The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new rules ban viewers of the 2016 Rio Olympics from creating and sharing Graphic Interchange Format graphics (GIFs). The short videos, typically used as sources of comedic relief, are common on social media outlets like Tumblr and Twitter. Popular GIFs include one of U.S. Gymnast Laurie Hernandez being cheeky by […]
Canadian users of Facebook may be familiar with the process of “tagging” photos – adding the names of the people to images – but they may not be familiar with the ‘Tag Suggestion’ feature on Facebook. Tag Suggestions, which automatically scans photos uploaded to the social media site in an attempt to identify for the […]
If you’re thinking about posting on Instagram one more selfie from your recent trip to Sweden, think again. OffeSntlig Konst, an open database where visitors can see descriptions, maps and images of public works, was recently found guilty of copyright infringement by the Supreme Court of Sweden. According to the court ruling, the platform, owned […]
The reposting of this article is part of a cross-post agreement with Cyberlex. You’re a celebrity and had a threesome. Your partner wasn’t one of them. You want the affair to remain private. You go to a court in England where your family resides and get an interim injunction. It prevents the English press from publishing […]
The prince of appropriation strikes again! Visual artist Richard Prince caused a major uproar in the art world with his latest exhibition, New Portraits. The series of photographs, which features enlarged screenshots of Instagram posts made by different users, has been the object of controversy after it was reportedly found that Prince never asked for […]
The re-posting of this analysis is part of a cross-posting collaboration with MediaLaws: Law and Policy of the Media in a Comparative Perspective. “Dear User, your Facebook account has been temporary deactivated”. This statement represents one of the typical Facebook (FB) notifications to users in the event of flagged content or general malfunctions. There could be […]
What follows is a cautionary tale, reminding users that it might be wise to read the terms presented on your computer screen before clicking “I Agree”.
Recently Canada is engaged in national dialogue about online bullying in the wake of Amanda Todd’s suicide. One aspect being discussed is what role the law should play in protecting victims of bullying. Should new legislation be enacted, like the NDP’s proposal for a national anti-bullying strategy or should changes to the law be left […]
When suspected Montreal “body parts” killer, Luka Magnotta, was detained in Berlin on June 4 following an international manhunt, only one small piece of a complex legal web was resolved. In addition to the ongoing murder investigation, digital issues involving web hosting of explicit content and concerns about trademark denigration have been thrust to the […]
In response to threats of legal action from Facebook, an Israeli entrepreneur has legally changed his name to Mark Zuckerberg.