UK tries to apply media bans to Facebook and Twitter users: is that a good idea?

The British government, responding to a flood of chatter about court cases on social media, is publishing new guidelines to warn people that there can be trouble if they post restricted information on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The rules, described on the UK Attorney General’s website, purport to “help prevent social media users from committing a contempt of court,” and are an attempt to extend traditional media publication bans to the public at large. UK courts, meanwhile, are also beginning to apply the country’s notorious libel laws to the social media sphere.