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Showing 8 posts in Internet Defamation.

Digital “Off-the-Record” Conversations?

March 3, 2014
Posted In Employee Handbook, Employee Misconduct, Employee Performance Reviews, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Job Requirement, Online Account Protection, Online Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies

Employers and business professionals are no strangers to “off-the-record” conversations and closed-door meetings. In today’s world, though, many long for a way to converse online without a permanent record of the conversation existing somewhere out there in Internet-land. New apps have responded to this need; think Snapchat (the popular app that allows users to set a predetermined time for how long recipients can view their photos) for text messaging. TigerText, Wickr, and Confide are just some of the self-destructing text apps that have recently emerged. Businesses, however, should proceed with caution when using these – they could not only present an air of impropriety but also be a legal hazard. More >

Internet Defamation—What Can You Do When You Are the Target?

December 27, 2012
Posted In Communications Decency Act, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Social Privacy Laws

We’ve all seen them.  Anonymous spewing hate-filled, defamatory statements on Facebook and Twitter, as well as in the comment pages of news stories on both local and national news.  The commenters have a certain entertainment value, until you or your business are in their sights.  So what do you do?  The answer is not always so simple, especially when you don’t even know who is speaking. More >

Social Media: The New Harassment Landscape Continued

October 12, 2012
Posted In Employee Misconduct, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

A recent government study uncovered that 23% of harassment victims were targeted through text messaging, email or other digital forms. Not so long ago, the only evidence human resources had to investigate in harassment claims were the face-to-face comments of the parties involved, making the truth sometimes difficult to determine.  With a digital trail of comments to follow, the investigation of harassment claims no longer relies on hearsay, recollection and “he said, she said” testimony, because nothing can refute written proof. More >

Social Media: The New Harassment Landscape

October 10, 2012
Posted In Communications Decency Act, Crisis Management, Employee Misconduct, Employee Performance Reviews, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOP), Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

Social media is changing the landscape of the internal workplace, providing a new way for employees to socialize and interact with one another.  The online workplace is rooted in conversation which is casual, revealing and often deeply personal.  The direct connection of social media is akin to an invitation into your home. It allows co-workers to share in your personal life with an instant sense of closeness and propels the relationship forward quicker than a traditional office friendship. The boundaries of conduct can become easily blurred and potentially dangerous when this complicated overlapping of private and professional relationships intersect online. Whenever the parameters get ambiguous, the probability of inappropriate behavior occurring increases, creating a growing employer concern for protecting employees from the potential of social media harassment. More >

Who owns your Twitter account?

September 13, 2012
Posted In Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, PhoneDog v. Kravitz, Social Media, Social Media Policies

As more and more employees are tasked with -- or even hired for the express purpose of -- tweeting on behalf of their employer, it is important to think about ownership of the twitter account from which they tweet.  A twitter account can be an important asset to a business or organization because the account (and the owner thereof) amasses followers who can become customers, fans and/or contributors.  Those followers can also share the marketing and informative content your company or organization chooses to share with others by re-tweeting, liking or quoting your tweets, or by old-fashioned word-of-mouth.  If they suddenly disappear, it may take significant time and effort to amass those followers again, and some you may never get back. More >

Have employers gone too far?

May 21, 2012
Posted In Employee Contracts, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies

The burgeoning backlash against employer monitoring of employee social media posts. More >

Employers Are Demanding Facebook Passwords—Should They?

March 21, 2012
Posted In Employee Contracts, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media

It’s hard to miss the latest news reports.  Employers around the country are demanding Facebook passwords from both applicants and current employees in order to monitor employee activity.  While the allure is understandable – in this day and age, almost any negative internet-based comment about an employer can be found by customers, clients and potential employees – the real question is, should an employer take such a drastic step?  Probably not. More >

The Irony of the Communications Decency Act

November 16, 2011
Posted In Communications Decency Act, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media

As many unfortunate individuals have found, there are limited remedies for individuals who are the subject of unflattering information posted on the Internet. Next month, for the first time, a United States District Court in the Sixth Circuit will have an opportunity to rule on the Communications Decency Act which provides internet service providers immunity from liability for publishing defamatory information. The legislative history of the Communications Decency Act reveals that it originally had a far different purpose. More >

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