Marketing Pilgrim's "Legal" Channel

Sponsor Marketing Pilgrim's Legal Channel today! Get in front of some of the most influential readers in the Internet and social media marketing industry. Contact us today!
by
1 Comment

Google’s Offer to EU Labeled a ‘Non-Starter’ By Rivals Before It Is Even Seen

posted on April 15, 2013

google-logoSo as not to create confusion about what exactly is going on between Google, the European Union and Google’s friends at FairSearch.org here are the highlights of what appears to be going on with Google in its continuing battle with the EU and various ‘competitors’.

  • For three years Google and its treatment of its search results have been under investigation by the EU or the European Commission (EC) (I get confused myself on this one so forgive me).
  • FairSearch.org and its member companies have been after the EU to punish Google for claims of unfair trade practices which include charges of Google being a search monopoly

by
1 Comment

Would ‘Do Not Track’ Legislation Impact Your Marketing Efforts?

posted on April 9, 2013

Do Not TrackAccording to an article from AdWeek there is some renewed interest in getting ‘Do Not Track’ legislation pushed through that would give consumers the chance to sign up for a ‘Do Not Call’ type exemption from online tracking.

The article tells us

Do Not Track legislation is poised to make a big comeback this Congress, and marketers who managed to hold it off for the past two years are taking nothing for granted. Ahead of a Senate Commerce hearing planned before month’s end, groups are stepping up their lobbying to block Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s reintroduced Do Not Track Online Act, which would give consumers the online equivalent of a Do Not Call option with the click of a mouse.

by
2 Comments

The SEC Says its Okay For CEOs to Talk Shop on Social

posted on April 5, 2013

I_Meant_To_Do_ThatWhen Netflix CEO Reed Hastings posted a Facebook update congratulating his content licensing team on facilitating 1 billion hours of viewing, I’m sure he didn’t expect to influence government policy.

Then again. . . maybe that was the plan all along.

The Securities and Exchange Commission jumped all over Hastings for the post, because they thought it violated the rules that govern public disclosure of business information.  Regulation Fair Disclosure says that public companies have to disclose information to everyone at the same time. That way, one person can’t buy and sell stock based on that information before the rest of the world gets the news.

by
2 Comments

Twitter Says Grandstanding Is the Real Issue In French Hate Tweet Case

posted on March 25, 2013

GavelSince we are on the legal kick this morning regarding what major Internet companies face when it comes to their service and the perceived lega; rights of their users an update in a case that Twitter is involved in in France is interesting.

The Verge sums up the situation well here.

Twitter has failed to reveal the authors of anti-Semitic tweets after a French court mandated the company do so, reports the AFP. The January court ruling required that Twitter hand over user data to help identify hate speech authors who live under the jurisdiction of French laws. The suit was originally filed by France’s Union of Jewish Students (UEJF), and the UEJF has now announced that it is taking further legal action against Twitter for claims that it has not complied with court orders.

by
3 Comments

The Cost of Privacy Helped Google’s Decision to End Reader

posted on March 25, 2013

google-logo1So for all of the conspiracy theories surroundings Google’s decision to shutter its popular (well, popular is a relative measurement isn’t it) Reader one of the main reasons could be a very practical one: the cost of privacy.

According to report from All Things D

Under CEO Larry Page, Google has made a practice of “spring cleaning” throughout all the seasons so it can narrow its focus. Reader was just a another bullet point on the latest closure list.

But the shutdown wasn’t just a matter of company culture and bigger priorities, sources said. Google is also trying to better orient itself so that it stops getting into trouble with repeated missteps around compliance issues, particularly privacy.

by
3 Comments

New FTC Rules Push For Clear and Conspicuous Disclosures on Social and Mobile

posted on March 13, 2013

dot-com-coverThe FTC just released an updated version of their dot com disclosures guidelines (aka rules) which was originally released in 2000. A few things have changed since then, but the FTC’s stand on “clear and conspicuous” disclosures hasn’t and that could be a problem for advertisers.

Everyone loves social and mobile, but both outlets are hampered by a lack of useable space. The FTC understands this, but they’re not backing down. My interpretation of the guidelines – find a way to make it happen or don’t post ads to mobile and social. If they start enforcing that, it’s going to be one heck of a crack down.

Here is just a portion of the instruction son how to make a disclosure clear and conspicuous:

by
1 Comment

Text Message Spammers – The FTC is Coming For You

posted on March 7, 2013

giftcardText messages are one of the most annoying forms of advertising I’ve ever encountered. There are probably a few people reading this post right now who know how to do it properly, but you’re in the minority.

Text spam is on the rise. 2.2 billion message in 2009,  4.5 billion in 2011 and experts say we’re in the middle of a boom that will top that.

Text message spam isn’t just annoying. It can cost you money and it can compromise your identity if you follow through.

The FTC is ready to crack down on text spammers, starting with those horrendous “Free Gift Card” offers.