When was the last time you complained about customer service, or a faulty product? You may have vented your frustrations on Twitter and Facebook. You may have written a blog about it, or posted a negative review of the brand or business on Yelp. The last thing you did, however, was fear that your complaint would land you a lawsuit for your complaint.

In Greece, however, free speech – something that is a pinnacle of their government and culture – has been threatened after Systemgraph, a reseller of Apple products, sued Dimitris Papadimitriadis, of Greece, following hiscomplaint about poor customer service using social media after problems with his new Mac. His words were far less than libelous or slanderous, calling Systemgraph “dodgy” on forums, Twitter, and blogs. Although Systemgraph responded to his complaints on one of the same forums, they then turned around and sued Papadimitriadis for an “organized” attempt to use social media to slander Systemgraph. What’s interesting  is that slander usually requires the vicious statements – organized or otherwise – to be false. Papadimitriadis clearly has a valid complaint.

Should consumers, especially those in America, fear an increase in lawsuits attacking free speech expressed via social media platforms?

Probably not. Many professions and companies hold strict ethical standards, along with social media policies, that regulate their own bloggers’ content, and content is often moderated and screened to prevent true libel and slander from affecting their organizations. Individuals may find that a negative complaint is suppressed by the brand or business or business at the cost of the business, so the complainant may actually get paid, not sued, for their complaint to just disappear. This is also a much cheaper alternative than litigation for businesses, especially small.

Many American citizens have found more success using social media to complain about poor products or service than any other medium in recent decades. The lawsuit by Systemgraph in Greece against Papadimitriadis may raise hesitation to complain – especially in Greece. However, American consumers should continue to feel empowered to utilize social media to discuss experiences with brands and businesses – whether negative, or positive.