Brands Beware: FTC Continues Campaign on Social Media Influencer Disclosures
- With much fanfare , the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues to take actions relating to so-called “social media influencers” who allegedly fail to disclose material connections to the products or brands they endorse. Recurring enforcement actions and guidance—and the FTC’s ongoing promotion of its... ›
- - Advertising, Artificial Intelligence, European Union, FTC, Influencer Marketing, Privacy, UK, Employment Law, Online Endorsements
Social Links: Social media influencers earn big bucks for endorsements, while the FTC settles a suit against influencers; European court sides with employee axed over emails reviewed by employer
By: Aaron P. Rubin
In 2016, brands spent $570 million on social influencer endorsements on Instagram alone. This recode article takes a looks at how much influencers with certain followings can command, and whether they’re worth the investment. And don’t overlook the legal issues associated with the use... › Social Links: Instagram’s new tool to denote paid posts; the world’s 1st autonomous-vehicle public transportation system for the masses; the “COVFEFE Act” would seek to ensure Trump’s tweets are preserved
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Instagram is now allowing a limited number of users to identify branded content with a “paid partnership” subhead instead of using hashtags like #ad and #sponsored to identify sponsored posts. The platform says it plans to police paid sponsors’ disclosure obligations eventually, but—for now—educating... ›Social Links: Twitter modifies Privacy Policy; YouTube ad-policy changes lower some video creators’ payouts; teen beats Ellen DeGeneres’s re-tweet record
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Twitter updated its online Privacy Policy to disclose that Twitter will be personalizing content and facilitating interest-based advertising by sharing information about its users’ online activity both on and off the microblogging site. Since YouTube resolved to give brands greater control over the kind... ›- - Advertising, Artificial Intelligence, Live streaming, Marketing, Copyright, Litigation, Wearable Computers
Social Links: Rules for researching jurors via social media; law enforcement and new technologies; Facebook tool allows copyright owners to claim ad earnings from unauthorized video uploads
By: Aaron P. Rubin
A nice overview of the rules on researching jurors’ social media accounts in various jurisdictions from Law.com. The importance of appearing at the top of Google search results, especially on mobile devices, is driving retailers to spend more and more on the search engine’s... › Social Links: Social ad spend soars; the FTC’s special message to “influencers”; LinkedIn changes terms of use
By: Aaron P. Rubin
A New York State senator has introduced a bill that would make posting footage of a crime to social media with the intention of glorifying violence or becoming famous punishable by up to four years in prison and fines. Instagram hit the 700-million-user mark.... ›Social Links: Burger King ad triggers Google Assistant devices; suits allege infringement of copyrights in content posted to social media; Twitter’s hidden “dislike” button
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Without Google’s permission, Burger King ended one of its television commercials with a statement designed to automatically cause Google Assistant devices to read a list of the Whopper’s ingredients out loud. Having passed the 1.2-billion-user mark, Facebook Messenger is now twice as popular as... ›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... ›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... ›Now Available: The November 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 provide five tips for reducing potential liability exposure in seeking to exploit user-generated content; we examine a Ninth Circuit decision highlighting the control that social media platform operators... ›