Preserving lifelong anonymity orders into adulthood: new challenges for the courts in the age of social media

Lifelong anonymity orders are rare in the UK. The most well-known cases are lifelong anonymity orders issued to protect adults who committed crimes as children. The Courts continue to experience challenges when dealing with how best to protect those who are the subject of intense and prolonged media reporting. These challenges have taken on a new form in the digital age and for family lawyers there are now important questions about the practicalities of upholding anonymity orders in the era of social media and rapidly developing technologies. Policymakers need to sensitively explore the ways in which policy, practice and regulation of social media platforms and their content can fully guarantee that lifelong anonymity orders are upheld, in order to ensure the safety, protection and well-being of those who have been granted them.