Social Links: Google Maps gets social; Twitter puts trolls in time out; today’s teens take to chat rooms
- New York City’s Conflicts of Interest Board has issued guidelines prohibiting elected officials from using official social media accounts for political purposes or having their staff draft content for their personal social media accounts. Congress has begun paving the way for the deployment of... ›
Google Ordered to Comply with Warrant for Foreign-Stored User Data
In a major development for cloud and other data storage providers, and further complicating the legal landscape for the cross-border handling of data, a Federal Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled for the Department of Justice and ordered Google, Inc., to... ›The Hague District Court’s WhatsApp Decision Creates Concerns for Mobile App Developers
By: Alex van der Wolk
Can the mere offering of a mobile app subject the provider of such app to the privacy laws of countries in the European Union (EU)—even if the provider does not have any establishments or presence in the EU? The answer from the District Court... ›FTC Report Reinforces the Rules for Cross-Device Tracking
By: Julie O'Neill
Well over a year after holding a workshop addressing privacy issues associated with cross-device tracking, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff have issued a report. The report sets the stage by describing how cross-device tracking works, noting its “benefits and challenges,” and reviewing (and largely... ›Social Links: NJ court allows police to read suspects’ private messages; tech companies’ increased control over users’ devices; an app that blocks political posts
By: Aaron P. Rubin
A New Jersey court rules that state police can examine a suspect’s private social media messages without having to apply for an order under the state’s wiretapping laws. Technology companies are exercising a lot of control ever over users’ devices remotely, and it’s implicating privacy... ›Join Us at the Social Media 2017: Addressing Corporate Risks Conference on February 15th
In the wake of a successful social media conference in San Francisco, Socially Aware co-editors John Delaney and Aaron Rubin are revved up and ready to chair (John) and present (Aaron and John) at another Practicing Law Institute (PLI) 2017 Social Media conference! This one... ›Now Available: The February Issue of Our Socially Aware Newsletter
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available here. In this edition,we examine a spate of court decisions that appear to rein in the historically broad scope of the Communications Decency Act’s Section 230 safe harbor for website operators; we outline... ›Snapchat Clocks Section 230 Win in Speed Filter Case
By: Aaron P. Rubin
We have been monitoring a trend of cases narrowing the immunity provided to website operators under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). A recent decision by a state court in Georgia, however, demonstrates that Section 230 continues to be applied expansively in... ›Social Links: Trump’s tweets & the Presidential Records Act; Google’s fake-news raid; tools to burst your social bubble
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Some industry observers are asking whether the post-inauguration tweets that President Trump is sending from his personal Twitter account may be subject to the same Presidential Records Act standards as official presidential communications. Spending on mobile ads is expected to reach how much by... ›- - DMCA
Second Circuit Clarifies “Repeat Infringer” Policy Requirement for DMCA Copyright Safe Harbors
By: J. Alexander Lawrence
Congress enacted the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) nearly two decades ago seeking to balance the needs of two factions: Content creators, who were struggling to protect their intellectual property in the digital age, and fledgling Internet companies, who feared being held liable for... ›