You are probably using social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked in for a variety of purposes, from updating your status, to networking with college friends that leads to new business. Although the law on social networks is evolving, there are several issues that you need to be aware of to protect yourself legally. Listed below are 5 issues that you need to be aware of regarding the legal problems of social networks.
1. Privacy:
Some information that you provide on social networks are available to the general public, such as the name of your employer and photographs. As a result, any claim of a right to privacy to any material posted on social networking sites may be lost.
2. Identity Theft:
Social networks contain a treasure trove of personal information. For instance, my Blackberry was recently stolen and the thieves were able to hack into my Facebook account. The information gleaned from the site, such as date of birth, mother’s name and hometown could have been used by a thief to steal my identity.
3. Potential use in litigation:
Such personal information can be obtained by legal adversaries and may be exploited if you are ever involved in a lawsuit. Before posting, think about how any information can be used against you
4. Defamation:
Social Networking sites do not provide immunity from defamation laws. Expressing your views about Britney Spears may be fine, but watch out for any defamatory comments that you make regarding anyone else.
5. Intellectual Property:
There are no special laws shielding users of social networks from trademark and copyright laws.
Related posts:
- Legal Reasons Why Your Company Should Have a Social Networking Policy
- Social Networks, Employees and Anti-Discrimination Laws.
- Why your Social Networking Policy Should Address Collaboration
- Facebook’s Law Department is Ready to Brawl over Requests for Information from a User’s Facebook Account
- Social Media Law
