Governor Jerry Brown very appropriately tweeted that he had signed the social media privacy bills. He later followed up with a press release. The Los Angeles Times online version carried the story “Gov. Jerry Brown Tweets That He Signed Social Media Privacy Bills.”
California’s new social media privacy law, which passed last month but is still pending signing into effect, may be a boon for employers and employees alike unless you look at the financial industry. The new law would help to protect individuals’ privacy and protect employers from liability. Matt Williams provides some insight into the benefits in his article “California Ramps Up Social Media Policy.”
Dan Jameson provides insight into the potential pitfalls that the law could pose in the securities industry and other financial industries: “Privacy Laws Threaten Compliance.”
First responders and law enforcement can find valuable and helpful information on social media. Information from social media can be used in conjunction with other sources of information to help gauge a situation before law enforcement or first responders are actually at the site. New tools are also allowing agencies to sift through the mountain of postings to identify social media posts that may indicate a threat to an individual or society at large. As always, the interest from these “agencies” raises questions of free speech and privacy. Dale Peet’s article “Social Media Analytics Can Aid Law Enforcement, First Responders In Civil Unrest, Disasters, Investigations” provides a thorough look at the benefits to such agencies in maintaining an active role in social media.
In a global environment, social media sites must be aware of differing standards and laws among their many users. The line between hate speech and free speech is rarely clear, and social media sites try to clarify their own stance through their own terms of use and guidelines. Somini Sengupta examines the issue in “On Web, a Fine Line on Free Speech Across the Globe.”
Law firms can use social media to gain client insight, to maintain competitive analysis, to gauge their own online presence, and to gain insight into trends and changes in practice and industry. Client and competitive information are the focus of larger firms while smaller firms and sole practitioners tend to focus on information about the practice of law. The wealth of information available makes the use of listening platforms particularly helpful for law firms. Mark Hinkle explains how “Listening Platforms Provide Competitive Intelligence for Law Firms.”
Robbie Farrah is the latest celebrity to receive a tweet from a follower that has been widely labeled as abusive. The attack on the Australian sports figure has sparked a call for a review of current social media laws. Britain has already prosecuted a number of social media cases in which abuse has been directed at an individual through social media. Here are two articles from AAP on the Farrah incident:
“Barry O’Farrell Calls for Review of Social Media Laws”
“Twitter ‘Trolls’ Should Be Punished”
As the school year really starts to heat up in law schools across the country, here’s an article that recommends one more subject: embracing social media. Menachem Wecker’s article, “Law Students Should Embrace Social Media, Study Suggests, ” outlines the reasons that law students should be plugged in. Students should be using social media platforms to control their online professional reputation and be prepared to build client relationships through them. Law schools themselves may be slower to embrace these practices.
Thinking about applying to law school? Social media can help or hurt your chances of getting in. Shawn P. O’Connor provides some useful tips in “Use Social Media to Get Into Law School.”
Ever wonder what makes a social media lawyer different from any other lawyer? “What the Heck Does a Social Media Lawyer Do Anyway?” gives a thorough overview to the major issues that a social media lawyer might be involved in. It’s not surprising that in a fast-paced and ever changing environment like social media, a social media lawyer can expect a great deal of variety to come their way.
Two recent cases highlight that posting to Facebook is not as uncomplicated as you may think. A defamation case in the UK recognized that a third party did have to disclose information on users whose identities were sought by the plaintiff. In the US, employee guidelines for social media were seen to be too broad and often violated the National Labor Review Board rules. “Social Media Spotlight: Latest Legal Moves in the UK and US” gives an in-depth look at both cases.