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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Lawrence Gallick

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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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.

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Lawrence W. Gallick

Social Links: If the Suit Fits

Social Links: Age Verification, X Appeal, and the Great White North

Social Links: Fake Reviews, Real Rulings, and an Epic Fail

Lawrence W. Gallick on Toth v. Everly Well, Inc.

Social Links: Going Back to Cali

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Google unveiled <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2017/02/23/fighting-words-not-ideas-googles-new-ai-powered-toxic-speech-filter-is-the-right-approach/#3bca1d893462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a new tool designed to combat toxic speech online</a> by assessing the language commenters use, as opposed to the ideas they express.Is <a href="https://qz.com/922193/should-sex-offenders-be-barred-from-facebook-fb-the-us-supreme-court-will-decide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a state law banning sex offenders from social media</a> unconstitutional? Based on their comments during oral arguments in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/15-1194_0861.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Packingham v. North Carolina</a>, some <a href="https://qz.com/922444/a-us-supreme-court-discussion-of-free-speech-and-social-media-got-comically-postmodern/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Supreme Court justices may think so</a>.Facebook is implementing a feature that uses artificial intelligence to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/facebook-is-using-artificial-intelligence-to-prevent-suicide?utm_term=.uf5Kd6M8dq#.fdAPdWjld3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identify posts reflecting suicidal inclinations</a>.<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/21/facebook-analytics-passes-1-million-apps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook Analytics for Apps</a> reached a significant milestone: It now supports more than 1 million apps.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/youtube-tops-1-billion-hours-of-video-a-day-on-pace-to-eclipse-tv-1488220851" target="_blank" rel="noopener">So did YouTube</a>, which recently surpassed 1 billion hours of video per day.As many as <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/296359/ordinary-social-media-users-are-buying-likes-too.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15% of regular social media users</a>—that is, people, not businesses—are buying “likes” on social media?!The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct’s warning to judges about their use of social media was prompted by <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/272747/commission-on-judicial-conduct-warns-judges-of-social-media-perils/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this case</a> in which a St. Lawrence County town judge used Facebook to criticize the prosecution of a town council candidate.More than 40% of Americans incessantly <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-23/social-media-is-driving-americans-insane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check their gadgets for new messages and social media status updates</a>, and it might be making them a little crazy.University of Manchester researchers have developed <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-03-scientists-reveal-super-fast.html?utm_content=bufferfb36e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a computer that is faster than any other</a> because its processors are made of DNA, which allows the computer to replicate itself.Mobile marketers can significantly increase the open rates of their <a href="https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push notifications</a> by doing <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/27/emojis-boost-boost-push-notification-open-rates-85-study-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one simple thing</a>: including emojis.A woman whose “starter marriage” was covered by the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/weddings/165-years-of-wedding-announcements/removing-wedding-announcements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times wedding announcements</a> section in 1989 might have been spared some angst if the United States had a <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2015/05/28/status-updates-errand-apps-for-everyone-a-right-to-be-forgotten-update-your-entire-google-search-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Be Forgotten</a>, as Europe does.

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 Rubin

Social Links: YouTube reaches major milestone; Google tries to ferret out hate speech; justices consider constitutionality of barring social media access

Google unveiled a new tool designed to combat toxic speech online by assessing the language commenters use, as opposed to the ideas they express. Is a state law

Social Links: YouTube reaches major milestone; Google tries to ferret out hate speech; justices consider constitutionality of barring social media access

The <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/imdb-sues-invalidate-californias-actor-age-censorship-law-946261?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%20Today%20in%20Entertainment_now_2016-11-11%2006:59:31_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has filed suit to overturn a law</a> that requires the popular entertainment website to remove the ages or birth dates of people in the entertainment industry upon request.<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/07/revive-vine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vine might not be history</a> after all.Twitter users posted <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/technology/for-election-day-chatter-twitter-ruled-social-media.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_tu_20161109&nl=bits&nl_art=0&nlid=69264395&ref=headline&te=1&_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than one billion election-related tweets</a> between the first presidential debate and Election Day.Facebook is testing a feature that <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/07/jobbook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allows company Page administrators to post job ads</a> and receive applications from candidates.People who create or encourage others <a href="http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2016/october/use-of-derogatory-hashtags-on-social-media-might-lead-to-prosecution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to use “derogatory hashtags” on social media</a> could be prosecuted in England and Wales.<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/10/pinterest-finds-another-way-to-track-purchases-via-its-new-tried-it-button/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A new “tried it” checkmark on pins</a> will allow Pinterest users to share the products and projects they’ve purchased or attempted.Did social media ads allow political campaigns <a href="http://marketingland.com/social-ads-location-targeting-can-side-step-electioneering-laws-197588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to circumvent state laws</a> prohibiting the visible promotion of candidates within a certain distance of polling places?The Eight Circuit held that a college has <a href="http://www.startribune.com/ex-nursing-student-suffers-legal-setback-over-facebook-posts/400132521/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the right to expel a student from its nursing program for inappropriate social media posts</a> about his classmates, including the suggestion that he would inflict on one of them a “hemopneumothorax”—a lung puncture.Law enforcement officials are increasing their <a href="http://www.ktre.com/story/33636069/east-texas-law-enforcement-use-social-media-to-help-find-missing-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use of social media to locate missing persons</a>.An unemployed single mother in California is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ceviche-selling-stockton-20161107-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing several misdemeanor charges</a> for selling her ceviche over social media.Coming soon to a vending machine near you: <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/snapchat-spectacles-available-today-snapbot-vending-machines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snapchat Spectacles</a> (but only if you live in a densely populated area like New York or Los Angeles).Social media analytics firms claim that <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/10/social-media-did-a-better-job-at-predicting-trumps-win-than-the-polls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media did a better job at predicting Trump’s win</a> than the polls.

Social Links: IMDb sues over right to post actors’ ages; Facebook tests jobs feature; Pinterest adopts “tried it” button

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has filed suit to overturn a law that requires the popular entertainment website to remove the ages or birth dates of people 

Social Links: IMDb sues over right to post actors’ ages; Facebook tests jobs feature; Pinterest adopts “tried it” button

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-lets-you-hide-inappropriate-comments-2016-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram now allows users to hide offensive comments</a> posted to their feeds. Take that trolls!Soon you’ll be able to watch Twitter content like NFL Thursday Night Football on <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/14/twitter-launches-on-apple-tv-fire-tv-and-xbox-one/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Twitter app on Apple TV, Xbox One and Amazon Fire TV</a>.“Ballot selfie” laws—laws that prohibit posting online photos of completed election ballots—are being challenged in Michigan and <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/09/13/federal-court-hears-challenge-ballot-selfie-law/IvfIzaZLriQS5DQVGzSJeN/story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Hampshire</a>.Google may be <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-voice-search-records-stores-conversation-people-have-around-their-phones-but-files-can-be-a7059376.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recording you regularly</a>.YouTube content creators can now <a href="http://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-community-beta-launches-716334/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communicate with their followers in real time</a>.AdBlock Plus has launched <a href="http://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2016/9/13/12890050/adblock-plus-now-sells-ads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a service that allows website operators to display “acceptable” ads</a> to visitors using the popular ad blocking software. Irony, anyone?The EU might soon require the same things of chat apps like Skype that it <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-to-get-tough-on-chat-apps-in-win-for-telecoms-1473607662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires of telecom businesses</a>.A controversial proposal aims to give the EU’s 500 million consumers <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/business/international/eu-tv-online-streaming-bbc-netflix.html?emc=edit_tu_20160915&nl=bits&nlid=69264395&te=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more digital streaming content choices</a>.An Austrian teen whose parents overshared on social media <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/irl/facebook-photo-lawsuit-austria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looks to the law for recourse</a>.Baltimore County officials warned government employees to watch what they say on social media.With so many alternative content providers around these days, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/technology/television-the-social-medium.html?emc=edit_tu_20160915&nl=bits&nlid=69264395&te=1&_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">why do we still watch so much TV</a>?Here’s a list of 50 Snapchat marketing influencers who Mashable says are worth following.

Social Links: Instagram’s “offensive comment” filter; Twitter’s TV app; YouTube’s “Community” feature

Instagram now allows users to hide offensive comments posted to their feeds. Take that trolls! Soon you’ll be able to watch Twitter content like NFL Thursday Ni

Social Links: Instagram’s “offensive comment” filter; Twitter’s TV app; YouTube’s “Community” feature

Instagram now allows users <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/31/technology/instagram-adds-zoom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to zoom in on photos in their feeds</a> and at least <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/these-11-brands-are-already-using-instagram-s-new-zoom-feature-173253" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11 brands</a> are already capitalizing on the new feature.<a href="http://www.wired.com/2016/08/pinterest-buys-instapaper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pinterest acquired Instapaper</a>, a tool that allows you to cache webpages for reading at a later time.A social-media celebrity with 500,000 followers and a lot of people interacting with his or her content could bring in <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/31/some-people-make-seven-figures-to-post-on-social-media.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how much</a> for a single post?!<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-first-investor-jeremy-liew-interview-2016-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snapchat’s first investor shares his secret</a> for identifying the next big app.SEC steps up scrutiny of investment advisers’ use of social media.As younger audiences’ <a href="http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2016/08/social-media-eclipses-tv-as-primary-news-source-for-younger-audiences/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary source of news</a>, social media has understandably <a href="http://time.com/4470342/vertical-image-shift/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affected </a><a href="http://time.com/4470342/vertical-image-shift/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photojournalism</a>.Should social media companies <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/08/30/491826167/groups-worry-about-impact-of-police-moves-to-block-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">establish guidelines</a> for when they will—and will not—heed police officers’ requests to suspend suspects’ accounts?<a href="https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2016/08/30/meet-officer-behind-the-bangor-maine-police-departments-viral-facebook-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet the officer</a> behind a small New England city’s police department’s viral Facebook page.Wondering whether you should hit “reply all” when someone has mistakenly included you on an email chain? The New York Times has <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/09/02/technology/when-im-mistakenly-put-on-an-email-chain-should-i-hit-reply-all-asking-to-be-removed.html?referer=https://t.co/0PstsL7mye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one word</a> for you.

Social Links: Instagram’s & Pinterest’s new features; the per-post premium paid to top influencers; a successful social media investor shares his strategy

Instagram now allows users to zoom in on photos in their feeds and at least 11 brands are already capitalizing on the new feature. Pinterest acquired Instapaper

Social Links: Instagram’s & Pinterest’s new features; the per-post premium paid to top influencers; a successful social media investor shares his strategy

<a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/18/12539442/twitter-anti-harassment-tools-quality-filter-notification-settings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter took steps</a> to remedy its harassment problem.In addition, over the last six months, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/technology/twitter-suspends-accounts-extremism.html?_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter suspended 235,000 accounts</a> that promoted terrorism.The Washington Post is using <a href="http://www.poynter.org/2016/the-washington-post-is-using-robots-to-cover-the-olympics-and-the-election/425192/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">language-generation technology</a> to automatically produce stories on the Olympics and the election.<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/pinterest-jumps-into-video-ads-fray-1471431601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Video ads</a> are going to start popping up on Pinterest.Does it make sense for big brands to invest in expensive, <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/p-g-decided-facebook-ad-targeting-worth-money/305390/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly-targeted social media advertising</a>? Procter & Gamble doesn’t think so.These brands are <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/3-brands-using-facebook-particularly-effective-ways-during-rio-games-172992" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using Facebook in particularly effective ways</a> during the Olympic games.Since we <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2014/10/16/new-york-family-court-magistrate-allows-unprecedented-service-of-process-via-facebook-will-others-follow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> on the phenomenon nearly two years ago, Facebook has become an increasingly common <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bari-zell-weinberger-esq/getting-served-on-social-media-how-some-spouses-are-using-facebook-to-divorce_b_11403928.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vehicle for serving divorce papers</a>.Across the country, states are grappling with the conflict between existing <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/15/states-courts-wrestle-with-allowing-ballot-selfies.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laws that prohibit disclosing ballot information or images and the growing phenomenon of “ballot selfies”</a>—photos posted to social media of people at the polls casting their ballots or of the ballots themselves.<a href="https://contently.com/strategist/2016/08/17/publishers-brands-creating-dozens-facebook-pages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Creating dozens of Facebook pages</a> for a single brand can help marketers to increase social-media-engagement and please the Facebook algorithm gods, according to Contenly.Here’s how Snapchat makes money from disappearing videos.A Harvard Business Review article <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/08/to-get-more-out-of-social-media-think-like-an-anthropologist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advises marketers to start listening to</a> (as opposed to managing) conversations about their brands on social media.For intel on what it can do to keep teens’ attention, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/08/18/instagram-has-a-secret-facebook-group-just-to-talk-to-teens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram goes straight to the source</a>.

Social Links: Twitter offers anti-harassment tools; Pinterest takes on video ads; P&G changes its social strategy

Twitter took steps to remedy its harassment problem. In addition, over the last six months, Twitter suspended 235,000 accounts that promoted terrorism. The Wash

Social Links: Twitter offers anti-harassment tools; Pinterest takes on video ads; P&G changes its social strategy

Facebook Messenger joins the elite “one billion monthly users” club just four years after its release as a standalone app.A Canadian judge ordered a couple convicted of child neglect to post to all their social media accounts his decision describing their crime.Leslie Jones of Ghostbusters highlights Twitter’s trolling problem. One tech columnist says the platform needs to rethink its application programming interface strategy to enable users and communities to insulate themselves from abuse.Don’t drive and Facebook Live.Google erased Dennis Cooper’s 14-year-old blog without warning or explanation. We recently examined the outcome of lawsuits challenging a platform’s right to remove user content (spoiler alert: the platforms usually win).Twitter now lets anyone apply to get verified.Researchers say there’s a correlation between an increase in the psychological stress that teens suffer and the amount of time they’re spending on social media.A Playboy model who “fat-shamed” a woman by photographing her and posting it to Snapchat risks prosecution.Forensic psychologists explain why people post evidence of their crimes to social media.We may soon have a federal law making revenge porn illegal. Our blog post from 2014 took a look at some of the legal issues raised by revenge porn.There’s now a dating app that sets people up on Pokémon Go dates. Want to know more about the most popular mobile game of all time? Read our Pokémon Go Business and Legal Primer.

Social Links: Twitter’s troll problem; Snapchat fat-shamer risks prosecution; a federal anti-revenge-porn law?

Facebook Messenger joins the elite “one billion monthly users” club just four years after its release as a standalone app. A Canadian judge ordered a couple con

Social Links: Twitter’s troll problem; Snapchat fat-shamer risks prosecution; a federal anti-revenge-porn law?

The Great<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/technology/the-great-instagram-logo-freakout-of-2016.html?smid=tw-nytimesbusiness&smtyp=cur&_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Instagram Logo Freakout</a> of 2016.A UK council policy reportedly grants its members power to spy on residents by <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3586927/Fakebook-fury-Uproar-council-awards-powers-set-false-social-media-profiles-spy-law-abiding-locals.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">setting up fake Facebook profiles</a>.Guess who spends more of their <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/rise-in-access-to-social-media-at-work-survey-finds-1.2644419" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workday on social media</a>, women or men?<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/style/we-saw-what-you-did-there-ijustine.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=3&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F05%2F14%2Fstyle%2Fwe-saw-what-you-did-there-ijustine.html&eventName=Watching-article-click" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lessons</a> from one of YouTube’s first (and most successful) stars.Should sharing tragic images on social media be against the law?A team of Google employees proposed adding <a href="http://nyti.ms/1UWr6Wv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new emojis to represent women</a> in professional situations.Has social media forced everyone to brand themselves?Nearly 500 startup companies offer <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/nearly_500_startup_companies_offer_tech_solutions_to_legal_industry?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=navigation&utm_campaign=navbar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tech solutions for the legal industry</a>.Using <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/opinion/using-tweets-and-posts-to-speed-up-organ-donation.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-1&module=inside-nyt-region&region=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media to speed up organ donation</a>.<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/world/europe/periscope-suicide-france.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suicide on Periscope</a> prompts France to open inquiry.Now an online <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/what-is-dead-social-2016-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service helps people to prepare their “digital legacy</a>.” Will the “<a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2015/03/10/who-will-update-my-status-when-im-dead-the-biggest-social-media-platforms-policies-on-deceased-user-accounts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media assets after death</a>” issue never die? (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)Study finds <a href="http://www.wbal.com/article/163125/110/social-media-manipulation-is-most-common-form-of-sextortion-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media manipulation</a> is the most common form of sextortion.

Social Links—Instagram’s logo change causes a stir; stats on social media use at work; lessons from a YouTube star.

The Great Instagram Logo Freakout of 2016. A UK council policy reportedly grants its members power to spy on residents by setting up fake Facebook profiles. Gue

Social Links—Instagram’s logo change causes a stir; stats on social media use at work; lessons from a YouTube star.

We’re trying something new here at Socially Aware: In addition to our usual social-media and tech-law analyses and updates, we’re going to end each work week with a list of links to interesting social media stories around the Web, primarily things that caught our eye during the week that we may or may not ultimately write about in a future blog post.Here’s our first list – enjoy!<a href="http://bit.ly/1VqenvJ">Should prisoners be allowed to have Facebook pages?</a>Why do older people love Facebook? A New York Times writer <a href="http://nyti.ms/1VnG7RM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked her 61-year-old dad.</a>Judge<a href="http://bit.ly/1SbGoS1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> upholds ex-cop’s murder conviction </a>despite defense’s claim that juror’s Facebook posts evidenced a dislike for police.The CIA’s venture capital arm is <a href="http://bit.ly/1qM6HYd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investing</a> in companies that develop artificial intelligence to sift through enormous numbers of social media postings and decipher patterns.Another cringe-worthy social media marketing campaign gaffe, this time by KFC Australia.Facebook will now allow businesses to <a href="http://tcrn.ch/1VmdG7s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deliver automated customer support through chatbots</a>.

Social Links: A social media marketing fail; Facebook and prisoners, jurors, older people

We’re trying something new here at Socially Aware: In addition to our usual social-media and tech-law analyses and updates, we’re going to end each work week wi

Social Links: A social media marketing fail; Facebook and prisoners, jurors, older people

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire recently <a href="http://www.nhd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/Opinions/15/15NH154P.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck down</a> on First Amendment grounds a 2014 amendment to <a href="http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LXIII/659/659-35.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Hampshire Revised Statute 659:35</a> that made it illegal for New Hampshire voters to post pictures of their completed ballots to social media. While several states have laws that disallow ballot sharing, RSA 659:35 was the first “to explicitly ban voters from sharing their marked ballots on social media.”The case, <a href="https://dockets.justia.com/docket/new-hampshire/nhdce/1:2014cv00489/41517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rideout v. Gardner</a>, was <a href="http://aclu-nh.org/nhclu-files-federal-lawsuit-against-state-law-banning-pure-political-speech-on-the-internet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed by the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union</a> on behalf of three voters who were being investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office for violating the law banning ballot selfies during the September 2014 Republican primary elections.The court first determined that RSA 659:35 was a content-based restriction on speech because it necessarily required regulators to “examine the content of the speech to determine whether it includes impermissible subject matter”—i.e., photographs of completed ballots.The court then held that the statute could not meet the strict scrutiny standard that applies to content-based speech, “which requires the Government to prove that the restriction furthers a compelling interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.”Paraphrasing a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-1448.ZS.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2011 Supreme Court case</a>, the Rideout court noted that, “[f]or an interest to be sufficiently compelling, the state must demonstrate that it addresses an actual problem.” The state had argued that the law was needed to prevent vote buying and voter intimidation, but the court was not convinced. In fact, the plaintiffs had produced evidence that vote buying had not been the subject of a single prosecution or complaint in New Hampshire since 1976.The court also noted that the state had “failed to identify a single instance anywhere in the United States in which a credible claim has been made that digital or photographic images of completed ballots have been used to facilitate vote buying or voter coercion.”Finally the court held that the law was not sufficiently narrowly tailored, because the “few who might be drawn into efforts to buy or coerce their votes are highly unlikely to broadcast their intentions via social media.” Thus, investigations for violation of RSA 659:35 “will naturally tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit of innocent voters who simply want the world to know how they have voted for entirely legitimate reasons” and will likely “punish only the innocent while leaving actual participants in vote buying and voter coercion schemes unscathed.”Moreover, the state had an obvious, less-restrictive alternative: “[I]t can simply make it unlawful to use an image of a completed ballot in connection with vote buying and voter coercion schemes.”

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Federal District Court Strikes Down Law That Bans Ballot Selfies

Federal District Court Strikes Down Law That Bans Ballot Selfies