In early April, the world watched as Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, appeared before the US Congress in Washington DC to answer questions regarding, amongst others, the misuse of Facebook user data harvested by Cambridge Analytica (CA). Despite certain mistaken assumptions that added fuel to the Facebook/CA fire, the furor caused individuals, organizations and agencies
Social media provides a flexible platform for companies and sellers to constantly connect with consumers and has revolutionized the direct selling industry around the globe. The goals in employing social media for direct selling are: to remain relevant, to convert passive responses into active engagement, and to drive brand recognition and loyalty. However, there are legal
Defamation cases arising out of posts on social media such as Facebook and Twitter are popping up around the globe. See, e.g., Facebook and defamation: When a post costs you dearly. In most jurisdictions the specific identification of the individual being defamed is traditionally an essential element of the claim in a defamation lawsuit. A
“The 2014 ABA Legal Technology Survey found 39.4% of attorneys have generated legal business from blogging. For solo practitioners the number is 60%; for firms of 50-500 lawyers it’s 50%. Those are numbers too big to ignore. An attorney who doesn’t have a social media presence in 2015 is 28% invisible.” Yet how to effectively
The right to publish personal information, and legal obligations attendant thereto, is a global topic of discussion involving ethics and evolving legal mandates. Whether any such information, including photographs, is to be published on a public website, or in handouts to a select group of recipients, there are now legal implications not contemplated twenty years ago. In
Reputation is identified as the single most important strategic risk for business. It is axiomatic that today’s businesses seek positive consumer online reviews of their buying experience. The increasing significance of online ratings is reflected by the vast number of companies now marketing their ability to generate positive online search results and reviews. Receiving even
The use of social media for employment background checks is now an established process for many employers. To protect themselves from allegations of using protected characteristics of applicants while investigating potential employees’ social media sites, U.S. employers are increasingly using the services of third party background-check companies. Such investigations may trigger the stringent requirements of
