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.

June 04, 2012 - Privacy, Employment Law, Litigation
Interview with Debbie Rosenbaum regarding Bland v. Roberts
As a result of her recent Socially Aware blog post What’s Not to Like , our contributor Debbie Rosenbaum has been interviewed by LXBN TV regarding Bland v. Roberts , the recent (and controversial) federal court decision holding that “liking” a Facebook page does
... ›
May 30, 2012 - Ethics, Litigation
Should We All Be Getting the Twitter “Jitters”? Be Careful What You Say Online (Particularly in the United Kingdom)
By: Alistair Maughan
History is littered with examples of the law being slow to catch up with the use of technology. Social media is no exception. As our Socially Aware blog attests, countries around the world are having to think fast to apply legal norms to rapidly
... ›
May 29, 2012 - Privacy, Employment Law
Maryland Enacts First Law Prohibiting Employers From Requesting Passwords to Employees’ Online Personal Accounts
In our recent Socially Aware blog post , we noted that a number of pending state bills are seeking to ban employers from requesting confidential login information, including social media login information, as a condition of employment. In fact, on April 9, 2012, Maryland
... ›
May 21, 2012 - Privacy, Employment Law, Litigation
What’s Not to Like?
A recent district court decision highlights the growing prevalence of issues relating to new media technologies arising in the courtroom. In Bland v. Roberts , the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held that merely “liking” a Facebook page is insufficient
... ›
May 20, 2012 - Event, Copyright
Pinterest: Key Legal Considerations in Using the Internet’s Hottest Social Media Platform
Pinterest is 2012’s “most talked-about” social media platform and one of the fastest-growing standalone websites in history. By tapping into the enthusiasm for gathering and presenting images that have been pulled from across the web, Pinterest has created a powerful content sharing platform – and
... ›
May 18, 2012 - Privacy, Litigation
New York Court to Criminal Defendant: Your Tweets May Be Used Against You
By: J. Alexander Lawrence
In past Socially Aware posts, we have discussed using subpoenas in civil litigation to obtain evidence from social media sites, including whether individuals have a privacy interest in this information and how the Stored Communications Act may limit the use of subpoenas in civil
... ›
May 01, 2012 - FCC, Privacy, Employment Law
What’s Your Facebook Password?
According to press reports , a growing number of employers require job applicants to disclose their login information for Facebook or other social media accounts as a condition of employment. While this practice may very well fall on the wrong side of the law,
... ›
April 26, 2012 - Privacy, Ethics, Litigation
A Dirty Job: TheDirty.com Cases Show the Limits of CDA Section 230
We’ve reported before on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), the 1996 statute that states, “[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” Courts
... ›
April 25, 2012 - Online Promotions, Terms of Use, Privacy, IP
Caveat Emptor, Part II: A Brief Overview of Twitter’s Terms of Service and Related Documents
In our September 2010 issue of Socially Aware , we provided a brief overview of Facebook’s “ Statement of Rights and Responsibilities ,” the social media service’s complex set of terms and conditions that companies frequently “click-accept” with little review (often, in a rush
... ›
April 23, 2012 - Financial Institutions
California Provides Social Media Guidance for Financial Institutions
By: Julie O'Neill
While Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms have become an increasingly important tool for businesses across industries to meet their customers’ needs and expectations, financial institutions have been slow to embrace social media. This is likely attributable to the highly regulated environment
... ›

Welcome to Socially Aware

Interview with Debbie Rosenbaum regarding Bland v. Roberts

Should We All Be Getting the Twitter “Jitters”? Be Careful What You Say Online (Particularly in the United Kingdom)

By: Alistair Maughan

Maryland Enacts First Law Prohibiting Employers From Requesting Passwords to Employees’ Online Personal Accounts

What’s Not to Like?

Pinterest: Key Legal Considerations in Using the Internet’s Hottest Social Media Platform

New York Court to Criminal Defendant: Your Tweets May Be Used Against You

By: J. Alexander Lawrence

What’s Your Facebook Password?

A Dirty Job: TheDirty.com Cases Show the Limits of CDA Section 230

Caveat Emptor, Part II: A Brief Overview of Twitter’s Terms of Service and Related Documents

California Provides Social Media Guidance for Financial Institutions

By: Julie O'Neill