It is very easy to communicate freely and anonymously on the Internet. And some people believe that if they do not use their real names and easily identifiable information, they can basically say whatever they want online, without needing to worry about the impact that their Internet speech may have on others.
Is this true? Read on, because the answer is not simple.
Continue reading “Freedom of Anonymous Online Speech Has Potential Limits”
More and more, people are migrating away from the traditional call-a-taxi model, and are instead searching on their smartphones for the closest Uber or Lyft vehicle. You might remember the Beatles’ lyric “Baby, you can drive my car,” and now Uber and Lyft drivers likely are singing to themselves, “Baby, you can ride in my car.” Copasetic, right? Well, maybe….
Just when this new business model has been taking the country by storm, along comes a cease and desist order commanding Uber Technologies and Lyft Inc. to immediately stop operations in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. The two judges who issued the order have ruled that Uber and Lyft cannot operate in Pittsburgh until they obtain the proper authority from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). And to top this off, the judges have taken the position that the order prohibiting operations will not be stayed while this matter is reviewed by the PUC.
Continue reading “Uber and Lyft Halted in Pittsburgh, for Now”
Jurors always are admonished by judges not to conduct any independent factual research with respect to the cases they are considering. In this way, the rules of evidence will be adhered to and jurors will only be permitted to evaluate evidence deemed admissible and relevant by the judge.
But what about lawyers? How much sleuthing can they do with respect to the potential and actual jurors for their cases? Can they, for example, snoop on social media sites to learn more? Read on.
Continue reading “ABA: Lawyers Can Snoop on Jurors’ Social Media Sites”
When I first started working on legal issues relating to electronic data, we were back in the dark ages of the 1980s. This was well before Bill Clinton talked about the coming “information superhighway” when he was running for president in the early 1990s. We were living in a world where document production in legal cases meant the production of actual hard copy pieces of paper and nothing else. There was no “e” when it came to “discovery.”
As we all know, the technological communications age started to grow exponentially in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During this time, people began communicating more and more by email, cell phones, Internet chats, and website postings.
We now live in a world in which we constantly are connected electronically. We spend so much of our time in front of computers, laptops and tablets. Our smartphones can accomplish feats unimaginable not so long ago. These days we can even surf the Internet with smart eyeglasses.
Plainly, connectivity presents numerous advantages from business and professional standpoints. If that were not the case, people likely would not be so addicted to their instant electronic communications and access.
Continue reading “Detoxing From Always-On Technology Overload”
People frequently use Snapchat to send messages back and forth with the understanding that those messages will disappear after a designated expiration time.
However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an investigation and asserted charges that Snapchat messages actually do not vanish as promised. In the wake of those charges, Snapchat and the FTC have settled, according to a recent FTC press release.
So, what is the scoop? Read on.
Continue reading “Do Snapchat Messages Really Vanish? Ask the FTC”
By now, we all have heard of potential security problems and risks on the Internet. And most recently, we must worry about which Web browser we use.
Indeed, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cautioned Americans last week to refrain from using Internet Explorer because of a significant security flaw.
This flaw apparently enables hackers to circumvent the Windows operating system’s security protections. Once that happens, there can be “infection” caused when a compromised website is visited.
Continue reading “Reminder: Update Internet Explorer to Fix Security Flaw”
This blog for years has highlighted the potential risks and liabilities presented by communications and activities on the Internet. The Internet provides the possibility of privacy violations, security breaches, intellectual property disputes, defamation, hack attacks, and even cyber warfare, among other threats.
So what should companies do to be as safe as possible as they conduct business over the Internet?
In addition to implementing security and protective measures, companies more and more are turning to cyber insurance policies in an effort to protect their exposure to Internet risks.
Continue reading “Cyber Insurance Becoming a Necessity for Online Businesses”
Recently, this blog has touched on how warfare between nations in the digital era includes cyberattacks. And now, just as we already are feeling less than safe, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (the UNODC) has released some homicide statistics that can make us feel even more vulnerable.
According to the UNODC study, as many as 437,000 people were murdered around the world in 2012 alone. Here’s what else the study found:
Of all of the world’s homicide victims, almost 80 percent were men; 95 percent of the perpetrators were also men.
Continue reading “UN Homicide Report Shows the World Is Not a Safe Place”
This blog recently discussed whether international mechanisms exist to award damages caused by potential cyberwars. And now it appears that a cyberwar actually is taking place with respect to Ukraine.
Press accounts have been rampant in terms of the turmoil over Crimea, Russia, and Ukraine. And while there have been possible threats of physical force, there also have been reports of disruption of mobile communications as a result of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
The Christian Science Monitor reports that 42 cyberattacks hit Ukrainian government websites during Crimea’s vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. On top of that, there reportedly has been defacement of some Ukrainian state-run news websites and social media outlets, with pro-Russian propaganda replacing their original content.
Continue reading “Is Cyberwar Happening Right Now in Ukraine?”
