In today’s semi-shortened Quick Hits, we talk about California’s new law banning online impersonation, whether or not 2010 was the year that privacy bit the bullet, and a U.S. District Court ruling on copyright that clarifies image use for Twitter users.
–
California Law Banning E-Personation Goes Into Effect Saturday
A new California law written, by Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), banning online impersonation goes into effect this Saturday. The new law makes the offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. The law was written in response to growing concern over online impersonation and cyberbullying. The law is not perfect, however, as social media is constantly evolving and the law is not precise in defining criminal online impersonation, a fact that Simitian’s office acknowledges in this article form the San Jose Mercury News. Reputation.com CEO Michael Fertik talked about the online impersonation law in a special segment with the BBC in September.
Was 2010 the Year Privacy Died?
In an article for the BBC, Jane Wakefield looks back on 2010 and considers whether mistakes by companies like Facebook and Google indicate the year that personal privacy died, or rather awakened Internet users to the importance of personal privacy for the first time. The article also touches on the subjects of net neutrality and online piracy.
Court Ruling States Users Retain Control of Pictures Shared on Twitter
In a recent court ruling, U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley ruled that images shared on Twitter may not be used by third parties unaffiliated with the website without permission from the individual who took the picture. The case, which affirms standing copyright laws, revolved around a Twitter user’s attempts to sue news agencies that had used his images of the Haiti earthquake in their stories without proper attribution or permission. The news agencies argued that they didn’t require his permission, because the image was shared freely on a social networking website.
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment