A recent ruling in Australia that saw media companies liable for defamatory posts on their social media pages could see businesses in New Zealand switch off comments, or shut down their pages altogether.
Last week's case was part of action being taken by former Northern Territory detainee, Dylan Voller, who is seeking to sue several media outlets for comments made about him on Facebook by members of the public.
Experts say it's only a matter of time before a similar case is tested here, and all companies need to smarten up.
Emma Hatton reports.
