Social media law: Managing the risks

Social media law is developing fast. There is now a body of law that applies to social media. Social media plays a huge part in all our lives. The spontaneous and far-reaching character of social media posts makes them extremely powerful in promoting an organisations’ brand and interacting with customers. A fundamental feature of social media is that there is a distinct lack of control of the conversation, especially when compared to more traditional means of marketing. But it is this exact element that makes it so powerful.

Most people also use social media in both their personal and professional life which has had the effect of blurring the boundary between the personal and professional. So statements on social media made in a private context can often have an impact in the professional arena. Given this situation, social media posts can rapidly become problematic and potentially defamatory.

So, legally speaking, what can you do to protect yourself and your business? How can you manage the risks and benefits provided by social media?

Key areas

1. What are people saying about you?
2. What are you saying about yourself?
3. Your online identity.
4. Controlling the use of social media within your organisation.

Benefits of our social media law services

1. Implement a social media legal strategy to monitor these four areas.
2. Comply with applicable law.
3. Be aware of the social media law issues that affect your business.
4. Respond to online criticism.
5. Protect your brand and reputation online.
6. Get various social media platforms to remove defamatory comment about you.

Your organisation will also be able to:

1. manage your reputation online,
2. be clear on what might constitute legally actionable content,
3. reduce your legal risk profile,
4. implement the current best practice, and
5. avoid legal problems, difficulties, and disputes.

What we offer regards social media law

1. Increase the awareness of users of social media on the legal risks through legal training.
2. Run workshops with management to formulate and refine social media strategy.
3. Provide you with a social media policy.
4. Draft and review appropriate content licenses, terms of use and privacy policies.
5. Review your existing social media policy.
6. Conduct a social media legal audit.
7. Give advice and practical guidance.
8. Create awareness on social media law issues.
9. Deal with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube regarding defamatory content about you.
10. Deal with disputes.