Facebook Law

For those interested in social media law and those who have social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, an ongoing issue has been the request by prospective employers for candidates' social media account passwords.

This week California passed a law (ch 618)  prohibiting an employer from asking for a social media account information.  Two other states - Maryland and Illinois - have passed similar laws with respect to employers.   Delaware has a related law prohibiting academic institutions from requesting social media passwords from students or applicants.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Become a fan of the 2012 Olympics on Facebook

"Facebook is aiming to become a one-stop shop for fans looking for information about the Olympics with a new hub with links to athletes, teams and sports.

The hub includes links to Michael Phelps, Aly Raisman, Jessica Hardy and Logan Tom, among others. Fans can also follow teams from various countries, including Team Ireland, the Swiss Olympic Team and, of course, the US Olympic Team.

Facebook has also launched a Page for the Olympic Games where fans can follow the action. That Page already has 2.8 million fans."  (read more about it here: http://on.mash.to/NGRX7W)

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Find me on Facebook

No, I do not have my own Facebook page. The Deane Law Library allows me to prowl on their Wall. So, you can find my postings as well as other useful information. It is a great way to stay in touch. And, I have it on good authority that some of the suggestions left in our Suggestion Box will be answered there.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Constitution by Crowd

Well, not exactly. But Iceland is bringing the general population (and followers around the globe) into the process of creating a new national constitution this summer, using the new social media. Iceland is soliciting citizen suggestions on the Constitutional Council website, where the most recent draft is posted in Icelandic, along with an English translation by Google Translate. A JURIST post has more on the process, which also involves Twitter and Facebook pages and a YouTube channel (in Icelandic), not only to facilitate comments but also to post interviews with delegates and live broadcasts of Council meetings. It's all part of the Council's stated intention to "open communication with the Icelandic nation" and give "the people an opportunity to participate in the formation of a new Constitution of the Republic of Iceland." A 21st century version of the constitutional convention has arrived.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Litigation Skill: Facebook Stalking

Recent articles detail how attorneys now routinely search for information about potential jurors on the internet. These articles are summarized well by a Forbes blog post. The gist is that, if you have lax privacy settings on Facebook and you are called for jury duty, expect jury consultants or paralegals to analyze your Facebook page (at least if there are enough resources devoted to the litigation to pay for someone to do that sort of work).

This should not be too surprising. Law firms have hired jury consultants to do similar work for years, and everyone in the legal industry should already be aware of their Facebook privacy settings. But one wonders if this news will cause people to remove their Facebook privacy settings and post outrageous statements online, in hopes of getting out of jury duty.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

How to Delete (or Almost Delete) Your Facebook Account

iLibrarian has posted links showing how to delete your facebook account, and how to manage your Facebook privacy settings to reveal a minimal amount of information to the public. These are probably good things to think about for students and new graduates (congrats to those who graduated, by the way) who are now looking for legal jobs, especially since Facebook's privacy policy is continually evolving.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Ethics and Facebook

The Legal Ethics forum has an interesting post on lawyers, litigation and Facebook. The "friending" of adverse witnesses or lawyers in pending litigation have apparently become problematic issues. I'm guessing that we'll soon see much more discussion about professional misconduct and the use of Facebook (and other social networking sites) by lawyers.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Privacy and Social Networking

Think your MySpace or Facebook musings are private? A California court disagrees. Take a look at this post from the Wall Street Journal law blog about a "private" MySpace post that was reprinted in a local newspaper.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat