FTC Said to Be Nearing Settlement with Facebook over Retroactive Privacy Changes

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly considering a proposed settlement that would require Facebook to get consent from its users before making “material retroactive changes” to its privacy policy. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports on the likely deal based on information from sources familiar with the negotiations. The…

Nov 11, 2011 3:00 PM CST

Twitter’s Privacy Policy Defeats Efforts by WikiLeaks Associates to Keep Info From Feds, Judge Rules

A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., today ruled that three individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy in their Twitter accounts because they agreed, by clicking, to boilerplate terms of service which include permission for Twitter to provide information to law enforcement. Their lawyer unsuccessfully attempted to argue, according to…

Nov 11, 2011 1:06 AM CST

Rapper Pitbull Seeks to Remove Suit Targeting His ‘Locked Up Like Lindsay Lohan’ Lyric

Lindsay Lohan’s emotional distress suit over a lyric in a song by Pitbull should be heard in federal court, according to a removal notice by the rapper’s lawyers. Lohan had filed suit in New York state court, but Pitbull—whose real name is Armando Christian Perez—says Lohan doesn’t live there. According…

Nov 9, 2011 5:11 PM CST

Judge Orders Exchange of Facebook and Dating Website Passwords in Custody Fight

A Connecticut judge has ordered lawyers representing a divorcing couple to exchange passwords to their clients’ Facebook and dating websites. Judge Kenneth Schluger ordered the password exchange in the divorce of Stephen and Courtney Gallion, according to the Forbes blog The Not-So Private Parts. The judge cautioned in a Sept.…

Nov 8, 2011 5:25 PM CST

NJ Woman Can Be Prosecuted Over Fake Facebook Profile, Judge Rules

A New Jersey woman can be prosecuted for identity theft for allegedly creating a fake Facebook profile for her ex-boyfriend and posting inflammatory comments about him online, a judge has ruled. Dana Thornton is accused of creating the fake profile of her ex-boyfriend, a northern New Jersey narcotics detective, where…

Nov 4, 2011 7:48 PM CDT

City Put Municipal Judge Under Surveillance in Residency Probe, Found She Rarely Spent Night at Home

A Kansas City municipal judge owns a home within the city limits and is registered to vote there. However, Judge Elena Franco rarely spent the night at home, the city determined after hiring a private detective and putting her under 24-hour surveillance, reports the Kansas City Star. She has been…

Nov 4, 2011 3:21 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: Keeping Up with the Joneses—How Far Does the ‘Reasonable Expectation of Privacy’ Go?

One of the most difficult, and potentially most important cases of the U.S. Supreme Court term will be argued on Nov. 8. United States v. Jones involves the question of whether it is a search or seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment when the police plant a GPS…

Nov 1, 2011 1:55 PM CDT

Sky-High Spy: With GPS Probing, the Zone of Privacy Is Getting Even Smaller

Nov 1, 2011 8:20 AM CDT

Read All Over: Two New Opinions Describe Need to Keep Email from the Wrong Hands

Nov 1, 2011 8:00 AM CDT

Top NY Court Strikes Rules Limiting Lawyer Access to Assisted-Living Facility Residents

Rules intended to protect residents of assisted living facilities from overreaching attorneys went too far in limiting lawyer access to their clients at these facilities, the top New York appeals court held yesterday. In a 5-2 ruling, the Court of Appeals said policies concerning attorneys drafted by the nonprofit New…

Oct 22, 2011 1:50 AM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Smartphones and Dumb Moves; Axiom, Clearspire Big Competition for Solos?

What Firms Compete Best with Solos? At My Shingle, Washington, D.C., solo Carolyn Elefant says that she knows where she stands when she’s competing with the Am Law 250 for corporate work. “I know that in most cases, what brings clients to my door to begin with is that I’m…

Oct 21, 2011 1:59 PM CDT

Actress Claims in $1M Suit that Website Used Credit Card Info to Reveal Her Age

An actress who wishes to remain anonymous has sued Amazon.com because its movie website revealed her age and her real Asian name. The actress filed suit under the name “Jane Doe” in federal court in Seattle, according to the New York Post and the Seattle Weekly blog the Daily Weekly.…

Oct 18, 2011 4:09 PM CDT

SC Officials to Investigate Defense Lawyer’s Claim That Deputy Secretly Taped Conversation

South Carolina officials have been asked to investigate a defense lawyer’s claim that a sheriff’s deputy secretly taped her conversation with a prosecutor in a double-murder case. Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles made the request after a hearing Wednesday on Florence, S.C. Defense lawyer Rose Mary Parham is seeking a…

Oct 13, 2011 8:47 PM CDT

Judge Rules Against Teacher Who Says She Was Fired Over Facebook Photos

An Atlanta judge ruled against a former teacher who lost her job after an anonymous complaint was filed to the school district about photos posted on Facebook. Ashley Payne, who says she was forced to resign over pictures of her holding an alcoholic drink while on vacation in Europe, sued…

Oct 11, 2011 9:08 PM CDT

Lawyer Sues Facebook, Says Tracking Cookie Violates Wiretap Laws, Seeks Class Action Status

A lawyer and Facebook user has sued the social networking site in federal court in Kansas, contending that a tracking cookie violates wiretap laws. Lead plaintiff John Graham, a 42-year-old attorney in Leawood, Kan., also alleges in the suit that the cookie violates state consumer-protection law, reports the Associated Press.…

Oct 6, 2011 10:44 PM CDT