Social media is defined as Internet-based tools and platforms through which individuals, companies, governments, and other organizations communicate and share information using virtual communities. Social media platforms can be accessed through websites or web-based applications (apps) using computers, tablets, smartphones, and other Internet-capable devices.
The use of social media has grown immensely within the last 10 years. While in 2005, only 7 percent of adults in the United States used social media, this number has increased nearly tenfold so that as of 2015, 65 percent nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults reported using at least one form of social media. Since primitive social media platforms such as AOL Instant Messenger came onto the scene in 1997, the complexity and sophistication of social media has evolved by leaps and bounds. In turn, social media has revolutionized the Internet, transforming it from a stagnant way to transmit text into an interactive means to share practically anything imaginable in real time.
This entirely new chapter has been released as part of STP's Internet Law Essentials series and provides detailed analysis of the regulation of social media as it relates to the following:
- Business Law
- Intellectual Property
- Social Media Use in Litigation
- Disposition of Social Media Assets
- International Law
- Upcoming Developments
Internet Law Essentials: U.S. Social Media Law, written by Eric P. Robinson and Michael J. Lambert, provides a comprehensive analysis of U.S. Social Media regulations. The guide also includes useful checklists to help simplify the audit and compliance process.
