Twitter has been ordered to hand over confidential details of five British users in what may become a landmark case for the social networking website. It is believed to be the first time the social networking site has been forced to provide details about users in the UK.

A Californian judge has ordered that the microblogging site’s bosses release the details of five Twitter accounts after it succumbed to pressure from three councillors and an official at South Tyneside council.

The councillors and official have reportedly used an American legal firm to carry out the matter on their behalf claiming they had been libelled in tweets.

They took their legal case to America to unmask “Mr Monkey”, the anonymous individual behind the messages.

Experts have warned that there could be a flood of further cases amid controversy over how celebrity gagging orders have been breached online by some Twitter users, as well as more general cases of libel.

Freedom of speech campaigners fear the success of the South Tyneside case may encourage others to take legal action in America, potentially uncovering many more names of previously anonymous users.

A media lawyer Mark Stephens explained to Sky News:

Ryan Giggs’ lawyers went to the High Court in London which doesn’t have jurisdiction over Twitter in California.

Whereas the 9th Circuit court where the Tyneside council went in California does have jurisdiction over Twitter, so Twitter had no alternative but to hand over the material.

Tony Wang, head of European operations, warned via a tweet last week that details would be released if legally required.

[Source: SkyNews]