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.

October 15, 2014 - Event
Sue McLean Named Finalist for Woman of Achievement Award
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Congratulations to Socially Aware ’s London-based correspondent Sue McLean for being shortlisted for the Women in the City Woman of Achievement Awards 2014. Established in 2007, these awards recognize senior level women who are actively promoting and encouraging the progress of women within their
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October 10, 2014 - Privacy
Breaking Old Ground: California Again Amends Data Security Breach Law
By: Nathan D. Taylor
Not to be outdone by Florida, California has yet again amended its data security breach law and again in groundbreaking (yet confusing) fashion. On September 30, 2014, California Governor Brown signed into law a bill ( “AB 1710” ) that appears to impose the
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October 05, 2014 - Terms of Use
Implementing and Enforcing Online Terms of Use
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Operators of social media platforms and other websites must manage a large number of risks arising from their interactions with users. In an effort to maintain a degree of predictability and mitigate some of those risks, website operators routinely present users with terms of
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October 01, 2014 - Employment Law, Litigation
The Death of Courtesy and Civility Under the National Labor Relations Act
In 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the “Board”) found a “courtesy” policy unlawful. Since then, the NLRB has continued to create more and more tension between the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or the “Act”) and employers’ legitimate interests in maintaining
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September 29, 2014 - FTC
FTC Warns Advertisers to Check the Fine Print in “Operation Full Disclosure”; Shot Across the Bow Could Signal Law Enforcement Actions to Come
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that it sent warning letters to more than 60 national advertisers regarding the inadequacy of disclosures in their television and print ads. The letters are part of an initiative named “Operation Full Disclosure,” which the FTC
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September 23, 2014 - Terms of Use, Litigation
To Click or Not to Click? Ninth Circuit Rejects Browsewrap Arbitration Clause
In Kevin Khoa Nguyen v. Barnes & Noble Inc. , 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 15868 (9th Cir. 2014), decided on August 18, 2014, the Ninth Circuit rejected an attempt to bind a consumer to an arbitration clause found in an online terms of use
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September 17, 2014 - Litigation
She Liked It. She Really, Really Liked It: Federal District Court Holds Facebook Fan Page Manager Doesn’t Own “Likes”
A federal district court broke new social media law ground in August 2014 when it held in favor of the cable network Black Entertainment Television (BET) in a suit brought by the founder of an unofficial Facebook fan page for one of the network’s
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August 26, 2014 - Financial Institutions
UK’s Financial Services Regulator Issues Draft Guidance on Social Media – Should We Favourite* or #Fail?
On August 6, 2014, the UK’s financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), issued long-awaited draft guidance on the use of social media in financial promotions by regulated financial institutions. But if financial services firms operating in the UK were hoping that this
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August 14, 2014 - Copyright
Monkey in the Middle of Selfie Copyright Dispute
The “selfie” is now so ubiquitous that the word is in the Oxford English Dictionary, you can use it in Scrabble and it has spawned a whole new lexicon. Selfies are no longer the preserve of teens and reality stars; you now have politicians,
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August 07, 2014 - Employment Law
Ownership of Business-Related Social Media Accounts
By: Aaron P. Rubin
Socially Aware is pleased to announce that Van Rye Publishing has published the article “Ownership of Business-Related Social Media Accounts” by Morrison & Foerster partner Aaron Rubin and associate Anelia Delcheva in the book Employers and the Law: 2013-14 Anthology of Best Articles. The
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