From celebrities to average folks, more people are finding themselves held accountable for their online comments. A recent TD Insurance poll found that 67 percent of Canadians have posted comments online and 18 percent regretted what they posted. Yet, more 27 percent believe they aren't legally accountable for their online comments.

Although the trend towards lawsuits against bloggers, message-board posters, social network users and yes, even Twitter users, is gaining momentum faster south of the border, it raises the question of how Canadians can protect themselves from their online words.

What's got Canadian tongues wagging online? More than half of respondents who post online do it to share their opinion about an experience or weigh in with their thoughts on an article or online entry. Nearly a quarter vent frustration about a company, product or experience and a small percentage discuss their jobs or employers online. The old adage about Canadian politeness may hold true online, with only 6 percent admitting to gossiping.

Interestingly, men are more likely than women to have posted a comment in an online forum at 71 percent compared to 64 percent.

Most residential policies include liability insurance, but often the publication of libel, slander or defamatory comments is excluded from this coverage. Some insurers, including the survey’s sponsor TD Insurance Home and Auto, offer an umbrella policy with home insurance that does provide coverage for these instances.