Socially Aware

March 04, 2014 - FTC, Privacy, Financial Institutions
A Smart Wallet
Another great post from our sister blog, MoFo Tech : The potential for mobile payments is huge. So are the potential legal and regulatory hurdles. Banks, retailers, and pundits are paying a lot of attention to mobile payments, which typically involve the use of smartphones
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March 03, 2014 - Privacy, Litigation
German Court Rules Against Facebook’s “Friend Finder”
On January 24, 2014, in a case filed against Facebook by German consumer protection association VZBV , the Berlin Court of Appeal (“Court”) upheld a lower court ruling that Facebook’s “Friend Finder” function is unlawful. The Court agreed with the Berlin Regional Court’s 2012
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February 05, 2014 - Online Promotions, Privacy, Event, Employment Law, IP
Social Media 2014: Addressing Corporate Risks
Please join Socially Aware editor John Delaney as he chairs Practising Law Institute’s (PLI) “Social Media 2014: Addressing Corporate Risks.” Issues to be addressed at the conference include: Social media: how it works, and why it is transforming the business world Drafting and updating
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January 29, 2014 - First Amendment, DMCA, Privacy, Copyright
Keeping Privates Private: The Legal Landscape of Revenge Porn
By: Jessica Kaufman and Aaron P. Rubin
Mark Zuckerberg famously stated that the purpose of Facebook is “to make the world more open and connected,” and indeed Facebook, other social media outlets and the Internet in general have brought worldwide openness and connection-through-sharing to levels unparalleled at any point in history.
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January 13, 2014 - Privacy
Website Operators Await Final Guidance Regarding Compliance With California’s “Do-Not-Track” Disclosure Requirements
By: Julie O'Neill
Even with the publication of draft “best practices” by the California Attorney General (AG), website operators remain uncertain as to their obligations under the new do-not-track disclosure requirements of the state’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“CalOPPA”), which took effect on January 1, 2014. The
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December 30, 2013 - FTC, Online Promotions, Privacy, Litigation, Wearable Computers
Hot Off the Press – New Issue of the Socially Aware Newsletter
The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available. In this issue, we explore legal concerns raised by Google Glass; we provide an overview of the growing body of case law addressing ownership of business-related social media accounts; we take a look at
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December 19, 2013 - Terms of Use, Privacy
German Court Finds 25 Provisions in Google’s Online Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to Be Unenforceable
In November 2013, the Berlin District Court ruled that all of the 25 provisions in Google’s online terms of use and privacy policy that had been challenged by the German Federation of Consumer Associations (VZBV) are unenforceable. In reaching its decision, the court found
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December 16, 2013 - FTC, Privacy
FTC Expands Reach on Conspicuousness of Privacy Disclosures in Settlement with Android Flashlight App
An FTC settlement with a mobile app over its privacy disclosures alleged to be deceptive may seem to be run-of-the-mill. After all, the FTC has been settling cases for years with companies whose data collection and use practices are allegedly not consistent with the
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December 04, 2013 - Privacy, Employment Law, Litigation, Supreme Court
Two Circuits Address the First Amendment Status of Facebook Activity
Two recent U.S. appellate court decisions have clarified the extent to which the First Amendment protects the social media activities of government employees. In Gresham v. City of Atlanta , the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit found that an individual’s First Amendment
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November 19, 2013 - FTC, Privacy
Mobile Apps: No Surprises, Please
From our sister blog, MoFo Tech : Widely applicable rules regarding consumer privacy disclosures in our increasingly mobile world are only now emerging. Government agencies, individual states, and professional associations are all weighing in on how mobile app developers should disclose how they collect,
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