Posted in GeneralIn recent posts, we have discussed how employee social media use may subject California companies to liability for defamation. Now, a recent California court of appeals case found that social media conduct by out-of-state users was sufficient to establish personal jurisdiction in California courts. … Continue Reading
Posted in GeneralGiven all the recent headlines about data theft as well as a resurgence of interest in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a December 18, 2020 ruling from a federal trial court in Colorado may be of interest to our readers. MCS Safety Solutions, LLC v. Trivent Safety Consulting, LLC, No. 19-cv-00938-MEH (D. Colo. Dec. 18, 2020) (2020 WL 7425874).… Continue Reading
Posted in General, Social media policiesSocial media platforms have revolutionized the way people receive and deliver their news and information. Industry players, legislators, and consumers of social media have all had to adapt to this new medium of speech. While having the permanence and public nature of traditional forms of news, such as newspapers, social media posts are not subject to the same kinds of editorial review and control. The sheer volume and pace of social media posts has made it impractical for social media companies to maintain a similar amount of content review as newspapers or television broadcasts.
Although this new environment has provided … Continue Reading
Posted in CopyrightIn the last month of 2020, Canadian courts decided two proceedings involving alleged copyright infringement and social media platforms. Both proceedings were small scale and involved foreign copyright holders. One proceeding was heard by the British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal (BCCRT) and the other was heard by the Federal Court of Canada (FC) under its simplified procedure for small claims.… Continue Reading
Posted in GeneralSocial media influencer marketing that misleads the public is on the Canadian Competition Bureau’s (the Bureau’s) list of key priorities for the foreseeable future. Brands and marketing agencies that work with influencers (as well as influencers themselves) should abide by best practices to reduce the risks of getting wrapped up in a Bureau investigation for misleading advertising. You can read the full client briefing here.
Posted in CopyrightWe have previously written about the lawsuits that can result from unauthorized uses of photographs, but on November 2, 2020, a federal trial court in New York issued a ruling regarding use of a photo from a social media site that was “fair use” under the copyright laws. (Boesen, v. United Sports Publications, Ltd., 20-CV-1552 (ARR) (SIL) (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 2, 2020).… Continue Reading
Posted in PrivacyOn November 17, 2020, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains, tabled proposed legislation in Parliament that aims to overhaul Canada’s data privacy law. Bill C-11, entitled An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Act, will create new data privacy obligations and new enforcement mechanisms for these obligations if it becomes law.… Continue Reading
Posted in PrivacyAs the second wave of COVID-19 spreads across Canada, the use of COVID-19 tracing apps is on the rise. For example, the Government of Canada released COVID Alert – an app using Bluetooth technology to help people report positive diagnoses, and control the spread of the virus. The success of the app depends on a high quantity of users, but concerns over privacy and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in analyzing the data may hinder that objective.… Continue Reading
Posted in COPPAWe had previously written about a bill the California legislature passed that would bar a social media company from opening an account for anyone it “actually knows” is under the age of 13, absent parental consent. On September 29, 2020, Governor Newsom vetoed AB-1138. Unsurprisingly, the California legislature did not take action to override the veto. While AB-1138 may be dead, California consumer privacy laws remain in flux. On November 3, California voters will weigh in on Proposition 24 which would expand the state’s already robust consumer privacy laws. We will provide an update on Proposition 24 after the results … Continue Reading
Posted in GeneralThere seem to be a lot of questions lately about the use of photographs on social media, so a recent federal court case may be of interest in raising some risks you may not have contemplated. The case involves some photos that professional models had posted to their social media pages, which they alleged had been copied and altered by a nightclub to make it appear that they worked at or endorsed the nightclub. (Moreland v. Beso Lounge & Restaurant LLC, case no. 3:19-cv-00958 (VLB) (D. Conn. Sept. 4, 2020) (2020 WL 5302312).)… Continue Reading
