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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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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Social media is all about innovation, so it is no surprise that social media marketers are always looking for innovative ways—such as courting social media “influencers” and using native advertising—to promote products and services to customers and potential customers. But, as the retailer Lord & Taylor recently learned, the legal rules that govern traditional marketing also apply to social media marketing. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a settlement with Lord & Taylor in a dispute involving its online advertising practices. According to the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/160315lordandtaylcmpt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complaint</a>, Lord & Taylor allegedly:<ul><li>gifted a dress to 50 “fashion influencers” and paid them to post on their Instagram accounts photos of themselves in the dress during a specified timeframe; and</li></ul><ul><li>paid for, reviewed and preapproved Instagram posts and an article in an online magazine, Nylon.</li></ul>In neither case, according to the FTC, was Lord & Taylor’s role in the promotional effort appropriately disclosed.On these alleged facts, the FTC brought three counts alleging the following violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act’s prohibition on deceptive practices:<ul><li>the failure to disclose that the influencers’ Instagram posts did not reflect their independent and impartial statements, but rather were specifically created as part of an advertising campaign;</li></ul><ul><li>the failure to disclose or adequately disclose that the influencers were paid endorsers; and</li></ul><ul><li>the failure to disclose that the Nylon materials were not independent statements and opinions of the magazine, but rather “paid commercial advertising.”</li></ul>As has been widely remarked, this is not the first time the FTC has brought a case relating to social media advertising. The settlement, however, is noteworthy because it brings together issues relating to both native advertisements and endorsements. The FTC has been focusing on these issues since late 2014; its activities have included:<ul><li>Settling with the advertising firm Deutsch LA, Inc. in late 2014 in connection with its allegedly deceptive activities relating to the promotion, on behalf of its client Sony, of the PlayStation Vita handheld gaming console through Twitter (we <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2014/12/03/ftc-enforcement-action-confirms-that-ad-disclosure-obligations-extend-to-endorsements-made-in-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about the Deutsch LA case</a> on Socially Aware).</li></ul><ul><li>Settling in September 2015 with Machinima, Inc., an online entertainment network that allegedly paid video bloggers to promote the Microsoft Xbox One system (we also wrote about the <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2015/09/17/ftc-continues-enforcing-ad-disclosure-obligations-in-new-media-and-issues-a-warning-to-advertisers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xbox One settlement</a> on Socially Aware).</li></ul><ul><li>Issuing a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/closing_letters/nid/150902machinima_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closing letter</a>, at the same time as the Machinima settlement, indicating that the FTC had investigated Microsoft and Microsoft’s advertising agency, Starcom, in relation to the influencer videos at issue in Machinima. The closing letter was significant because it suggested that the FTC was primed to take the position that a company whose products are promoted bears responsibility for the actions of its ad agencies—as well as the actions of those engaged by its ad agencies.</li></ul><ul><li>Releasing a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/896923/151222deceptiveenforcement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy statement </a>and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/native-advertising-guide-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a> on native advertising in late 2015, which warned companies—again—that it is deceptive, in violation of Section 5, if reasonable consumers are misled as to the true nature or source of an advertisement. </li></ul>The compliance issue with native advertising is that content that does not appear to be advertising—such as an advertisement or promotional article in an online or print publication formatted to look like the non-advertising materials in the same publication—must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed as advertising. The relevant compliance issue with endorsements is that any payment or other compensation received by the endorser from the promoter must be appropriately disclosed.The concept underlying native advertisements and endorsements is the same: Consumers must be aware that they are reviewing promotional material, not “native” or “organic” content, whether it is on a social media platform, a website or in a print publication.The Lord & Taylor settlement is yet another clear signal that paid promotions of any kind, in any medium, must be disclosed. Given the FTC’s focus on these issues and the repeated enforcement actions, especially with respect to social media endorsements, it is likely that the FTC will continue to enforce in this area until it is convinced that the market understands the disclosure rules.In light of the risk in this area, the Lord & Taylor Consent Order is noteworthy, as it provides valuable insight into how the FTC expects companies to avoid running afoul of the endorsement and native advertising rules.For example, the Order requires Lord & Taylor to provide any endorser “with a clear statement of his or her responsibility to disclose, clearly and conspicuously,” the material connection between the retailer and the endorser in any advertisement and communication, and to obtain a signed and dated acknowledgment of receipt of this statement from the endorser. In addition, the Order requires Lord & Taylor to maintain a system to monitor and review its endorsers’ representations and disclosures. Taken together, these requirements essentially lay out components of a compliance program that any company using social media for advertising should consider.Of course, any such program requires time and resources, and no company has those in infinite supply. But, moving beyond the FTC’s Complaint and Order, there are other noteworthy aspects of the social media endorsement issue that appear to have been overlooked.According to news reports and comments from Lord & Taylor, it appears that the company (and commentators) recognized the potential FTC compliance issue right after the ad campaign launched. The company <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/lord-taylor-reaches-settlement-with-ftc-over-native-ad-disclosures-1458061427" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly stated</a>, after the settlement, that “it came to our attention [a year ago] that there were potential issues with how the influencers posted about a dress in this campaign, [and] we took immediate action with the social media agencies that were supporting us on it to ensure that clear disclosures were made.” And, indeed, articles from the time of the advertising campaign noted, for example, that “the [endorsing] bloggers left out an important piece of information in their Instagram posts: a disclosure that they had been paid to post by Lord & Taylor.” Another website commented at the time that the bloggers “<a href="http://www.refinery29.com/2015/04/85144/ftc-blogger-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to mention </a>they were paid,” and suggested that the company was getting away with violating the FTC Act (though it did note that many bloggers had gone back to add “#sponsored or #ad to their posts).” The immediate aftermath of the Lord & Taylor campaign that ultimately formed the FTC’s case suggests that awareness of the issues is rising among the public, and that even a quick fix can be too late.In light of this awareness, the failure to disclose obvious ties between the endorser and the promoter can undermine a campaign. And, even though the FTC does not have the authority to impose civil money penalties for these types of violations of the FTC Act, state Attorneys General appear to be getting in on the act. Machinima, Inc., for example, settled allegations with the FTC regarding its use of influencers in promoting the Xbox One (as we noted above). A few months later, however, the company entered into a settlement with the New York Attorney General that included a penalty of $50,000 for its alleged failure to disclose payments to the influencers.These events strongly suggest that ensuring appropriate disclosures is more than just an FTC compliance issue. While the FTC is actively enforcing in this space, the margin of error is shrinking not only because of the FTC, but also because of the increasing awareness of the public, and the new risk of enforcement (including financial penalties) by state Attorneys General. *    *    * For more information on potential legal hurdles for companies engaged in social media marketing, please see these related blog posts:<a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2016/01/05/a-warning-from-the-ftc-on-native-advertising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An FTC Warning on Native Advertising</a><a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2015/09/17/ftc-continues-enforcing-ad-disclosure-obligations-in-new-media-and-issues-a-warning-to-advertisers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTC Continues Enforcing Ad Disclosure Obligations in New Media and Issues a Warning to Advertisers</a><a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2014/12/03/ftc-enforcement-action-confirms-that-ad-disclosure-obligations-extend-to-endorsements-made-in-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTC Enforcement Action Confirms That Ad Disclosure Obligations Extend to Endorsements Made in Social Media</a>

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Julie O'Neill

Innovative Social Media Marketing Cannot Overlook Old-Fashioned Compliance