North Carolina Law Review Symposium: Social Networks and the Law

Date/Time
Date(s) - 11/18/2011
All Day

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy is joining with the North Carolina Law Review to host its annual symposium at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center in the Carolina Club on Friday, Nov. 18. This year’s symposium, “Social Networks and the Law,” will consider legal challenges and public and private interests of online communities such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google.

Specifically, the symposium will address the tensions that arise when public considerations, such as First Amendment rights, privacy and consumer protection, are considered alongside the, at times, contrary private corporate and financial interests of companies who run social networking forums.

The event will feature keynote speaker Julie Brill, commissioner of the United States Federal Trade Commission, who will address the privacy and consumer protection challenges that have surfaced as a result of social media. Brill will explore how applications within social media use consumer information, and whether that use is made known, how consumers understand the effects of sharing their personal information online, and the unique issues that arise when children participate in social media.

Additionally, Tim Sparapani, former public policy director of Facebook and former senior legislative counsel for privacy rights at the American Civil Liberties Union, will provide an industry perspective on a variety of issues. Laura Gasaway, Paul B. Eaton Distinguished Professor of Law, will moderate a question and answer session.

Three panels will take place throughout the day, exploring different facets of social media. UNC Law professors David Ardia, assistant professor of law, will moderate a discussion on privacy and identity interests for social network users; Eric Mueller, Dan K. Moore Distinguished Professor in Jurisprudence and Ethics, will explore the ethics and emerging norms in the use of social networks; and Saule Omarova, assistant professor of law, will host a panel on social networks as governmental and economic actors.

The event is scheduled to take place from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18. The program is free to UNC students, faculty, and staff; registration for all others is $45, including lunch. Lunch for UNC attendees is $15.

Visit the symposium’s website for more information, including a detailed schedule of events and registration information.