Social media sites are transforming not only the daily lives of consumers, but also how companies interact with consumers. Here at Morrison Foerster, across all of our practice groups, we are seeing complex, cutting-edge legal issues arising out of social media. As with the Internet boom during the mid-to-late 1990s, social media is generating new legal questions at a far faster pace than the law’s ability to provide answers to such questions. In an effort to stay on top of these emerging issues, and to keep our clients and friends informed of new developments, Morrison Foerster publishes this blog devoted to the law and business of social media.<h2>ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Aaron is the chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group and co-chair of the Interactive + Digital Media Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals.Aaron’s practice focuses on advising both established and emerging companies in a variety of data- and technology-intensive sectors, including software, SaaS, cloud-based technology, digital media (social media, AR/VR, gaming, streaming media, AdTech), AI, healthcare, consumer electronics, e-commerce, other online business models, and mobile applications. He also maintains an active practice counseling companies on branding and marketing, trademark licensing, and content-related transactions, as well as the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin-offs, and private equity investments.He has represented clients such as Autodesk, Meta, OpenAI, Splunk, Konami, Kaiser Permanente, SoftBank, Visa, and Yahoo, among others.Aaron has been recognized by numerous publications for his work on market-defining technology transactions. He is currently ranked by Chambers USA for “Technology Transactions.”Aaron also serves as co-editor of Socially Aware, the firm’s award-winning newsletter and blog devoted to the law and business of social media, and regularly publishes on various IP and technology-related topics. Aaron is also a sought-after speaker on new and emerging areas of law, and is a frequent presenter and panelist at conferences and legal services programs. In addition to his active practice, Aaron regularly provides pro bono assistance to various nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Common Sense Media and the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He is a member of the board of directors of California Lawyers for the Arts.While in law school at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Aaron served as executive editor of the California Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Following law school, Aaron served as law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick and the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins, both United States District Judges for the Northern District of California.

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Aaron is the chair of our Technology Transactions Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals. Aaron’s practice focuses on advising both established and emerging companies in a variety of data– and technology–intensive sectors, including software, SaaS, cloud computing, AR/VR, AI, gaming, healthcare, consumer electronics, social media, e–commerce, other online business models, and mobile applications. He also maintains an active practice counseling companies on the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin–offs, and private equity investments.

Aaron P. Rubin

Lawrence Gallick is of counsel in the firm’s Austin office and a member of the Technology Transactions Group.Lawrence focuses his practice on technology transactions and licensing matters. His diverse experience includes advising on SaaS agreements, cross-licensing agreements, research and collaboration agreements, development agreements, and distribution agreements. He counsels a broad range of companies across the software, hardware, life sciences, biotech and FinTech spaces, as well as other entities including universities.He advises clients in connection with general corporate matters including contract negotiations, and leasing and technology placement agreements.Lawrence also serves as co-editor of <a href="https://www.sociallyawareblog.com/" target="_blank">Socially Aware</a>, the firm’s award-winning newsletter and blog devoted to the law and business of social media, and regularly publishes on various IP and technology-related topics.Prior to joining the firm, Lawrence was counsel at another major law firm. Before earning his law degree, Lawrence was a web consultant, project manager, and web developer in Portland, Oregon, where he managed and consulted on projects using industry methodologies and performed custom development and integration of content management systems.Lawrence was named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in 2015 and 2018–2022, and is licensed in both California and New York. Lawrence earned his J.D. from the University at Buffalo School of Law, where he was the electronic systems editor for the Buffalo Law Review and awarded the ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law.

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Lawrence Gallick

Anthony Ramirez is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster.Anthony advises clients on general commercial and transactional matters. He regularly advises companies on the IP aspects of their M&A transactions. His clients include technology, digital media and content for television and music, financial services, and communications companies with diverse intellectual property assets and issues.His practice focuses on the legal aspects of developing, licensing, and commercializing technology and intellectual property, as well as negotiating general commercial contracts, including outsourcing transactions, as well as content and data licenses. He regularly assists clients with legal issues relating to licensing and commercialization of digital media and content, digital content that is distributed over the Internet or streamed, mobile applications and social media, as well as the licensing of recorded music for distribution via digital platforms. Anthony is also experienced with issues relating to open-source software, software development, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud-based technology, and protection of proprietary information.Anthony has extensive experience working on matters involving disruptive technologies, such as blockchain. He has helped fintech clients with general intellectual property issues in connection with terms of service for online financial products and services.Anthony is an integral part of the outside pro bono legal team for nonprofit organizations based in New York, including advising clients on legal issues regarding entertainment, social media, privacy rights, and the negotiation of outsourcing and service agreements. Anthony received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2009. He received his B.S. from Cornell University in 2004.

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Anthony Ramirez is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster. He advises clients on general commercial and transactional matters. His clients include technology, media, and communications companies with considerable intellectual property assets. His practice focuses on the legal aspects of licensing and commercializing technology and intellectual property, as well as negotiating general commercial contracts. He also regularly assists clients with legal issues relating to mobile applications and social media.

Anthony M. Ramirez

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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.

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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.

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Lawrence W. Gallick

Social Links: Clickbait, Court Dates, and the Beige Apocalypse

The Bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act Is Now Federal Law

Social Links: AI, Age-Gating, and the COPPA Cabana

Social Links: Statehouse v. Smartphone

Federal Court Enjoins California Teen Privacy Law . . . Again

LinkedIN

In May 2023, Steven Schwartz of Levidow, Levidow & Oberman admitted that he used a generative AI (GAI) platform to produce six non-existent court decisions as citations during his representation in a personal injury case against Avianca Airlines. He has <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.575368/gov.uscourts.nysd.575368.32.1_1.pdf?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Daily-Docket&utm_term=053023" target="_blank">since issued regrets</a> and has thrown himself on the mercy of the court.U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chatgpt-judge-fines-lawyers-who-used-ai/" target="_blank">later fined Schwartz and the firm</a> for what he said were bad faith actions. Judge Castel wrote in his opinion that “Technological advances are commonplace and there is nothing inherently improper about using a reliable artificial intelligence tool for assistance … but <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-judge-bans-chatgpt-court-filing/" target="_blank">existing rules</a> impose a gatekeeping role on attorneys to ensure the accuracy of their filings.”In a concurrent development related to the New York case, Texas Judge Brantley Starr issued a <a href="https://www.txnd.uscourts.gov/judge/judge-brantley-starr" target="_blank">Mandatory Certification Regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence</a> to rein in the growing use of AI technology in legal proceedings.<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/us-judge-orders-lawyers-sign-ai-pledge-warning-they-make-stuff-up-2023-05-31/" target="_blank">In the certification ordering lawyers to sign an AI pledge</a>, Judge Starr said that “All attorneys and pro se litigants appearing before the Court must, together with their notice of appearance, file on the docket a certificate attesting either that no portion of any filing will be drafted by generative artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT, Harvey AI, or Google Bard) or that any language drafted by generative artificial intelligence will be checked for accuracy, using print reporters or traditional legal databases, by a human being.”This situation <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/lawyer-used-chatgpt-cite-bogus-cases-what-are-ethics-2023-05-30/" target="_blank">raises many issues, both legal and ethical</a>, about the growing popularity of GAI platforms in the legal industry, especially around duty of competence, duty of confidentiality, and responsibilities regarding non-lawyer assistance.

In the Crosshairs: The Legal Industry Grapples with the Application and Ethics of AI

Aaron is the chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group and co-chair of the Interactive + Digital Media Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals.

Aaron Rubin

Anthony Ramirez is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster. Anthony advises clients on general commercial and transactional matters. He regularly advises companies on the IP aspects of their M&A transactions.











Anthony Ramirez

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Clients seek out Julie because of her practical advice on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of privacy and consumer protection laws. She provides clients with practical solutions to compliance c

Julie O'Neill

Clients seek out Julie because of her practical advice on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of privacy and consumer protection laws. She provides clients with practical solutions to compliance challenges around a wide variety of both online and offline privacy issues, including tracking, interest-based advertising, geo-targeting and other mobile tracking, personalization, and cross-device tracking. Recognized in The Legal 500 US 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020 and Chambers USA 2021 for her exceptional legal work, her clients praise her saying, “She is really good at giving practical, targeted advice and taking stock of what the risk profile of the client is, so that the advice is holistic.” (Chambers USA 2021).

In the Crosshairs: The Legal Industry Grapples with the Application and Ethics of AI

In May 2023, Steven Schwartz of Levidow, Levidow & Oberman admitted that he used a generative AI (GAI) platform to produce six non-existent court decisions as citations during his representation in a personal injury 

Artificial Intelligence

Ethics

A new report from the U.S. Copyright Office suggests that Congress should fine-tune the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to, among other things, alter the takedown system that platforms must adhere to in order to be eligible for the safe harbor the DMCA affords to online platforms when third parties post infringing content. <a href="https://gizmodo.com/u-s-copyright-office-says-its-time-to-update-the-dmca-1843608938" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read about the Copyright Office’s issues</a> with the current takedown system.Malwarebytes, an online filtering company, has <a href="https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/351493/anti-malware-company-wants-supreme-court-to-interv.html">asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari</a> in a case brought by one of Malwarebytes’ competitors, Enigma Software, alleging that—when Malwarebytes flagged one of Enigma’s most popular offerings as a potential threat—Malwarebytes, among other things, committed a deceptive business practice. The Ninth Circuit <a href="https://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2020/04/07/computer-service-providers-face-implied-limits-on-cda-immunity/#more-9504">refused to dismiss the case</a>, holding that Section 230(c)(2) of the Communications Decency Act did not insulate Malwarebytes from liability.A <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/13/tech/french-hate-speech-social-media-law/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new law in France</a> would impose fines of up to $1.36 million on technology platforms that fail to take down terrorist and child pornography content within one hour of that content being flagged, or fail to remove hateful comments that concern topics including gender or disability within 24 hours of being flagged.Members of the Florida Bar who <a href="https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2020/05/12/the-florida-bar-is-taking-a-hard-look-at-lawyers-social-media-content/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deliver targeted ads through social media</a> must comply with that state bar’s more restrictive direct solicitation rules rather than its general advertising rules.A law firm fired one of its Dallas-based employees after learning <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/law-firm-worker-fired-after-posting-threat-against-face-mask-requirements/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he had posted to his personal social media account</a> a rant about businesses requesting him to wear a mask to thwart the possibility of spreading or catching the COVID-19 virus. The rant included a threat to “show [his] Glock 21” handgun shooting range results to “the lame security guard outside of a ghetto store.”The New Jersey Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Review Board (DRB) decided that John Robertelli, a Rivkin Radler lawyer, violated the state’s Rules of Professional Conduct when—in order to gather evidence while acting as counsel for defendants in a personal injury case—Robertelli surreptitiously accessed the private Facebook account of the plaintiff, whom Robertelli knew was represented by opposing counsel. The DRB also recommended that the New Jersey Supreme Court adopt a policy on using social media for discovery purposes. <a href="https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2020/05/13/lawyer-faces-admonition-over-facebook-friending-to-gather-information-on-litigant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read the guidelines the DRB suggested</a>.Big changes are afoot at Facebook, which has recently introduced <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/19/facebook-shops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shops</a>, allowing users to purchase products directly from businesses’ Facebook pages, and announced the addition of new features to Workplace, the company’s “<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/21/facebooks-workplace-now-with-5m-paying-users-adds-drop-in-video-rooms-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">enterprise-focused chat and video platform</a>.”

Social Links: A report suggesting DMCA changes; a new social-media-use regulation for Fla. Bar members; big changes at Facebook

A new report from the U.S. Copyright Office suggests that Congress should fine-tune the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to, among other things, alter th

Social Links: A report suggesting DMCA changes; a new social-media-use regulation for Fla. Bar members; big changes at Facebook

DMCA

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European Union

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Employment Law

A federal appeals court in Miami held that a judge needn’t necessarily recuse herself from a case being argued by <a href="http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/nation-and-world/legal-ruling-facebook-friends-arent-necessarily-real-friendsphoto-20170823" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a lawyer with whom the judge is merely Facebook “friends.”</a>Bills in both houses of Congress propose amending <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2016/12/15/the-decline-and-fall-of-section-230/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act</a> to clarify that it doesn’t insulate website operators from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2017/08/01/senate-launches-bill-to-remove-immunity-for-websites-hosting-illegal-content-spurred-by-backpage-com/?utm_term=.104aa26c1da9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">liability for violating civil or criminal child-sex-trafficking laws</a>.The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania held that an unemployment-benefits board acted appropriately when it <a href="http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/id=1202797015936/Court-Reaffirms-Social-Medias-Role-in-UC-Benefits-Rulings?mcode=0&curindex=0&curpage=ALL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relied, in part, on an applicant’s Facebook post</a> to determine that the applicant was not entitled to benefits.A Texas law makes <a href="https://www.dailydot.com/irl/texas-davids-law-cyberbullying/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cyberbullying punishable</a> by as much as a year in jail and/or a fine of up to $4,000.Google is trying to make it more difficult to find and profit from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-24/google-rolls-out-its-biggest-crackdown-on-youtube-hate-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube videos that contain</a> extremist content by placing warnings on those videos and disabling the advertising on them.A company backed by Mark Cuban is planning to create a social media platform that will anonymize its users’ identities using blockchain technology and attempt to cut down on trolls by charging people with bad reputations on the platform more for premium services.The online publishing platform Medium is giving some of its content writers the option to put their work behind Medium’s subscription pay wall and <a href="https://blog.medium.com/expanding-the-medium-partner-program-3be09dd146e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get paid based on the number of “claps” that work gets</a>.Evolutionary psychologists aren’t at all surprised by the popularity of <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/why-do-we-love-to-snoop-on-social-media-it-might-be-in-our-biology-77482" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">snooping on social media</a>.Tips for law firm marketers on how to <a href="http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/id=1202796969152/Instagram-The-Next-Frontier-for-Law-Firm-Branding?mcode=1202619332875&curindex=3&curpage=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">best leverage Instagram</a>.Advice on how to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/smarter-living/what-youre-truly-saying-with-your-out-of-office-reply.html?rref=collection%2Fspotlightcollection%2Fsmarter-living&action=click&contentCollection=topics&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pen the best automated out-of-office reply</a>.When you visit someone’s home these days, <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/millennials-are-killing-doorbells-amp-honestly-good-riddance-249740?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">do you use the doorbell or text instead</a>?

Social Links: Bills that would take a bite out of §230; court opinion on social media & ethics; using evidence on social media to determine unemployment benefits eligibility

A federal appeals court in Miami held that a judge needn’t necessarily recuse herself from a case being argued by a lawyer with whom the judge is merely Faceboo

Social Links: Bills that would take a bite out of §230; court opinion on social media & ethics; using evidence on social media to determine unemployment benefits eligibility

Blockchain

Marketing

Section 230 Safe Harbor

Google unveiled <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/02/23/fighting-words-not-ideas-googles-new-ai-powered-toxic-speech-filter-is-the-right-approach/#3bca1d893462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a new tool designed to combat toxic speech online</a> by assessing the language commenters use, as opposed to the ideas they express.Is <a href="https://qz.com/922193/should-sex-offenders-be-barred-from-facebook-fb-the-us-supreme-court-will-decide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a state law banning sex offenders from social media</a> unconstitutional? Based on their comments during oral arguments in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/15-1194_0861.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Packingham v. North Carolina</a>, some <a href="https://qz.com/922444/a-us-supreme-court-discussion-of-free-speech-and-social-media-got-comically-postmodern/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Supreme Court justices may think so</a>.Facebook is implementing a feature that uses artificial intelligence to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/facebook-is-using-artificial-intelligence-to-prevent-suicide?utm_term=.uf5Kd6M8dq#.fdAPdWjld3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identify posts reflecting suicidal inclinations</a>.<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/21/facebook-analytics-passes-1-million-apps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook Analytics for Apps</a> reached a significant milestone: It now supports more than 1 million apps.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/youtube-tops-1-billion-hours-of-video-a-day-on-pace-to-eclipse-tv-1488220851" target="_blank" rel="noopener">So did YouTube</a>, which recently surpassed 1 billion hours of video per day.As many as <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/296359/ordinary-social-media-users-are-buying-likes-too.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15% of regular social media users</a>—that is, people, not businesses—are buying “likes” on social media?!The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct’s warning to judges about their use of social media was prompted by <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/272747/commission-on-judicial-conduct-warns-judges-of-social-media-perils/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this case</a> in which a St. Lawrence County town judge used Facebook to criticize the prosecution of a town council candidate.More than 40% of Americans incessantly <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-23/social-media-is-driving-americans-insane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check their gadgets for new messages and social media status updates</a>, and it might be making them a little crazy.University of Manchester researchers have developed <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-03-scientists-reveal-super-fast.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a computer that is faster than any other</a> because its processors are made of DNA, which allows the computer to replicate itself.Mobile marketers can significantly increase the open rates of their <a href="https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push notifications</a> by doing <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/27/emojis-boost-boost-push-notification-open-rates-85-study-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one simple thing</a>: including emojis.A woman whose “starter marriage” was covered by the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/weddings/165-years-of-wedding-announcements/removing-wedding-announcements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times wedding announcements</a> section in 1989 might have been spared some angst if the United States had a <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2015/05/28/status-updates-errand-apps-for-everyone-a-right-to-be-forgotten-update-your-entire-google-search-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Be Forgotten</a>, as Europe does.

Social Links: YouTube reaches major milestone; Google tries to ferret out hate speech; justices consider constitutionality of barring social media access

Google unveiled a new tool designed to combat toxic speech online by assessing the language commenters use, as opposed to the ideas they express. Is a state law

Social Links: YouTube reaches major milestone; Google tries to ferret out hate speech; justices consider constitutionality of barring social media access

First Amendment

Right To Be Forgotten

Free Speech

New York City’s Conflicts of Interest Board has <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/nyc-pols-banned-social-media-political-gain-article-1.2980734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued guidelines</a> 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 autonomous vehicles.Twitter has begun <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-abusive-users-time-out-2017-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporarily limiting its account features</a> for users the company identifies as abusive.Google Maps now allows users to <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/13/google-maps-now-lets-you-create-share-and-follow-lists-of-places/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create lists and share them</a> with followers.U.S. and Canadian companies can post job openings to their Facebook pages for free.Thanks to millennials, online chat rooms are <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/02/16/social-medias-hot-new-trend-is-actually-from-the-90s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making a comeback</a>.With <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/16/tinder-acquires-wheel-an-app-for-creating-snapchat-like-video-stories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tinder’s acquisition of the video-sharing startup called Wheel</a>, video dating is likely in store for a revival, too.<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/14/yelp-q-and-a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yelp will be offering a new feature</a> that allows users to ask questions about a venue.Reportedly used by political operatives ranging from White House staffers to EPA workers, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/02/white-house-encryption-confide-app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encrypted messaging apps have become popular in Washington</a>—and it’s raising legal questions.Warren Buffet is getting into the <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/02/warren-buffetts-investment-in-wearables-points-toward-the-categorys-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wearables game</a>.Some tips for small businesses on how to manage <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/abrams/2017/02/15/rhonda-abrams-why-social-media-killing-your-small-business/97002266/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a social media presence</a>.

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

Social Links: Google Maps gets social; Twitter puts trolls in time out; today’s teens take to chat rooms

Wearable Computers

In the wake of a successful social media conference in San Francisco, Socially Aware co-editors John Delaney and <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/aaron-rubin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Rubin</a> 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 will be held in New York City on Wednesday, February 15, and will be webcasted.Attendees and webcast listeners will learn how to leverage social-media-marketing opportunities while minimizing their companies’ risks from entirely new panels of industry experts, lawyers and regulators.Topics to be addressed will include:<ul><li>Key developments shaping social media law</li><li>Emerging best practices for staying out of trouble</li><li>Risk mitigation strategies regarding user-generated content and online marketing</li><li>Legal considerations regarding use of personal devices and other workplace issues</li></ul>Other special features of the conference include: <ul><li>Regulators panel: guidance on enforcement priorities for social media and mobile apps</li><li>In-house panel: practical tips for handling real-world issues</li><li>Potential ethical issues relating to the use of social media by attorneys</li></ul>The conference will end with a networking cocktail reception—a great way to meet others who share your interest in social media, mobile apps and other emerging technologies.Don’t miss this opportunity to get up-to-date information on the fast-breaking developments in the critical area of social media and mobile apps so that you can most effectively meet the needs of your clients.For more information or to register, please visit PLI’s website <a href="http://www.pli.edu/Content/Seminar/Social_Media_2017_Addressing_Corporate_Risks/_/N-4kZ1z10oyn?Ns=sort_date%7c0&ID=288996" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.  We hope to see you there!

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 (J

Join Us at the Social Media 2017: Addressing Corporate Risks Conference on February 15th

Compliance

Social media is transforming the way companies interact with consumers. Learn how to make the most of these online opportunities while minimizing your company’s risk at Practicing Law Institute’s (PLI) 2017 Social Media conference, to be held in San Francisco and webcasted on Thursday, February 2nd.  The conference will be chaired by Socially Aware co-editor John Delaney, and our other co-editor, <a href="https://www.mofo.com/people/aaron-rubin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Rubin</a>, will also be presenting at the event.Topics to be addressed will include:<ul><li>Key developments shaping social media law</li><li>Emerging best practices for staying out of trouble</li><li>Risk mitigation strategies regarding user-generated content and online marketing</li><li>Legal considerations regarding use of personal devices and other workplace issues</li></ul>Other special features of the conference include: <ul><li>Regulators panel: guidance on enforcement priorities for social media and mobile apps</li><li>In-house panel: practical tips for handling real-world issues</li><li>Potential ethical issues relating to the use of social media by attorneys</li></ul>Don’t miss this opportunity to get up-to-date information on the fast-breaking developments in the critical area of social media and mobile apps so that you can most effectively meet the needs of your clients.For more information or to register, please visit PLI’s website <a href="http://www.pli.edu/Content/Seminar/Social_Media_2017_Addressing_Corporate_Risks/_/N-4kZ1z10oyn?Ns=sort_date%7c0&ID=288996" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.  We hope to see you there!

Social Media 2017: Addressing Corporate Risks

Social media is transforming the way companies interact with consumers. Learn how to make the most of these online opportunities while minimizing your company’s

Social Media 2017: Addressing Corporate Risks

Mobile

Because it bases its assessments on job title, location and industry, LinkedIn’s new Salary feature might be more accurate than are other online compensation estimation tools.States are trying to pass laws that balance bereaved people’s desire to access their deceased loved ones’ social media accounts with the privacy interests of the account holders and the people with whom they corresponded. Without such laws, access to a deceased person’s digital assets might depend on the various social media platforms’ terms of use.In lawsuits, social media has occasionally made it easier to serve process on adverse parties, but it has also made it more difficult to ensure that jurors remain unbiased.A UK company wants to set car insurance premiums using an algorithm that analyzes car owners’ Facebook posts for pertinent personality traits?! The plan likely won’t go far; it violates Facebook’s platform policy.Kenya deported a registered refugee for posting to social media his support of the U.N. secretary-general’s firing of a Kenyan commander of a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the refugee’s native country.Thinking of posting a photo of yourself in the voting booth on Tuesday? Not so fast. In many states it’s illegal to share on social media photos of completed ballots and photos of yourself inside a voting booth. Courts all over the U.S. are hearing challenges to these so-called “ballot selfie” laws.Does a lawyer violate ethics rules by purchasing the names of competing lawyers or law firms as keywords that improve the purchasing lawyer’s own rank in Google search results?In the three years since its launch, an app called Scholly, which matches students with a personalized list of scholarships, has been downloaded over a million times. Here’s some advice for other social entrepreneurs from the company’s 25-year-old founder and CEO.Some researchers believe the likes, status updates and photos posted to social media platforms will someday be the source material for breakthroughs in the field of psychiatry.A UK solicitor was fined by a professional conduct regulator for posting a series of “unprofessional and offensive” tweets bragging about his victory over vulnerable adversaries.

Social Links: LinkedIn’s new feature estimates salaries; states grapple with digital-asset-inheritance laws; insurance company wants to base rates on applicants’ Facebook posts

Because it bases its assessments on job title, location and industry, LinkedIn’s new Salary feature might be more accurate than are other online compensation est

Social Links: LinkedIn’s new feature estimates salaries; states grapple with digital-asset-inheritance laws; insurance company wants to base rates on applicants’ Facebook posts

Terms of Use

Big Data

Litigation

Facebook signs more than <a href="http://marketingland.com/facebook-live-contracts-181912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$50 million worth of deals</a> with media firms and celebrities to create videos for its live-streaming service.<a href="http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/tumblr-live-video-youtube-younow-kanvas-upclose-1201800117/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tumblr is jumping on the live video</a> bandwagon, too—but via live-streaming platform partners, not through its own service.C-Span picked up <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/arts/television/c-span-gun-control-house-sit-in.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live feeds of the Democratic sit-in</a> over gun-control legislation that representatives shot on Periscope, Facebook Live and other social platforms.Twitter will now let you <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/24/what-when-where/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see when tweets are from a specific place</a>, like a business, sports stadium, or music festival.Is Snapchat on its way to becoming the first “<a href="http://qz.com/715103/snapchat-has-quietly-introduced-the-world-to-augmented-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social augmented reality platform</a>”?An <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/orlando-shooting-prosecutor-fired-facebook-posts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando prosecutor was fired</a> for posting offensive statements about the city on social media shortly after the Pulse nightclub shooting.A guy in Australia faces three years in jail for “<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160621/08112434772/guy-australia-pleads-guilty-to-criminal-trolling-facebook-faces-3-years-jail.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal trolling.</a>”After a judge running for re-election commented on a case he was presiding over on his campaign page on Facebook, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued <a href="http://nmappellatelaw.com/nm-supreme-court-restricts-judges-use-of-social-media-did-it-go-too-far/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance for judges on social media use</a>.Social Times explains why <a href="http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/matthew-yeoman-guest-post-lego/641412" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lego’s social media marketing</a> efforts are worth emulating.Twitter launched <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/21/11983954/twitter-engage-influencer-app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a standalone app</a> designed to help famous people interact with their fans and build a bigger following.Speaking of celebrities, here’s a list of <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/06/24/7-celebrities-who-refuse-to-use-social-media.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seven movie stars</a> who refuse to participate in social media.

Social Links: Livestreaming goes mainstream; social-media-use guidance for judges; three years in jail for trolling?

Facebook signs more than $50 million worth of deals with media firms and celebrities to create videos for its live-streaming service. Tumblr is jumping on the l

Social Links: Livestreaming goes mainstream; social-media-use guidance for judges; three years in jail for trolling?

Protected Speech

Live streaming

Lots of press surrounding Microsoft’s purchase of LinkedIn: Will <a href="http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/124212-Will-LinkedIn-Change-after-Microsoft-Purchase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn change</a> as a result? Will the Microsoft purchase inspire a <a href="http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=100007TBFZ7G" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter acquisition</a>?“Spam King” gets 30 months in jail for sending 27 million messages.One columnist says you should <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwjry5b4ua3NAhUN6WMKHa17BnMQqQIILCgAMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fjefffromm%2F2016%2F06%2F16%2Fstop-measuring-reach-in-your-social-media-marketing-its-about-genuine-engagement%2F&usg=AFQjCNG2gQP0QQ7GnZYuf6-POwhOkBF5rw&sig2=32FVXgD-bQnsNyyav7-mOA&bvm=bv.124272578,d.dmo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop measuring your social media marketing</a> reach.Twitter is now allowing brands to target ads to people based on their <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2016/06/15/twitter-now-lets-advertisers-target-ads-by-emoji/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use of sentiment, food and passion emojis</a>.Entertainment streaming companies are tapping social media to learn what resonates with viewers.Brands can now create their own<a href="http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/youtube-director/641034" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> ads on YouTube</a> on the cheap using a smartphone.Here’s an infographic illustrating <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/MyCaseSD/lawyers-and-social-media-in-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how lawyers are using social media</a> to market themselves.Some insight into <a href="http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/one-out-of-three-internet-users-are-social-creators-report/641049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">why influencer marketing works</a> and best practices for teaming up with influencers online.This article describes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-exactly-are-brands-posting-on-snapchat-2016-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what kinds of brands are joining Snapchat</a>, and what types of content they’re posting to the platform.Snapchat aims to become a huge player in digital ads. <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/14/how-snapchat-aims-to-become-a-huge-player-in-ads.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here’s how</a>.

Social Links: The ramifications of Microsoft’s LinkedIn purchase; the brands using Snapchat; lawyers’ social media use

Lots of press surrounding Microsoft’s purchase of LinkedIn: Will LinkedIn change as a result? Will the Microsoft purchase inspire a Twitter acquisition? “Spam K

Social Links: The ramifications of Microsoft’s LinkedIn purchase; the brands using Snapchat; lawyers’ social media use