Monthly Archives: January 2012
Editor’s Predictions for 2012
Posted in Employment Law, IP, Privacy, Terms of UseTo ring in the New Year, the Socially Aware editors provide their predictions regarding social media law and business developments in the coming year (please keep in mind that, if we were good at this prediction thing, we wouldn’t be practicing law for a living) . . . Watch for an explosion of employment law… Continue Reading
Running Contests and Sweepstakes on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter: How the Rules Stack Up
Posted in Online Promotions, Terms of UseOver the past two years, Socially Aware has revisited Facebook’s Promotions Guidelines from time to time — even as recently as August 2011 — to help keep our readers up-to-date on how popular social media platforms seek to regulate contests, sweepstakes and other promotions. Online promotions are as popular as ever, and given that two-thirds… Continue Reading
Proposed Facebook Settlement Underscores the FTC’s Privacy Priorities
Posted in FTC, PrivacyOn November 29, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a proposed order against Facebook that builds upon both the FTC’s recommendations from its 2010 draft privacy report and precedents set in the order that it recently imposed on Google. Any business that collects personal information from consumers should pay close attention to this action… Continue Reading
2011: Top Facebook Status Updates
Posted in StatisticsStandard for Discovery of Anonymous Internet Users’ Identities Remains in Flux
Posted in Discovery, Litigation, PrivacyPlenty of press attention has been given to social media sites’ views on whether their users can use “handles” or pseudonyms instead of their real names. But much of the Internet’s social conversation remains dependent upon that dot-com staple, the anonymous message board. In the recent case of Varrenti v. Gannett Co., Inc., a New… Continue Reading
2011: Most Tweeted Events
Posted in StatisticsTracking the Trackers: Social Media Companies Face Pressure for Tracking Users’ Browsing Habits
Posted in PrivacyFacebook is facing renewed scrutiny following efforts to explain its data collection practices, which include tracking where and when members and nonmembers are browsing after they visit a Facebook page. At the end of 2011, USA Today reported on how Facebook tracks user browsing habits, following in-depth interviews with senior Facebook engineers and spokespersons. According… Continue Reading
2011: Most Popular YouTube Videos
Posted in Statistics1. Rebecca Black’s “Friday” 2. “Ultimate Dog Tease” by Talking Animals 3. “Jack Sparrow” by The Lonely Island (feat. Michael Bolton) 4. “Talking Twin Babies” by Randy McEntee 5. “Nyan Cat” by Christopher Torres and Sara Joon 6. “Look At Me Now” by Chris Brown feat. LilWayne, Busta Rhymes 7. “The Creep”… Continue Reading
Updated FINRA Guidance on Social Media Websites and the Use of Personal Devices
Posted in Securities LawOn August 18, 2011, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) issued Regulatory Notice 11-39 providing guidance to broker-dealer members on social networking websites and business communications. The notice represents FINRA’s first update to its guidance on social media since the release of Regulatory Notice 10-06 in January 2010. Regulatory Notice 11-39 merely clarifies existing… Continue Reading
Agreement Reached in Belgium on Google Street View Privacy Concerns
Posted in Privacy2010 and 2011 witnessed Google’s rollout of Street View, the search company’s mobile panoramic mapping service, in a number of European countries — but not without challenges to the Internet giant, which has had to enter into a variety of agreements with local European data protection regulators. On the heels of clashes with data protection… Continue Reading
Northern District of California Court Addresses the Law of the (Virtual) Horse (and Bunny)
Posted in DMCA, Terms of UseOnline “virtual worlds,” such as Second Life, have their own cultures, customs and economies. This presents new challenges for applying existing intellectual property laws to user-created content in such virtual worlds, as illustrated by a recent case in the Northern District of California, Amaretto Ranch Breedables, LLC v. Ozimals, Inc.. Second Life places users, or… Continue Reading