Google has increased its libel risk by integrating  Twitter micro-blogs into its search results without fully thinking through the security implications, says search consultant Rae Hoffman, CEO of Outspoken Media.

This is because Twitter,  Facebook  and other popular social networks allow unlimited creation of free, anonymous accounts. And now Google and rivals Microsoft Bing and Yahoo Search are racing to integrate social network postings  high in search results, in near real time. That adds up to an ideal platform for spammers and  hackers — and, as Hoffman points out, disgruntled employees and unscrupulous business rivals, too.