The current era is the age of social media, in which all small and large enterprises rely on it to operate.

Is your company safe from any legal ramifications that may arise as a result of using social media to promote your products and services? Are your employees aware of these issues and how to avoid breaking the law?

Many people run their businesses entirely online, relying on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as their major means of communication. While effective, this strategy has its own set of drawbacks. The profits it generates are proportional to the legal risks your company may face if it is not handled properly and on time.

Since the inception of social media, we have been warned by our elders/parents to be cautious about everything we publish on these platforms, from the information we give to the individuals we meet through these platforms.

Have you ever pondered why social media is subjected to such limitations? I’ve always attempted to reason with this since I was a kid. Now that I’ve learned more about social media’s capabilities, I believe it was all done for our safety.

Social networking services like Facebook, Orkut, and others were the first to make social media extremely popular. The biggest concern concerning the use of social media is the problem of privacy. There are no specifically set restrictions as to how social media sites or other external entities can utilise or exploit an individual’s or Body Corporate’s shared information.

1.     Revealing Confidential Information

The most common, and potentially most deadly, legal issue with social media is the leaking of confidential information. The secrets of your firm, as well as some vital information about shares and rules, are frequently leaked out by employees or other parties with information.

This could end up being a direct danger to your company. You may lose your business as a result of its decline, or someone else may be able to seize it utilising all of your confidential information.

The easiest approach to avoid this is to keep your company’s policies up to date and communicate them to all of your employees.

2.     Illegal Use of Trademarks

A trademark can be used in two ways. The first is a favourable element, whereas the second is entirely bad.

Use of a company’s trademark with its expertise is a beneficial aspect. Businesses frequently accept the use of their trademarks when they are aware of it. Their business will benefit as a result of this. The negative approach is to pass off another company’s trademark as your own or to use it to make money.

The solution is for social media services to make sure that unauthorised users are not allowed to use trademarks.

3.     Defaming Problems

The technique to take here is to think before you write.

Another common legal issue on social media is making statements that could be used to discredit a company. People in business, or those who were once part of the firm, frequently make unethical and defamatory remarks on social media. This may appear insignificant, yet it can have catastrophic consequences. Even anonymous posts can be tracked to reveal the author’s identity.

4.     Ambiguous Posts on Social Media

It’s impossible to stay away from social media these days. However, because social media posts, statuses, and tweets are short communications, they can appear unclear. Your unintentional message could be misinterpreted in a variety of ways. This could turn into a major issue for you and your company.

Before making any unclear comment or posting, double-check your work.

5.     Illegal Use of Copyrighted Work

Unauthorized use of copyrighted content, such as movies, images, articles, and websites, is a widespread legal problem today. Using someone else’s copyrighted work without their permission is both immoral and illegal.

Employees are informed about privacy as part of the protection. When sharing your work on social media, be sure to mention that it is copyright protected.

Conclusion

As a result, it’s easy to see how publishing images or other content on social media sites might lead to a slew of legal concerns. Infringement can occur even if the individual uploading the infringing content has credited the original owner or creator, or has attached a disclaimer. However, it is recommended that anyone uploading content or photos to social media platforms declare whether he or she is the creator or owner, whether he or she has permission to use the content, whether the use is permitted under the intellectual property exception, and whether the content is immune.

An infringement, on the other hand, can only be reported by the owner of the protected content or an authorised representative. If someone notices any infringed content belonging to another user, that person must be notified of the infringement. The state and local laws do not specifically address the procedure to be followed in the event of a virtual space infringement. With the passage of time and technological improvement, gaps in the law enforcement process have been uncovered in this respect, which must be filled. In terms of infringement reports, Instagram alone does a good job, and they have a dedicated crew for it. Certain parts of the law, on the other hand, may be assumed to be more expressly implied by the statute. Although all three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—are aware of the challenges posed by social media’s rapid growth, it is unclear whether current intellectual property laws and enforcement techniques can adequately address the ever-evolving legal issues surrounding the use of artistic work in social networking sites.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.

Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter  Youtube and Instagram.

The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.

If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at adv.aishwaryasandeep@gmail.com

We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.

We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge