Despite Twitter’s Terms of Service, which states “content you submit, post, or display will be able to be viewed by other users of the services and through third party services and Web sites,” Chambers said he was not aware that his tweet would be viewed by anyone other than his followers.
Still, the Judge ruled against him and issued the fine. As a result of the prosecution, Chambers lost his job as a finance supervisor.
Chambers took no time before hitting the Web to tweet about the ordeal. Chambers tweeted his thoughts and frustration with Crown Prosecution Services, the agency responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the policy in…