How to Protect Your Company’s Social Media Currency
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.
- Today’s companies compete not only for dollars but also for likes, followers, views, tweets, comments and shares. “Social currency,” as some researchers call it , is becoming increasingly important and companies are investing heavily in building their social media fan bases. In some cases,... ›
HIPAA and Health Care Apps: Is Your App Covered?
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
Health care apps are one of the most important and growing segments in the ecosystem known as the Internet of Things (IoT). After the recent amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that—among other things—broadened the definition of a “Business Associate,”... ›A Negative Review May Be Protected Activity Under U.S. Employment Law
By: Mary Race
Yelp, Inc. is more accustomed to being on the giving—rather than the receiving—end of a negative review. That changed recently when a Yelp customer service employee, Talia Ben-Ora, posted an open letter to Yelp’s CEO on her blog, lamenting her daily struggle to survive... ›Privacy Shield vs. Safe Harbor: A Different Name for an Improved Agreement?
The European Commission (the “Commission”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the draft legal texts for the much anticipated EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (the “Shield”), set to replace the currently inoperative Safe Harbor program (“Safe Harbor”). The new agreement is aimed at restoring the... ›- - Event
Join us at SXSW Interactive 2016!
Socially Aware editors John Delaney and Aaron Rubin will be in Austin, Texas, for SXSW Interactive from March 11 th to March 15 th. They plan to “live tweet” a number of the presentations via our @MoFoSocMedia Twitter account. If you will be in Austin... › Employer Surveillance of Internet and Email Use in the Workplace in Germany
Is an employer allowed to access an employee’s email account when the employee is on sick leave? To what extent is control permissible when an employee is suspected of illegal activities, e.g., of leaking trade secrets? In Germany, these questions are at the crossroads of... ›Clickwrap, Browsewrap and Mixed Media Contracts: A Few Words Can Go a Long Way
By: J. Alexander Lawrence
Courts have generally categorized online agreements into two types: “clickwrap” agreements and “browsewrap” agreements. Clickwrap agreements—which require a user to check a box or click an icon to signify agreement with the terms—are usually enforceable under U.S. law, even where the terms appear in... ›- - Event
Social Media 2016: Addressing Corporate Risks
In case you missed Socially Aware ’s and Practising Law Institute’s recent Social Media conference in San Francisco, we will be hosting the conference in New York City this Wednesday, February 24 th. The NYC conference will be chaired by Socially Aware co-editor John... › Consumer Privacy Survey Results
By: Aaron P. Rubin
As Socially Aware readers know, privacy presents real business risks that have the potential to negatively impact a company’s bottom line, from the legal fees associated with a data breach to revenue declines stemming from a loss of consumer trust. Late last year, Socially... ›The Internet of Things: Interoperability, Industry Standards & Related IP Licensing Approaches
The financial impact of the Internet of Things on the global economy will be significantly affected by interoperability. A 2015 McKinsey Global Institute report indicated that, “[on] average, interoperability is necessary to create 40 percent of the potential value that can be generated by... ›