Social media data : legal aspects

Dominique Pissoort

Legal Advisor

Nathalie Poissonnier

Privacy Consultant

1. Introduction

1. Enormous amount of data available

2. « Public » data

3. Free to use ?

Source : http://philippepoisson-hotmail.com.over-blog.com/article-mon-pere-j-ai-peche-

104987906.html

1. Introduction

Overview

1. Personal data

2. Contests/Promotions on Facebook

3. Pictures

2. Personal data

Triple protection of data

1. Intellectual property rights of the author of the database

2. Protection of personal data

3. General terms of social media

1. Intellectual property rights of the author of the database

a) Copy right : original creation

b) Right of the « producteur de base de données »

• « De producent van een databank » = the physical or moral person

who takes the initiative and bears the underlying risk for the creation of

the database

• « De producent van een databank » has the right to forbid the

extraction and/of the reuse of the whole or a part - qualitatively or

quantitatively substantial- of the content . »

2. Personal data

2. Protection of personal data

a) Obligation to inform

Purpose

b) Principle of compatibility of purposes

2. Personal data

3. General terms

To collect data (e.g. for the organisation of a contest), you must use the

applications that were put at your disposal by the social medium (Linked

In, Facebook,…)

2. Personal data

2. Personal data

Collection impossible (cfr. infra)

Quid monitoring ?

Quid web crawling ?

Quid collection of data via my own page (published comments,…) ?

Collection possible via

opt in system

Problems :

purpose of the collection

restricted to functioning of

the application

Idem for approval for use

of e-mail

Solution : Integration of an extra screen that does not come from the

social medium but from the advertiser

2. Personal data

Advertiser DB

Pre-filled form

to confirm

& capture NAW

iFrame!!

2. Personal data

Information to provide :

• purpose of the data collection : direct marketing !!!

• Use of a privacy link including a standard privacy policy, e.g.:

2. Personal data

Information to provide :

• Use of e-mail : the approval needs to be free, specific and informed

• !! Information about the « like » : « We collect your name, your e-

mail address and your specific interests declared on Facebook »

2. Personal data

2. Personal data

3. Data collection via facebook contest

– Guidelines available on www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

– Actively monitored by Facebook !!!!

First rule :

Contests/promotions on FB must be administrated in an application on

facebook.com, either on a canvas page or in an application on a tab

page

never directly on the wall

3. Data collection via facebook contest

Second rule:

You must not use Facebook features or functionality for an automatic

registration to a contest

For example, the act of liking a

Page cannot automatically register

or enter a promotion participant.

Registration must be done

via a form !

3. Data collection via facebook contest

3. Data collection via facebook contest

3. Data collection via facebook contest

Third rule :

You are not allowed to notify winners through Facebook, such as

through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or

Pages.

Contact via e-mail address, post address,…

3. Data collection via facebook contest

+ other rules:

a) You are not allowed to condition registration or entry upon the user

taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than

liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app.

For example, you cannot condition registration or entry upon the user :

•Liking/commenting a Wall post

•Liking/commenting/uploading a photo on a Wall

•Having the photo with the more « like »

•Be tagged in a photo

•Sharing a photo on the page

20

Not allowed !!!!

21

Not allowed !!!!

3. Data collection via facebook contest

3. Data collection via facebook contest

b) You are not allowed to use Facebook features or functionalities,

such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion.

c) Release of Facebook in the promotion

• release of Facebook by each

participant

• aknowledgment that the promotion is

not administrated by or associated

with Facebook

• Information that the participant is

providing information (data) to the

organisor of the contest (and not to

Facebook)

Pictures are protected by the

Intellectual property rights

(author’s rights)

No use without the express

consent of the author !

BUT : !!! See also the general

terms of the social network !!!

4. Use of pictures

Attention to the respect of the rights of the data subjects

Right of the author of the picture

Right of the photographed persons (if they are minors : parent consent is needed)

4. Use of pictures

4. Use of pictures

Is the social network responsible for the on line content posted on its website by its members ?

The owner of the social network = content hoster

cf law 11/03/2003 betreffende bepaalde juridische aspecten van de diensten van de informatiemaatschappij: Art. 20. § 1. Wanneer een dienst van de informatiemaatschappij bestaat in de opslag van de door een afnemer van de dienst verstrekte informatie, is de dienstverlener niet aansprakelijk voor de op verzoek van de afnemer van de dienst opgeslagen informatie, op voorwaarde dat : 1° de dienstverlener niet daadwerkelijk kennis heeft van de onwettige activiteit of informatie, of wat een schadevergoedingsvordering betreft, geen kennis heeft van feiten of omstandigheden waaruit het onwettelijke karakter van de activiteit of de informatie blijkt; of 2° de dienstverlener, zodra hij van het bovenbedoelde daadwerkelijk kennis heeft, prompt handelt om de informatie te verwijderen of de toegang ertoe onmogelijk te maken en voor zover hij handelt overeenkomstig de procedure bepaald in § 3 (= doorgave naar Procureur des Konings)

To avoid possible liability: Release of liability clauses in the contest regulation

Disclaimer You solely hold the responsibility for the photos you decide to publish on this

website. Under no circumstances shall the Promoter be held responsible or

liable, directly or indirectly, for any potential violation arising from this

publication.

If you believe that a photo is published in violation of your rights, please

contact us immediately at the address........ and we guarantee that the photo

in question will be immediately removed from our website.

4. Use of pictures

Public ≠ Usable !!!!!!!

5. Conclusion

Thank you !

Nathalie Poissonnier

nathalie@bdma.be

Dominique Pissoort

legal@bdma.be