Social Links: Recent Developments in the Law and Business of Social Media
- - Copyright, Defamation, E-Commerce, Fraud, FTC, Online Reviews, Privacy, Social Media Policy, Trademark, Web ScrapingThe Federal Trade Commission has finalized a new rule aimed at curtailing false, misleading, and otherwise fraudulent reviews on online retail sites. Fake reviews are a significant problem for the big e-commerce platforms, given that a robust customer review system is crucial to modern... ›
- - Artificial Intelligence, Copyright, First Amendment, Fraud, FTC, IP, Privacy, Section 230 Safe Harbor, Social Media Policy
Social Links: July 2024
By: Lawrence W. Gallick, Anthony M. Ramirez and Aaron P. Rubin
In a rare example of bipartisan agreement, the dramatically named DEFIANCE (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits) Act unanimously passed the Senate. The bill allows victims of AI-generated deepfake pornography to sue anyone who knowingly creates, receives, or distributes such images. It only... › Social Links: Avoid becoming a social-media-scam victim; does stream-ripping site violate copyright law?
By: Julie O'Neill
Reports of social media scams that have caused users to lose money had tripled by the end of 2020’s second quarter, resulting in the loss of $117 million during the first two quarters of this year alone. Romance scams and supposed economic relief offers... ›It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know What Your Third-Party Integrations Are Doing?
By: Julie O'Neill
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are spending more of their lives in the digital realm, both for education and entertainment purposes—but that doesn’t mean the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cutting online operators slack for not complying with the Children’s Online... ›Influencing the Influencers: FTC Staff Release “Disclosures 101” Guidance for Online Endorsers
By: Julie O'Neill
The Federal Trade Commission is trying yet another approach to convey the message that the relationship between a social media “influencer” and the brand he or she is endorsing must be disclosed. This new guidance from FTC staff takes the form of a brochure... ›A dating platform’s alleged fraud; a decline in the popularity of popularity metrics; TikTok’s unique AI
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Singapore has enacted a law granting government ministers the power to require social media platforms to completely remove or place warnings alongside posts the authorities designate as false. Unlike the compensation earned by child stars who perform on television, in films, or on other... ›The Company Who Cried “General Audience”: Google and YouTube to Pay $170 Million for Alleged COPPA Violations
By: Julie O'Neill
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission made clear that child-directed parts of an otherwise general audience service will subject the operator of the service to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Just six months after the FTC’s record-setting settlement against TikTok, the FTC announced... ›Thank You, Next Enforcement: Music Video App Violates COPPA, Will Pay $5.7 Million
By: Julie O'Neill
The cost for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has been steadily rising, and companies subject to the law should take heed. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a record-setting $5.7 million settlement with the mobile app company Musical.ly for... ›Don’t Forget to Hit “Delete”: FTC Blog Post Clarifies COPPA Information Deletion Requirement
By: Julie O'Neill
Most companies are familiar with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and its requirement to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information online from children under 13. Yet COPPA also includes an information deletion requirement of which companies may be unaware. On May... ›The FTC’s Quest for Better Influencer Disclosures
By: Julie O'Neill
In the last few years, as advertising has followed consumers from legacy media such as television to online video and social media platforms, the Federal Trade Commission has been attempting to ensure that participants in this new advertising ecosystem understand the importance of complying... ›