Category Archives: Regulation and Rule-making

Several government agencies (e.g. FCC, FTC and DOJ) regulate a wide variety of online activities. They use regulatory authority granted by Congress to create rules and enforce them as necessary.

AT&T to Pay Refunds to 2.7 Million Mobile Phone Cramming Victims

Score yet another victory for consumers, thanks to the tireless work of the Federal Trade Commission.  In a recent statement, the FTC announced that it is providing over $88 million in refunds to more than 2.7 million current and former … Continue reading

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Many Corporate Social Media Polices Found Lacking by National Labor Relations Board

I’ve been reading over the memo issued by the National Labor Relations Board on May 30, 2012 with regard to corporate social media policies. It’s a fascinating look into how businesses try to navigate the dangerous waters of modern communication technology. … Continue reading

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White House Privacy Bill of Rights Is A Giant Leap Forward

I was going to write a nice long review of the President’s new privacy initiative released last week.  But then I found Ryan Singel’s article on Wired.com and realized everything I wanted to write was already covered.  Just head over … Continue reading

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Blocking Cell Phones in San Francisco: A Constitutional Conundrum

Remember back in February when Egypt’s uprising was capturing the world’s attention? The country’s brutal dictator, Hosni Mubarak, shut down the Internet to prevent protesters from organizing and sharing information about the crackdown with the rest of the world.  This … Continue reading

Posted in Legal Developments, Mobile Devices, Regulation and Rule-making, Rights and Civil Liberties, Social Networks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Minnesota’s Lax Cyber-Bullying Laws

When the time came to discuss cyber-bullying in class last month, we quickly discovered that finding a clear definition would not be easy.  With a lack of federal action on the matter, the issue has largely been left to states … Continue reading

Posted in Legislation, Multi-user Online Environments, Privacy, Regulation and Rule-making, Rights and Civil Liberties, Social Networks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Google Buzz Settlement Requires Bi-Annual Privacy Audits

Google was in the news several times this week.  That in itself is not terribly surprising for the Internet search giant.  One story that was of particular interest to privacy advocates was when the Federal Trade Commission announced that it had … Continue reading

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RedZone, Second Life IP Address Detection Tool, Runs Afoul of New SL Policy, EU Data Privacy Law

In an odd turn of events that is all too common online these days, an ingenious system created for Second Life land holders to reduce incidents of harassment and abuse by malicious griefers has itself turned out to be a … Continue reading

Posted in Privacy, Regulation and Rule-making, Virtual Land, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Labor and Employment Issues in Online Environments Increasing

It’s no secret that what happens online doesn’t stay online, especially when it comes to workplace and employment issues.  I’ve noticed a couple stories in recent bar journals where people have expressed surprise when real world laws follow people online, … Continue reading

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Regulation and Rule-making, Rights and Civil Liberties, Social Networks, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments