- Filling a gap. Gap Inc., the clothing retailer, is using social media to establish a web presence focused on feminism, equal pay for equal work, and progressive values. For example, the company produced an Instagram video, which it also shared on its other social media channels, to support equal pay for women. The video is an extension of a company initiative to highlight "the missing 23 cents" – i.e., the 77 cents that women make for every dollar their male counterparts earn. This is a bold use of the Gap's social media soapbox to promote its company values and, it appears, a very successful one.
- Uber mess. A passenger in an Uber car in San Francisco was allegedly bashed in the head last month by the driver during an argument. The passenger suffered serious eye injuries and has said that he is likely to sue Uber. In similar cases, Uber has invoked Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as a defense, claiming that it is merely an online marketplace and not a transportation provider. But while Section 230 has been interpreted broadly, even some of the statute's staunchest defenders have questioned whether Uber can claim its protection in this case.
- Tweeting your wish. Amazon and Twitter have just rolled out a new feature that enables consumers to use the new hashtag #AmazonWishList to add tweeted products to their Amazon Wish Lists, so long as they have first connected their Amazon and Twitter accounts. The companies appear to be betting that this new "wish list" functionality will be a natural extension of the way in which people already use Twitter to express interest in, and opinions about, products.
Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
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