Privacy and Security Issues

Second of a series: Privacy and Security Issues for 2013 | Mintz Levin - Privacy & Security - JDSupra: " . . . In order to protect the corporate reputation, prohibit unlawful competitive activity, including the theft of trade secrets, or to affirmatively comply with certain government regulations, some employers now require employees (and prospective employees) to provide their social media passwords or other account information. Fourteen state legislatures (like California) have recently enacted laws prohibiting this practice, and other states are likely to follow suit. Social media privacy bills are under consideration in Missouri, Texas, and other jurisdictions. Whether a particular state prohibits this practice or not, employers must give serious thought before implementing (or continuing to implement) this practice. Specifically, they must be mindful of the “Big Brother” perception and the potential exposure to claims under the anti-discrimination laws, labor laws, and state privacy laws. In 2013, employers, employees, lawmakers, regulatory authorities and courts will continue to struggle to strike the right balance between privacy, corporate culture, ownership of business information, free expression, and creativity. Recommendation for action in 2013: If your business has a social media policy, review it in light of emerging state laws and the NLRB cases. If your business does not have a social media policy, 2013 is the time to take another look."

Why the Instagram debacle just taught every tech company to be shadier than ever | The Verge: "That's advertising on your photos, in case it wasn't clear. Whatever kind of victory all those protests achieved, it wasn't one for consumer rights — if anything, Instagram is the real winner here. The company just managed to score a round of positive press for retracting an unpopular change and give itself the ability to actually use photos in ads. Worst of all, the Instagram debacle is destined to be discussed in boardrooms and business schools for years to come as an object lesson in keeping terms of service vague and hard to understand. Had Instagram just left its existing terms in place, the company would have been totally fine . . . "

Why Facebook Can't Be The Center Of Your Social Strategy - Forbes: "While 86% of companies today maintain a Facebook page, many have discovered that simply following the heard isn’t much of a strategy. The fans and likes may roll in, but meaningful results like improved customer satisfaction and increased sales revenue remain elusive. Why? Because the real power of social media lies in its ability to engage and enlist, not just tally. We must deliver social customer experiences that entice customers to interact with us, share their passions, their insights, and their ideas. When only 2% of consumers ever return to brand pages they “like” on Facebook, the platform clearly isn’t a tool for engagement. When the only way our customers can interact with us to “like” us, we aren’t doing much to enlist their help in making our brand more successful. . . . "


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