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.

September 08, 2013 - Privacy, Wearable Computers
Peering Into the Future: Google Glass and the Law
Sign offered by Stop the Cyborgs to indicate a ‘no-Glass’ zone. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. What Is Google Glass? As most Socially Aware readers know, Google Glass (“Glass”) is a form of wearable technology that gives
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September 04, 2013 - Privacy
“Do Not Track” Comes to CalOPPA
By: Julie O'Neill
California’s AB 370, if signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, would be the first piece of legislation in the world directly addressing “do not track” (DNT) to become law. It has passed both houses of the California Legislature and would likely take effect in January.
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August 27, 2013 - Financial Institutions
Behind the Curve – Are Legal and Regulatory Concerns Preventing UK Financial Service Companies From Fully Harnessing Social Media?
Today’s consumers want to engage in a new way with the companies from which they buy goods and services. Although some UK financial services organisations are leading the way in terms of their use of social media, on the whole, engagement in social media
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August 20, 2013 - Privacy
New Guidance From UK Privacy Regulator on Social Networking and Online Forums
Businesses are increasingly using social networks and online forums for marketing, recruiting, customer service, branding and PR purposes. The UK privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner (ICO), has recently published new guidance on the use of social networking and online forums. This replaces its 2007
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July 30, 2013 - Litigation
Court Finds Uniform Commercial Code Applies to Commoditized Software
We’ve all seen the ads on the Internet—computer-optimization software designed to make your old PC operate like it’s brand new. Many consumers see these advertisements and, frustrated with the performance of their computers, purchase such software with the aim of speeding up their sluggish
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July 29, 2013 - Trademark, IP, Litigation
Whose @SunValley Is It?
Readers of our blog may remember Leonard Barshack as the co-founder of Bigfoot , a popular Internet mail forwarding service that launched in 1995. Barshack, a resident of Sun Valley, Idaho, recently became well-known once again for his role as plaintiff in Barshack v.
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July 25, 2013 - Financial Institutions
Bitcoin Receives Cease and Desist Order Evidencing Increased Regulatory Scrutiny of Virtual Currency
By: Rick Fischer
Article courtesy of Morrison & Foerster’s Mobile Payments Practice On May 30, 2013, the California Department of Financial Institutions (CADFI) issued a cease and desist letter to Bitcoin Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established to standardize, protect and promote the use and adoption of Bitcoin.
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July 24, 2013 - Privacy
Is Your Account Tweeting Without You Knowing It? Twitter Upgrades to Two-Factor Authentication
On April 15, 2013, the Associated Press’s Twitter account reported that President Obama had been injured in an explosion at the White House. Within seconds of the announcement, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted more than 150 points. Fortunately, the President’s Press Secretary quickly
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July 23, 2013 - Section 230 Safe Harbor, Litigation
TheDirty.com Goes to Trial
In 2012, we reported on a pair of district court decisions that, based on similar facts, split on whether defendant TheDirty.com, a gossip website, qualified for immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), the 1996 law that states “[n]o provider or
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July 14, 2013 - Securities Law, SEC, JOBS Act
Private Funds on Social Media—Proceed with Caution
When the Securities and Exchange Commission lifted the ban on general solicitation and general advertising for private offerings of securities, can marketing blitzes on Twitter and other social media sites be far behind? It is not likely that we will see hedge funds aggressively
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