Classmates.com Tied To More Dubious Marketing Tactics
Classmates.com is accused of misleading consumers and has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle a suit but did not admit any wrongdoing.
Companies Say No to Friending & Tweeting
Law.com: ‘Lawyers are calling it social networking burnout. Back-to-back studies, the most recent issued Tuesday, show a big chunk of corporate America is banning communication wonders like Twitter and Facebook from the workplace. According to the latest survey of more than 1,400 U.S. companies, more than half (54 percent) said they prohibit employees from visiting sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace while on the clock.”
Facebook Sued for Refusing to Remove Content
Citizen Media Law Project: “Disbarred Florida attorney and critic of the video game industry Jack Thompson, proceeding pro se, filed a complaint against Facebook, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on September 29, 2009. The Complaint asserts three counts against Facebook for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress, and Negligent Supervision based on Facebook’s failure to remove certain postings advocating violence against Mr. Thompson. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages ‘in excess of ten million dollars and punitive damages in excess of thirty million dollars’ for each count.”
See the complaint filed by the plaintiff.
Social Networks and Personal Injury Suits
Times have changed. We all know the adage “think before your speak.” In the age of social media we now have “think before you tweet.” Millions of people are using social media like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to communicate. Sometimes, information displayed online can cause the author and/or website owner to become the defendant in a lawsuit.
Employers, Employees, Social Networks & the Law
Arizona Republic: Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace are great ways to communicate, but the legalities are uncertain when employers monitor or restrict what employees say about employers online.
Valley attorneys say employers have the right to monitor and restrict employees’ social networking posts related to their business, including disciplining and terminating employees for negative posts via Arizona’s employment laws. But those same lawyers also caution that pursuing restrictive social networking policies can open a Pandora’s box of public relations and legal problems, including privacy and discrimination lawsuits.