Different Ways Social Media can get you Into Legal Trouble
Social media is supposed to be a fun way to stay connected to your family and friends, and for the most part, that’s exactly what it is. However, as some people have found out, there are a few different ways that social media can cause you to get into some legal trouble.
Getting a Too Personal with a Follower
Many people make friend via social media platforms and these friendships become long lasting and healthy. The problem is that it’s easy to cross the line on social media, until what you thought was an honest attempt to get to know someone results in stalking and harassment charges.
Online social media is a massive problem. This occurs when you start to become too invested in another person’s life and start forcing yourself into their DMs, become aggressive with the comments you leave on the other person’s posts can make them uncomfortable to the point that they will file charges.
Posting About Illegal Activity
A surprising number of people inadvertently attract police attention by posting about crimes they’ve been involved in. Some simply mention that they were at the scene of a crime. Some people will post images of stolen products. There have even been cases where people were charged and convicted of crimes because they posted detailed information about the crime and their involvement on their social media case.
If you have been involved with a crime or even in activity that seems suspicious, it’s in your best interest to keep the information off of your social media platforms. You don’t want to make it easy for the police to secure an arrest warrant.
The best way to stay out of legal trouble when you’re updating your social media accounts is making sure that you take a few minutes and consider each post. Is it something that will attract the attention of the police, could violate a copyright law, or make it appear that you have a questionable personality.
Posting Images That Aren’t Yours Without the Owner’s Permission
This is one that isn’t discussed as much as it should be. While you may not seem the harm in posting a picture you either found while surfing the ‘net or a sample from a photoshoot you recently had with a photographer, doing so is actually copyright infringement. If the photo’s actual owner is upset enough, they could file charges. This has happened a few times to large companies who posted photos they didn’t actually own. In most cases, the photo’s owner approached the company and asked for compensation.
Tips for Earning a Little Extra Money This Holiday Season
Times are tough right now. We could all use a little extra income, especially with the holidays right around the corner. The good news is that now is a great time to explore the possibility of a side hustle that will put some extra money in your pocket.
Consider Drive Share Programs
If you like to drive and have reliable transportation, you may consider joining a drive-share program. With so many people worried about the possibility of getting drunk at holiday parties, they are turning to drive-share programs for a designated drivers. Demand for drive shares is high during the holidays.
While it’s possible to make some really good money while doing a drive-share program, you do need to consider how much wear and tear it will put on your car as well as the possibility that your car insurance rates will go up. You need to calculate these expenses against your possible earnings.
A Second Job
The holidays are a great time to look for a second job. Many businesses are hiring seasonal labor to get them through the holiday season. If you think a seasonal job is a great way to earn some additional money this holiday season, look for one that:
- Can be scheduled around your current employment
- Offers a decent hourly salary
- Provides a steady schedule during the time you’re working there
- Is a relatively short commute
Spare Jobs
Check out a local job board or community social media page. You’ll likely find a few people actively looking for someone to clean their house, do some yard work, watch their kids, or do some sort of other odd jobs. These spontaneous odd jobs can be a great source of extra income during the holidays. If you’re going to pick up a few odd jobs make sure that you and the person who is hiring your services are very clear about the type of work you’ll be doing, how long they’ll need your assistance, and how much you’ll be paid. It’s in your best interest to get as much on a contract as possible.
3 Common Social Media Crimes
Most of us love social media sites. They provide us with an easy way to stay in touch with loved ones, the ability to let people know what we’re up to and to simply check in with someone.
What many of us don’t think about is how individuals with criminal intentions can use social media against us.
If you love your social media platforms, there are some common social media crimes you should know about. Once you’re aware of these crimes and cons, you can take steps to monitor your account and protect yourself.
Hacking
Hacking is a huge problem, particularly with Facebook. Every single day, there are stories about someone’s account either being hacked or someone creating a mirror account and using their newly gained access to gain access to another person’s computer files, contacts, and personal information.
In many cases, these hacking cases eventually turn into identity theft situations which is why it’s important to quickly change passwords and contact the social media platform’s administrators as soon as the hacking attempt is discovered.
Stalking and Bullying
Everything good has a downside. The praise, encouragement, and general good vibes you receive when you share the good news on social media sites are balanced by the stalking and bullying that is found all over social media. The bullying is bad. It can quickly eat at the victim’s self-confidence. There have even been cases of social media bullying leading to suicide.
Alongside the bullying is stalking. While this is mostly only discussed when someone is talking about a public profile, it can be a problem for anyone who uses social media sites. Not only can a stalker follow us virtually, but when we post personal information, including pictures of our homes/cars/vacation spots, we create a situation where a stalker could also start following us in real-time. This is why it’s so important to be very conscious about how much personal information you post on social media sites and to carefully go over every picture and make sure there isn’t anything a stalker could use to pinpoint your location.
Vacation Robberies
Vacation robberies have been around forever, the original Home Alone plot was based around a vacation robbery, but they used to require the thieves to pay attention to a specific neighborhood and learn the signs that someone was out of town. Today, thieves who participate in vacation robberies simply have to pay attention to social media and see who is talking about vacation while they are out of town.
The best way to avoid being a victim of a vacation robbery is to resist the urge to post vacation photos on your social media sites until you’re home. When posting, be very clear that you’re home and that your home isn’t ripe for a robbery.
What steps do you take to avoid common social media crimes?