Harry A Valetk

August 04, 2009 | Corporate Counsel

Marketers, stand down. In the wake of an increasingly socially networked, behaviorally advertised existence, Maine has quietly enacted a new law to put an end to predatory marketing practices directed toward minors. The new law, set to go into effect in September, broadly restricts using any personal information about minors for marketing products or services. Attorney Harry A. Valetk examines the challenges of the new requirements and their impact on the interconnected, data-driven marketplace.

By Harry A. Valetk

6 minute read

May 24, 2007 | Law.com

The growth of virtual communities and social networking sites has left policymakers puzzled by how to address the ways that users -- particularly minors -- behave online. Current proposals create an informational tug-of-war because verifying users' ages requires some entity to collect, store and share precisely the sensitive information that users should try to protect. So, asks attorney Harry A. Valetk, what can lawmakers do to create a safe virtual environment without stifling technological advancements?

By Harry A. Valetk

7 minute read

October 11, 2010 | Law.com

Many people today are accustomed to sharing the most minute details of their daily existence in real-time via Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Most of the time, this is acceptable and constitutionally protected behavior. But what happens when jurors post their opinions about a case during trial? Attorney Harry A. Valetk reviews some examples, and offers recommendations on how trial lawyers can head off related juror problems.

By Harry A. Valetk

8 minute read

February 05, 2008 | Corporate Counsel

We share everything about ourselves online. We post candid images, videos, political views, religious beliefs and gossip. We post permanent, intimate details we once held private. And no one seems to mind. But what happens when these intimate details spill over into the workplace? asks attorney Harry A. Valetk. Should our legal, off-duty, off-network online activities jeopardize our jobs? In our reputation-based economy, what are the appropriate boundaries between work and our private lives?

By Harry A. Valetk

6 minute read

August 31, 2004 | New York Law Journal

Harry A. Valetk, a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, writes that federal law does not require Web site owners to have or post privacy policies. However, once a site does post a privacy policy, it must abide by the terms of that policy.

By Harry A. Valetk

7 minute read

October 14, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Constant thought-sharing defines our Information Age. At the office, in the car or anywhere else, we share every detail of our daily existence in real time on Facebook. Most of the time, this is acceptable and constitutionally protected behavior. But what happens in the courtroom when jurors post their opinions about a case online during trial?

By Harry A. Valetk

7 minute read

August 05, 2004 | Law.com

President Bush recently signed into law a bill designed to increase penalties for identity theft. According to the bill's congressional findings, tougher penalties were needed because many identity predators received little or no prison time under current law. As such, leniency in sentencing was found to be a tacit encouragement to continue to pursue this form of non-violent crime. However, this will now change.

By Harry A. Valetk

7 minute read

October 20, 2009 | Law.com

The "Twitter arrest" of a New York social worker who allegedly used the popular microblogging site to help protesters evade the police at last month's G-20 summit in Pennsylvania comes just as a new survey reports that Web-based social networks are becoming the favored forums of political engagement. Attorney Harry A. Valetk examines the legal backdrop to the case and the public policy concerns raised by the arrest.

By Harry A. Valetk

6 minute read