The Bottom Line The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have continued their commitment to protecting kids’ and teens’ digital privacy. In 2019, Google and YouTube paid what was then a record fine to the FTC and the New York Attorney General for violating Continue Reading
#Oscars Ready: Social Media Guidance for Brands and Advertisers
The 2024 awards season has been filled with snubs, influencers on the carpet, groundbreaking wins and acceptance speeches that have echoed throughout Hollywood. While some awards shows are stricter than others about brand participation in social media, it’s another winning year for all brands tuning Continue Reading
The Copyright Crackdown Continues: Sony Music Sues Ofra Cosmetics Over Influencer and Brand Videos
The Bottom Line Halloween is supposed to be spooky, but this year, Ofra Cosmetics got quite the fright. On October 31, Sony Music Entertainment sued Ofra for copyright infringement in federal district court in Florida, alleging that Ofra’s unauthorized use of Sony recordings in over 300 Continue Reading
As Federal and State Governments Take Action Against TikTok, What Should Brands and Agencies Know?
The Bottom Line In light of increased federal and state regulatory oversight, the potential reach of TikTok may begin to shrink.Brands and agencies should take steps to prepare for a government ban of TikTok Trendy social media app TikTok gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and Continue Reading
See You at the #Oscars: Social Media Guidance for Brands and Advertisers
2023 Update Excited for the 95th Academy Awards? We are too! The Academy released updated brand guidelines with the same rules and restrictions as last year, except that brands are also permitted to use #Oscars95 in their social rollouts. Once again, brands do not need to be affiliated with or Continue Reading
Social Media’s Potential Harms Continue To Be In the Spotlight
The Bottom Line President Biden, Congress, state attorneys general and social media users are seeking to hold social media platforms accountable for their mental health impacts on children and teens. As President Biden calls for stronger online protections for young people, companies should Continue Reading
Record COPPA Settlements Indicate Stronger Privacy Protections for Children
7th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached record settlements with popular online social media platforms that were collecting personal information from children in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Continue Reading
#Goals: Using Social Media without Getting Sued
7th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law In the rapidly changing social media landscape, new ways to create, share and use content are continually emerging, and this has left marketers scrambling to ensure that their legal compliance efforts keep pace with the changes. In social media, Continue Reading
Avoiding the Pitfalls While Reaping the Benefits of Sweepstakes and Contests during COVID-19
The Bottom Line The sweepstakes and contest industry has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), with many brands hesitant to engage in these promotions due to fear of seeming “out of touch,” while other brands are looking to cancel or postpone their sweepstakes and Continue Reading
Video Social Networking App Agrees to Pay $5.7 Million to Settle FTC’s COPPA Action
The Bottom Line The sheer size of the Musical.ly settlement illustrates that the FTC continues to have a strong interest in enforcing COPPA. Online services cannot hide behind language in their terms and conditions claiming not to be child-directed when they include numerous activities that Continue Reading