Social media began its rise to popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with the adoption of message boards, email and online messaging. In the early 2000s, networking sites like MySpace and Zynga came onto the scene, offering users a new and interactive way to communicate electronically. By the late 2000s, Facebook began to eclipse these platforms and quickly became one of the most utilized platforms in the world. 59% of the world’s population, or 4.7 billion people, are social media users. That number is projected to increase to almost 6 billion by 2027.*
* Statista - “Number of social media users worldwide from 2017 to 2027”
Social media use by employees, customers and competitors is inevitable for businesses in this era. As with any new technology or global adoption of a product, businesses must navigate a shifting legal and ethical landscape. This guide aims to provide an overview of some of the relevant laws, regulations and other considerations for companies operating in many regions around the globe.
Jurisdictions included in this guide are Australia, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union (EU) is also included given that EU laws will be applicable in each of the EU member states.
Browse key laws by jurisdiction
While this guide addresses many of the key laws governing social media platforms, it does not cover every law that may impact them and should not be considered a substitute for legal advice. For example, an issue of particular importance to social media companies and businesses engaging with social media is the treatment and targeting of children or youth on or through these platforms. This is a particularly intricate area of law which involves differing approaches across the different jurisdictions, not to mention differing approaches within different jurisdictions depending on the legal question. This topic is not covered in this guide in any detail, but we are happy to provide further specific advice on this topic if required.
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