GREENSBORO — Some homeowners insurance policies are now protecting people from what they say online.
It’s called a personal injury liability endorsement and it covers against slander and libel. The policy addition has been around a few years but now includes social media posts.
While it may offer a sense of security, the policy is only meant to cover mistakes.
"If you're trying to intentionally or maliciously hurt someone, that liability insurance is null and void. It's kind of like committing a crime. We're not going to pay for things that you knew were going to happen,” said Christopher Cook, owner of Alliance Insurance Services.
While it protects adults online actions, Cook advises parents to purchase the endorsement for their children.
"I especially encourage parents with young folks who may or may not understand that what they put out there in the world is there forever,” said Cook.
It may seem a bit much, but Cook said the endorsement has proven useful for some over the years, even though his agency in Winston-Salem has not filed a claim yet.
"There are several lawsuits that have been filed and won based on slander or libel claims from whether it be from YouTube, Twitter or Facebook,” said Cook.
Cook advises people need to ask their agent about personal injury liability endorsement. Cook said yearly costs add up to about $20.