Barrister and media personality Judge Rinder said AI chatbots and social media are the ‘Wild West’ for people trying to manage their reputations.
‘There is no uniform way in which TikTok, X and Instagram are required to lawfully behave, because it’s worth remembering they aren’t publications, they’re platforms,’ he said. ‘It’s quite literally the Wild West.’
Speaking at Spear’s 500 Live on 6 May on a panel titled ‘Misinformation, disinformation and the evolution of reputational threats in the digital age’, Rob Rinder MBE was joined by leading reputational experts to discuss the risks and benefits of the modern media landscape.
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A high-profile figure himself, Rinder addressed the difficulties of dealing with online misinformation.
‘We are at a new moment where it is not just a different idea of truth, not just post-truth, where reputations of individuals and companies have never, ever been more threatened,’ he said.
‘It is not about whether [your lawyer] thinks you have been defamed,’ he added. ‘It’s about whether or not there’s anything you can do about it.’
Rinder noted the risks of being heavy-handed when dealing with one’s reputation, something which reputation manager Andrew Honnor, founder of the firm Greenbrook, agreed with.
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‘These could be very difficult, emotional things,’ said Honnor. ‘It may well be the most difficult situation an individual, in their personal life, has had.
‘So, there is a risk of overreaction, as well as underreaction. You do have to balance it out quite carefully.’
[See also: The growing threat AI chatbots pose to your reputation]
While expressing the need for caution amid reputational crises, Honnor also noted the need to act quickly, at a time when AI has sped up the media production line.
‘It’s turbocharging everything in terms of speed, how issues develop, and how you need to respond,’ he said. ‘We find we need to lead more quickly than we used to before. And even with social media, we’ve got speedier, but now I feel we’re sprinting all the time.’
The best way to tackle any reputational threat, especially those disseminating online, is to hone in on its root source, said defence and investigations lawyer Mark Jones, of the firm Payne Hicks Beach.
‘Motive is always one of the most important things that I look for, in terms of “why this is happening” and “where is it coming from?”,’ he said.
Jones added: ‘It is often quite important in terms of dictating how you may then go on to deal with the matter, and what the response might look like.’
[See also: The best reputation and privacy lawyers in 2026]
However, it is important for clients to remain level-headed when trying to solve a reputational issue, said Jones, as pointing fingers can be unproductive and legally risky.
‘The presumption of innocence, as far as I’m aware, still exists in this country,’ he joked.
Seconding this point was Hanna Basha, a reputation lawyer also from Payne Hicks Beach.
However, Basha noted that law firms themselves have to now be careful when considering which clients to take on, to preserve their own reputations.
‘We have to be careful, especially in the SLAPPs world that we now live in, as defamation and reputation lawyers.’
A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP, is where powerful corporations or individuals use the threat or filing of expensive, intimidating legal action to silence whistle-blowers, critics, journalists and activists who are speaking out against or investigating matters of public interest. There is legislation combatting the use of SLAPPs in financial cases, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in the UK, however critics, such as the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, say there is not a comprehensive law protecting individuals from such letters.
‘But, as Mark said, people are entitled to representation,’ she added.
Noting that her work has become increasingly difficult amid the rise of social media and AI, Basha called for their increased regulation.
‘I think we need more regulation on social media platforms,’ she said. ‘So often, people will say “it’s on social media, it’s in the press, what do we do now?”. The most difficult thing for us is getting instructed after the first publication.’
While the stress of digital threats to reputation is ongoing, Judge Rinder reminded the audience that the currency of good manners still holds value.
‘The first thing is to not be an arsehole,’ he noted.
[See also: The best reputation managers in 2026]
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Spear’s 500 Live is the premier live event for private client professionals and leading figures from the private wealth and family office ecosystem. The 2026 edition took place on 6 May at The Savoy in London.
Spear’s 500 Live was presented in association with our partners the Charities Aid Foundation, CMB Monaco, Guernsey Finance, HCA Healthcare UK, Payne Hicks Beach, Riverstone, Scott Dunn Private and Stewardship.
For commercial enquiries concerning Spear’s events, contact shady.elkholy@spearswms.com.
