Week 8 Articles
Social Networks as a Marketing ground?
In light of recent drops in visits and viewing rates of social networks such as Facebook and Myspace, many analysts are predicting that its going to take more than the simple tools users use to communicate today. In order to secure future growth, some critics claim that social networks should go as far as becoming a spot to book airline tickets… while this may an exciting prospect for advertising companies, does it stand poised to intrude on users at all? Market research firm eMarketer is already predicting more than $1.6 billion will be spent on advertising.
Tying in to our recent discussions in class (both before spring break and as covered on the recent test), privacy is becoming an increasingly contested sector in today’s media environment. As technology and accompanying patents and law expand, so does the push for controlling markets. One has to wonder as all the fine print gets thicker and thicker for user agreements, what aspects of privacy will be sacrificed and spared?
Brand New Protection Law Released
Washington State recently passed a law protecting consumer privacy, making it a felony to maliciously scan someone else’s identity from a remote location without that individual’s prior knowledge or consent. This law focuses on covering devices equipped with RFID chips (surprisingly common), including Cell Phones, identification cards and even running shoes. some supporters of the bill warn that thieves can use RFID chips embedded in consumer products to reveal burglary hotspots.
While it can be argued that being able to remotely scan someone’s ID from a remote location in say, an emergency situation, users today are becoming increasingly aware of ways in which their privacy can be intruded upon. Tying in with our discussion on rights of publicity and defamation, once information has been maliciously grabbed, the thief can play the puppeteer with an identity : a frightening prospect. Even though commercialization has increased so much, there’s a good chance that the majority of people don’t want their privacy heavily tampered with, or personal information tossed in every direction. Its another example of the law attempting to expand to keep up with the technological expansion.
Blog Defamation Case Labeled as Lacking Jurisdiction
http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2006/02/blog_defamation.htm
In this case, Pennsylvania resident Aaron Wall runs a blog on SEO topic, allowing users to comment and buy his book. A complaint was filed saying that Wall and his users demand the plaintiff’s services and posted the plaintiff’s trade secrets on the blog. However, the Nevada Federal court considered the combination of book sales and user comments “interactive,” and shortly after dismissed the case (it can be re-opened though so this may not be over).
As we mentioned in class 16, the alert user (especially those that run blogs because blog law is so controversial at the moment) has to be very careful how he/she uses words. One sentence can spell an entire context destruction of the said topic, sometimes leading into the rocky court terrain.
