Hills Independent #84 June 2022 | Page 18

LAW & ORDER

Does social media assist in building a business ?

with Victoria Ciccone Legal Assistant and Law Student
The words ‘ social media ’ are used as a collective term to describe websites and applications that focus on communication , community-based input , interaction , content-sharing , and collaboration . Social media connectivity has revolutionised the way that businesses reach out to their potential client base , as well as increased visibility within their marketplace .
There are positive and negative aspects to social media and these come with legal implications . Positives Advantages to using social media to build your business include : 1 . Attract potential customers 2 . Get customer feedback 3 . Keep an eye on competitors 4 . Increase traffic to your website 5 . Reduce marketing costs Negatives The negative side of using social media to build your business is :
1 . Needing additional resources to manage your online presence , eg Wi-Fi
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE Commercial Law • Digital & Social Media Law • Asset & Property Management • Estate Planning • Family Law • Litigation Specialist • Solicitor Advocate
We empower you to deal with future legal issues , so you are protected into the 22nd Century .

SPECIAL

BUSINESS

Legal Strategy Session $ 275 + GST

Sydney | Greater Western Sydney | Blue Mountains
CALL TODAY

02 8858 3211

e : info @ digitalagelawyers . com s : digital . lawyers
www . digitalagelawyers . com
2 . Social media is immediate and needs active daily monitoring
3 . You may get unwanted or inappropriate behaviour on your social media site
4 . False or misleading claims made on your social media by customers
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF USING
SOCIAL MEDIA 1 . Copyright infringement You must make sure that the images you use to advertise your business are free for you to use . Using images of people using your services or products requires a consent form . 2 . Misleading conduct Any claims made on social media should be substantiated , as should any comparisons with competitors . 3 . Privacy and confidentiality A business subject to privacy laws cannot collect , use , disclose or store anyone ’ s personal information without complying with these privacy laws . 4 . Defamation This is where you are posting conduct that will damage or injure a third party ’ s reputation , including ‘ sharing ’ a defamatory comment made by someone else . You are responsible for staff content . 5 . Advertising standards The Advertising Standard Bureau ( ASB ) administers codes relating to the content that you can and cannot post to advertise your business .
These codes generally govern the use of strong language , portrayal of sex , sexuality , nudity , violence , and other content that may offend prevailing community standards . 6 . Competitions on social media Have you ever seen those posts telling you to tag a certain amount of people in the comments to win a prize ? Although they are a great idea , there are certain complex legal requirements . For example , Facebook ’ s policy says that you are lawfully responsible for providing official rules , terms , and eligibility requirements for the competition .
MINIMISING SOCIAL MEDIA RISKS IN YOUR BUSINESS
You must remember that social media marketing is just that . If you are not sure about what you can or cannot say , as well as to minimise your legal risk when using social media to grow your business , you need experienced and knowledgeable legal advisors on your side .
There are also various other reasons to contact a social media lawyer to ensure your intellectual property , specifically your content on social media , can be protected by limiting the legal risk of having this content stolen .
Legal advisors in this area can help you apply for registered design rights , trademarks , patents , and copyright . Ensure you are aware of terms and conditions for each social media site , particularly with intellectual property .
A social media policy for your business is a must ! Call ( 02 ) 8858 3211 .
NB : Victoria Ciccone is a law student and legal assistant under the supervision of
Katherine Hawes , the Principal Solicitor of Digital Age Lawyers .

Major milestone for fee-free training boom

NSW is enjoying a fee-free training boom with more than 200,000 enrolments recorded under JobTrainer , a program helping people get skilled for in-demand jobs .
Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams MP said JobTrainer is part of a range of measures helping to turbocharge the take-up of vocational education and training in NSW to create a strong pipeline of skilled and qualified workers .
“ Whether you ’ re a young person exploring your career or someone wanting to re-skill for an in-demand industry , JobTrainer can provide the fee-free training to help you kick-start your journey ,” Mr Williams said .
“ This program is helping meet demand for skilled workers in key industries and helping drive our economic recovery from the pandemic .”
The NSW Government has expanded eligibility criteria for the JobTrainer program to target in-demand industries , including construction , manufacturing , transport , logistics , aged care , disability care , childcare and digital skills .
JobTrainer has also
supported more than 5,000 women into constructionrelated courses through the Built for Women initiative .
Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the number of people commencing apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW has sky-rocketed since the launch of the program .
“ JobTrainer is all about helping people get the skills they need for the job they want , while helping drive our economic recovery from the pandemic ,” Mr Henskens said .
“ Our record infrastructure program is creating enormous demand for jobs and our investment in fee-free training is helping meet that demand so we can continue to build what matters to make daily life better .”
JobTrainer is a joint state and federal funded program , which is injecting $ 637 million into the NSW skills and training market .
For more information about JobTrainer eligibility and the training courses available , visit , skills . education . nsw . gov . au / jobtrainer .
18 ISSUE 84 // JUNE 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT