Social media has changed the way we share ideas, the way we get our news, the way we make purchases, and the way we conceptualize ourselves and our community. It has changed the way we keep in touch with our friends and family and the way we do business.
Ways to Protect Yourself Online from "Crooked Sweethearts" Catphishing (or “Catfishing”) is a “romance scam” and form of fraud, highly popularised by the use of social media networks, online chat forums and documentary-turned television series by the same name. The term “catfish” was defined in the Oxford dictionary in 2014 (“to lure someone into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona”), but is also a form of Phishing for information and so many legal and tech professionals refer to this as “Catphishing”.
Not long ago, deepfake videos – videos that portray something in a very convincing way but are actually entirely false - were something that largely existed in Hollywood – the product of special effects studios and experts trained to make the fictional seem realistic. Those familiar with the ever-evolving, rapidly changing pace of technology, however, will likely be unsurprised to find that this is no longer the case. In fact, deepfake videos are increasingly popping up online and across various media outlets all over the world in troubling numbers.
Staying Ahead of the Social Media Curve It is undeniable that our world is becoming increasingly digital, and increasingly social-media oriented. In fact, it is currently estimated that Facebook has 1.5 billion daily users, and 2.3 monthly users. At any given minute throughout the day, there are an estimated 347,222 people scrolling through Instagram. Twitter has approximately 326 million monthly active users – a number which is steadily growing[1]. In fact, all of these numbers are steadily growing. According to a recent New York Times articles, studies estimate that people between the ages of 35 and 49 spend about three hours per day on social networking sites, while those between 18 and 34 spend more than 3.5 hours per day using social media platforms[2]. It goes without saying then, that in that time, amongst all of those users, a significant amount of content is created each and every day.
We live in a world that is more connected today than ever before. A large part of that connectivity is thanks to social media. It is currently estimated that Facebook has 1.5 billion daily users, and 2.3 monthly users. In any given minute, there are an estimated 347,222 people scrolling through Instagram, and Twitter has approximately 326 million monthly active users.
If you’ve recently spent time investigating the various technical approaches to capturing, preserving, and organizing online content, you’ve likely heard of tools that use application programming interfaces (APIs, for short) to archive social media feeds and other websites. While you may have heard a good deal about APIs and their use, it’s understandable that you may remain unclear on some of the finer points of what APIs are, and how exactly they function to collect data.
A Look at the Recent Amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence Without question, the rise of digital media has revolutionized our world. It is currently estimated that Facebook has 1.5 billion daily users, and 2.3 monthly users. In any given minute, there are an estimated 347,222 people scrolling through Instagram, and Twitter has approximately 326 million monthly active users. The average amount of time spent daily by users in total on social media is 116 minutes[1]. It goes without saying then, that in that time, amongst all of those users, a significant amount of content is created each and every day. It’s no wonder then, that in addition to revolutionizing our daily life, the way we communicate with each other, the way we purchase our goods, and the way we conduct business, the rise of digital media is also revolutionizing the practice of law.
Recent reports show over one billion people were on Facebook on one day. One billion people! Most were there to catch up with friends, see some trending content, or just to waste some time. With a crowd that large, you know there are a fair bit of nefarious activities going on.
81% of lawyers using evidence from Social Networking platforms. A recent study from PEW found that 66% of divorce cases used Facebook content as a primary case of evidence - this is an alarmingly high figure for lawyers not well versed in managing social media content, but also unsurprising given the ways in which we use social media in our everyday lives. This is not just limited to divorce cases, as the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers report that 81% if lawyers find court-worthy evidence from social networking platforms - aiding cases all across the Family Law spectrum from divorce, custody, alimony and more.
Protecting Student Data on Social Media and the Web With advances in technology and online activity, both for recreational and educational purposes, concerns have been long growing for the safety and use of children and student’s data collected in the use of certain apps and websites. Not only is this concern regarding the collection and use of children’s data, but the onus on those liable for protecting, and maintaining a balancing act between the benefits of technology for educational purposes.
