UK companies exposed to social media legal risks

New research by Immediate Future, shows that UK organisations do not know what laws and regulations apply to them when getting involved in social media. Of the 180+ company managers interviewed, 68% didn't really know what laws applied to them when using social media.

Some other interesting stats from the research:

• 92% have some professional involvement in social media.
• Yet 2 out of 3 are not aware of the platforms terms of use.
• 53% dont consider social media legal risks a priority
• But 65% are worried about copyright infringement.

As a minimum, the two main regulations to be aware of are: 

1. CAP Code 
2. Consumer Protection Act

However, only 6% are aware of the CAP code. 

The full report is available here. 

There is a good article on the Guardian about this tricky subject.

The CIPR offers great guidance on best social media practice here. 

 

If the research is indicative of the UK as a whole, then there is a big job to educate organisations on the legal requirements when using social media.