August 14, 2014

Status Updates - August 2014 #5

Morrison & Foerster LLP - Social Media

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Sup? We’ve commented previously about the new social networking app Yo, which transmits only that brief, eponymous syllable to a user’s friends. Yo’s founders may have been onto something good; the app has been downloaded more than two million times, and may be receiving substantial funding. And the Wall Street Journal suggests that coming improvements to Yo may make it more than a mere novelty app. Could Yo be the new two-character Twitter?

#YoureUnderArrest. The use of social media in nabbing criminal suspects is truly on the rise. A mother in Charlotte, NC has been arrested for helping her teen son take part in a viral “fire challenge” stunt, after a video of the incident popped on social networking sites. Meanwhile, police are using social media’s rapid reach to track down suspects. In Bedford, MA, police nabbed an alleged bank robber after circulating high-quality surveillance photos of him on social media, and in Stockton, CA, surveillance videos posted online helped police speedily arrest a homicide suspect.
Are you for real? Some “members” of social media sites appear to be fake identities, replete with stock-photo profile pics and strange off-topic posts. Reportedly, some of these fake profiles may have been created by law firms searching for new clients. Although false online personas are not illegal, social networking sites and government agencies alike are cracking down on them with greater vigor.

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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.