Welcome to Socially Aware

Socially Aware is devoted to the law and business of social media, proactively addressing emerging issues and keeping our clients informed of new developments. We cover fields such as artificial intelligence, privacy and data security, Section 230, intellectual property, and much more.

August 12, 2016 - Advertising, Endorsement Guides, Data Security, Cyberbullying, Marketing, Free Speech, Mobile, Compliance, Litigation, Online Endorsements
Social Links: Facebook’s anti-ad-blocking software; LinkedIn’s “scraper” lawsuit; FTC’s upcoming crackdown on social influencers
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Facebook introduced technology that disables ad blockers used by people who visit the platform via desktop computers, but Adblock Plus has already foiled the platform’s efforts , at least for now. A look at Twitter’s 10-year failure to stop harassment. Are mobile apps killing
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August 10, 2016 - DMCA, Terms of Use, Copyright, IP
Commercializing User-Generated Content: Five Risk Reduction Strategies
By: Anthony M. Ramirez
We’re in the midst of a seismic shift in how companies interact with user-generated content (UGC). For years, companies were happy simply to host UGC on their websites, blogs and social media pages and reap the resulting boost to their traffic numbers. And U.S.
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August 07, 2016 - Privacy, Litigation
Ninth Circuit Case Demonstrates That the Social Media Platform, Not the User, Is in Control
By: Aaron P. Rubin
We have written before about website operators’ use of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) to combat data scraping. We have also noted a number of recent cases in which courts held that social media platforms, rather than the users of those
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July 31, 2016 - Advertising, Digital Content, Disappearing Content, Marketing, Mobile
Social Links: Twitter’s tough quarter; Yelp warns users about litigious dentist; Pinterest battles Snapchat
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Instagram now allows celebrities to block trolls. While Facebook reached new highs last quarter, Twitter continued to stumble. Will adding more live video content or allowing users to create Snapchat-like collage custom emojis over photos help Twitter regain its footing? Tips for fixing your
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July 29, 2016 - Privacy, Mobile, Litigation
First Circuit Issues Potentially Significant Ruling on Federal Video Privacy Statute’s Application to Mobile Apps
The First Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Yershov v. Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. may carry important implications for mobile app providers seeking to navigate federal privacy laws—in particular, the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (“VPPA”). Although Yershov is not the
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July 22, 2016 - First Amendment, Protected Speech, Live streaming, Cyberbullying, Disappearing Content, Privacy, Free Speech, Mobile, Litigation
Social Links: Twitter’s troll problem; Snapchat fat-shamer risks prosecution; a federal anti-revenge-porn law?
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Facebook Messenger joins the elite “one billion monthly users” club just four years after its release as a standalone app. A Canadian judge ordered a couple convicted of child neglect to post to all their social media accounts his decision describing their crime. Leslie
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July 21, 2016 - Privacy, Mobile, Litigation
Augmenting Reality: A Pokémon Go Business and Legal Primer
By: Aaron P. Rubin
We have become inured to the sight of people staring at their phones rather than engaging with one another or enjoying their real-life surroundings. But, over the past two weeks, enslavement to mobile devices rose to new levels, with smartphones and tablets actually propelling
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July 19, 2016 - Class Actions, E-Commerce, Terms of Use, Litigation
Controversial New Jersey Consumer Protection Law Creates a Potential “Gotcha” for E-Commerce Companies
By: Anthony M. Ramirez
If your company is involved in selling products or services to consumers in New Jersey over the web or through mobile apps, you’ll want to read this blog post. In what amounts to a feeding frenzy, plaintiffs’ lawyers are working overtime bringing class action
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July 18, 2016 - Trademark
#Trademarks?: Hashtags as Trademarks Revisited
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Since our previous article on the emerging issue of trademark rights in hashtags , the use of hashtags in social media marketing has continued to grow. Described as the “ignition keys to a social media keyword search,” hashtags can be powerful tools for creating
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July 15, 2016 - Patent, Live streaming, Privacy, UK, IP, Litigation
Social Links: Appeals court opinions show reach of anti-hacking law; a virtual reality sickness cure; intrigue at Vine
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The UK wants to use the blockchain to track the spending of welfare recipients. Some believe that a recent Ninth Circuit holding could turn sharing passwords into a federal crime under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. And another Ninth Circuit opinion sided with
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Welcome to Socially Aware

Social Links: Facebook’s anti-ad-blocking software; LinkedIn’s “scraper” lawsuit; FTC’s upcoming crackdown on social influencers

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Commercializing User-Generated Content: Five Risk Reduction Strategies

By: Anthony M. Ramirez

Ninth Circuit Case Demonstrates That the Social Media Platform, Not the User, Is in Control

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Social Links: Twitter’s tough quarter; Yelp warns users about litigious dentist; Pinterest battles Snapchat

By: Aaron P. Rubin

First Circuit Issues Potentially Significant Ruling on Federal Video Privacy Statute’s Application to Mobile Apps

Social Links: Twitter’s troll problem; Snapchat fat-shamer risks prosecution; a federal anti-revenge-porn law?

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Augmenting Reality: A Pokémon Go Business and Legal Primer

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Controversial New Jersey Consumer Protection Law Creates a Potential “Gotcha” for E-Commerce Companies

By: Anthony M. Ramirez

#Trademarks?: Hashtags as Trademarks Revisited

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Social Links: Appeals court opinions show reach of anti-hacking law; a virtual reality sickness cure; intrigue at Vine

By: Aaron P. Rubin