The case of DDF V YYZ

The first case in the UK where harassment injunction was served via the social media service Instagram

Case summary

In the case of DDF v YYZ, Solicitor Yair Cohen acted for a celebrity who had been harassed on the social media platform Instagram by an anonymous Instagram user. As it would take some time to establish the full identity of the harassing Instagram user, it was necessary to make changes to the, then, current service of legal documents rules to include a presumption of good service, when the injunction is served through the very same social media platform where the harassment is taking place.

Case outcome

DDF was granted the right to serve the harassment injunction on the anonymous defendant via the social media platform Instagram. The significant of this permission is that the court can now recognise the service of injunctions on offending social media users, via the social platform they use as good, lawful and appropriate alternative service method. This means that an offending social media user who had been served with an injunction via the platform, could be liable to imprisonment for contempt of court, if they breach the injunction.