Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings got into trouble on July 3, 2012 when he used his personal Facebook page to announce that Netflix had more than one billion hours of online viewing in June. That trouble came from an SEC rule implemented in August of 2000: Regulation FD. That rule was implemented to stop the [...]
The SEC and Social Media

Social Media Access by Employers
There was a kerfuffle in the news about employers demanding access to employees’ social media site. The stories stated the employers asked for the employees’ passwords, in addition to their usernames. In response, at least six states have started the legislative process to prevent employers from demanding that access. As you might expect, the tricky [...]
Social Media Policy Update
In the frenetic early days of social media foward-thinking companies thoughtfully sat down and crafted sensible policies to help guide employees who had suddenly turned into web publishers.The companies recognized the risks involved, whether the employee was acting recklessly, or merely writing down unacceptable material without realizing the implications. It was still a small area [...]
NLRB Approved Social Media Policy
The National Labor Relations Board has been ruling on social media policies and making a mess of the regulatory landscape. In its May 30, 2012 report on recent social media cases (.pdf) the Board eviscerates many social media policies that resulted in adverse employment action. In the process it confuses the landscape of acceptable social [...]

Social Media and the Financial Risk
This is not meant to be a scare tactic. It’s just pointing out that web publishing tools have made it very easy to be a publisher. That’s great from an information perspective because it’s so much easier to find relevant information. The problem is that the ease of publishing and finding information has nothing to [...]

The Death of Martindale Connected
When Lexis backed a social networking platform for lawyers, I paid attention. I didn’t think a platform for lawyers would be interesting, but if it connected to some of Lexis’s massive collection of legal content it could at least be informative. That never came to the Martindale Connected platform. The platform has remained boring and [...]
Charges Brought in Social Media Scam
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged an Illinois-based investment adviser with offering to sell fictitious securities on LinkedIn. The SEC also issued two alerts to highlight the risks investors and advisory firms face when using social media. The SEC’s Division of Enforcement alleges that Anthony Fields of Lyons, Illinois offered more than $500 billion in [...]
FTC, Bloggers, and Disclosure
The Federal Trade Commission is continuing to pursue bloggers who fail to disclose that they received incentives to discuss a company’s products. Back in December, the Federal Trade Commission released new guidelines that specifically required bloggers to disclose any material connections to a product or company they are writing about. The FTC is focusing its [...]
More from FINRA on Social Media and Mobile Devices
In January 2010, FINRA issued Regulatory Notice 10-06 in an attempt to provide guidance on the application of FINRA rules governing communications with the public to social media sites. The guidance did not provide much that was new. Largely, FINRA pointed out that the existing communication and record-keeping rules applied. Too bad that the site [...]

Report on Investment Adviser’s Use of Social Media in Massachusetts
There is a growing trend in the financial services industry to use social media sites for outreach to existing as well as potential customers. Noticing this trend, the Securities Division of The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth surveyed investment advisers registered and doing business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The purpose of the [...]
Recent Stories
- SEC Warns About Exemptive Order Compliance
- SEC’s Compliance Outreach Program
- Compliance Bricks and Mortar for May 17
- Placement Agents and the SEC Inquiry of Private Fund Broker Dealer Requirements
- AIFMD in the UK
- Compliance Bricks and Mortar for May 10
- FINRA Issues Regulatory Notice on Communications Regarding Real Estate Investments
- Private Equity Real Estate 50: Which are Registered with the SEC?
- Compliance Bricks and Mortar for May 3
- Day Two at PEI’s Private Fund Compliance Forum


