Banking Tweet Puts Man on Hot Seat, Facing Potential Criminal Charge

His alleged 96-character message on Twitter warning depositors not to keep their money in a Guatemalan bank has already put Jean Anleu in jail briefly.

And if he is convicted of illegally undermining public trust in the country's banking system, he could be sentenced to five years, reports the Associated Press. Although Anleu has not yet been charged, a prosecutor says such a case is planned.

Anleu, who is one of the first people in the world to be arrested for posting a tweet on the Twitter social networking site, says he is now fearful, essentially, that Big Brother is watching him all the time, according to the news agency.

"The fear makes me want to avoid saying what I think, even about the most mundane topics, and saying where I am, where I'm going—like you would normally do on Twitter," he says.

Additional coverage:

El País: "El poder de las redes sociales"