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.

August 01, 2018 - Cyberbullying, Disappearing Content, Copyright, Defamation, Litigation
Social Links: Axed exec sues people behind anonymous Instagram account; bill protects elderly from social media exploitation; using social media to impeach witnesses in criminal trials
By: Aaron P. Rubin
An advertising executive who lost his job after being named on an anonymous Instagram account is suing the now-defunct account for defamation. The suit names as defendants not only the account—Diet Madison Avenue, which was intended to root out harassment and discrimination at ad
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July 23, 2018 - Copyright, IP
Copyright’s Long Arm: Foreign Website Found to Infringe U.S. Copyright Law by Providing U.S. Viewers Access to Site Content
If a web server located outside the United States hosts video content that can be viewed by Internet users located in the United States , does a public performance result under U.S. copyright law? This has been a topic of hot debate for a
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July 19, 2018 - Data Security, Privacy
Location Information Is Protected by the 4th Amendment, SCOTUS Rules
By: Robert S. Litt
As close observers of the implications of privacy law on companies’ data collection, usage and disclosure practices , we at Socially Aware were among the many tech-law enthusiasts anticipating the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Carpenter v. United States , in which the
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June 21, 2018 - Blockchain, Contracts
Five Things to Know About Smart Contracts
Computer scientist and legal scholar Nick Szabo first proposed the idea of “smart contracts” in 1996. Szabo published his initial paper on the topic in a publication called Extropy , a journal of transhumanism, a movement seeking to enhance human intellect and physiology by
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June 20, 2018 - FTC, COPPA
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
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June 01, 2018 - Advertising, Blockchain, First Amendment, Artificial Intelligence, European Union, GDPR
Social Links: Laws affecting politicians using Twitter & tourists taking photos; the GDPR takes effect; lost Bitcoins
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Finding that President Trump’s Twitter feed constitutes a public forum, a federal judge in New York City held that it’s a First Amendment violation when the President or one of his assistants blocks a Twitter user from viewing or responding to one of the
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May 23, 2018 - Copyright, IP, Litigation
Monkey-Selfie Case Returns—To Court & (Maybe) a Theater Near You
I confess: I have mixed emotions regarding the iconic “monkey-selfie” photo and all the hubbub it has created. Don’t get me wrong; I think monkeys are wonderful, and the photo deserves its iconic status. Who can resist smiling while viewing that famous image of
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May 07, 2018 - Advertising, Litigation
German Federal Court: Unfair Competition Law No Basis to Ban Ad Blocking and Whitelisting
A recent German Federal Court of Justice decision may have a significant impact on content providers’ business models. Offering software that allows users to block advertising does not constitute an unfair commercial practice. Even providing advertisers with the option to pay for showing certain
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May 02, 2018 - Digital Content, Artificial Intelligence
Socially Aware’s John Delaney Receives “Reader’s Choice” Award
We’re proud to announce that the online platform JD Supra has named Socially Aware co-founder and co-editor John Delaney as the recipient of one of its 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. John was chosen from among the nearly 50,000 writers who publish on JD Supra
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April 16, 2018 - First Amendment, Marketing, Copyright, Defamation, Free Speech, Litigation
Social Links: Revenge porn victim awarded $6.4M; the discoverability of photos posted to Facebook; can users be blocked from government officials’ social media accounts?
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Based on copyright infringement, emotional distress and other claims, a federal district court in California awarded $6.4 million to a victim of revenge porn, the posting of explicit material without the subject’s consent. The judgment is believed to be one of the largest awards
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Welcome to Socially Aware

Social Links: Axed exec sues people behind anonymous Instagram account; bill protects elderly from social media exploitation; using social media to impeach witnesses in criminal trials

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Copyright’s Long Arm: Foreign Website Found to Infringe U.S. Copyright Law by Providing U.S. Viewers Access to Site Content

Location Information Is Protected by the 4th Amendment, SCOTUS Rules

By: Robert S. Litt

Five Things to Know About Smart Contracts

Don’t Forget to Hit “Delete”: FTC Blog Post Clarifies COPPA Information Deletion Requirement

By: Julie O'Neill

Social Links: Laws affecting politicians using Twitter & tourists taking photos; the GDPR takes effect; lost Bitcoins

By: Aaron P. Rubin

Monkey-Selfie Case Returns—To Court & (Maybe) a Theater Near You

German Federal Court: Unfair Competition Law No Basis to Ban Ad Blocking and Whitelisting

Socially Aware’s John Delaney Receives “Reader’s Choice” Award

Social Links: Revenge porn victim awarded $6.4M; the discoverability of photos posted to Facebook; can users be blocked from government officials’ social media accounts?

By: Aaron P. Rubin