5 Legal Mistakes Made on Social Media + 10 More Legal Mistakes People Make Online
Several years ago, I wrote an eBook entitled 5 Legal Mistakes Made on Social Media. I thought these kinds of things were common sense. Apparently not because people keep doing them. And I wrote this book before AI became widely utilized. Can you imagine how much worse it is now?
You don’t want to know, but you should know. Ignorance will make things so much worse. We must make ourselves aware, which is why I want to list 10 additional mistakes people make online that is not confined just to social media. We have to consider how AI works with social media to make things even more difficult.
As for the 5 legal mistakes made on social media, here they are:
1. Using pictures, articles, videos, and content written by someone else without permission. Think of this broadly as intellectual property law, but generally speaking we are talking about copyright law.
2. Do not say on social media what you do not want repeated. When bad judgment goes viral, watch out. Online activity may hurt your current job and future employment prospects. Youthful indiscretions live on in perpetuity online.
3. Refrain from giving TMI because people “Google” you. It can lead to identity theft, people trying to break into your house, and people stalking you. In addition, it can get you caught if you tell your boss you were sick and you weren’t.
4. The things you say have legal consequences. Spoken defamation is called slander. Written defamation is called libel. Anyone remember Rudy Giuliani? I bet he regrets what he said that got a judgment for over a $100 million.
5. Police catch criminals through social media. It’s the number one way cops catch criminals. Criminals love to brag. And they do it online.
Let’s add AI to the mix…
1. Using AI to Generate False Reviews or Testimonials
This violates FTC rules and can result in fines or lawsuits.
2. Creating or Sharing Deepfakes or Fake Audio of Public Figures
May lead to defamation, harassment claims, or criminal charges depending on jurisdiction.
3. Impersonating Others Online or in AI Voice Emulation Tools
This can violate privacy laws, anti-impersonation statutes, and fraud laws—especially in identity theft or romance scams.
4. Using AI to Write Legal or Medical Advice
Individuals passing off AI-generated content as professional advice without a license could face liability for malpractice, UPL (unauthorized practice of law), or fraud.
5. Publishing Leaked or Confidential Company Info
Even if anonymously sourced, reposting screenshots or internal memos can lead to breach of contract, trade secret, or whistleblower violations.
6. Participating in Online "Pump and Dump" or Crypto Manipulation Schemes
Posts hyping up meme stocks or NFTs without disclosures can violate SEC and FTC regulations.
7. Using AI to Scrape or Copy Protected Content at Scale
Tools that harvest articles, artwork, or videos for resale or repurposing can trigger DMCA takedowns and lawsuits.
8. Using Unauthorized Celebrity Likenesses in AI Art or Video
Violates right of publicity laws, especially for monetized content like NFTs or ads.
9. Live Streaming or Posting Content Involving Minors Without Consent
Violates child privacy laws like COPPA in the U.S., especially if monetized.
10. Letting AI Tools Autopost Without Human Oversight
Examples include bots tweeting offensive content or “hallucinating” legal citations—users remain legally responsible for their outputs.
You don’t want to know, but you should know. Ignorance will make things so much worse. We must make ourselves aware, which is why I want to list 10 additional mistakes people make online that is not confined just to social media. We have to consider how AI works with social media to make things even more difficult.
As for the 5 legal mistakes made on social media, here they are:
1. Using pictures, articles, videos, and content written by someone else without permission. Think of this broadly as intellectual property law, but generally speaking we are talking about copyright law.
2. Do not say on social media what you do not want repeated. When bad judgment goes viral, watch out. Online activity may hurt your current job and future employment prospects. Youthful indiscretions live on in perpetuity online.
3. Refrain from giving TMI because people “Google” you. It can lead to identity theft, people trying to break into your house, and people stalking you. In addition, it can get you caught if you tell your boss you were sick and you weren’t.
4. The things you say have legal consequences. Spoken defamation is called slander. Written defamation is called libel. Anyone remember Rudy Giuliani? I bet he regrets what he said that got a judgment for over a $100 million.
5. Police catch criminals through social media. It’s the number one way cops catch criminals. Criminals love to brag. And they do it online.
Let’s add AI to the mix…
1. Using AI to Generate False Reviews or Testimonials
This violates FTC rules and can result in fines or lawsuits.
2. Creating or Sharing Deepfakes or Fake Audio of Public Figures
May lead to defamation, harassment claims, or criminal charges depending on jurisdiction.
3. Impersonating Others Online or in AI Voice Emulation Tools
This can violate privacy laws, anti-impersonation statutes, and fraud laws—especially in identity theft or romance scams.
4. Using AI to Write Legal or Medical Advice
Individuals passing off AI-generated content as professional advice without a license could face liability for malpractice, UPL (unauthorized practice of law), or fraud.
5. Publishing Leaked or Confidential Company Info
Even if anonymously sourced, reposting screenshots or internal memos can lead to breach of contract, trade secret, or whistleblower violations.
6. Participating in Online "Pump and Dump" or Crypto Manipulation Schemes
Posts hyping up meme stocks or NFTs without disclosures can violate SEC and FTC regulations.
7. Using AI to Scrape or Copy Protected Content at Scale
Tools that harvest articles, artwork, or videos for resale or repurposing can trigger DMCA takedowns and lawsuits.
8. Using Unauthorized Celebrity Likenesses in AI Art or Video
Violates right of publicity laws, especially for monetized content like NFTs or ads.
9. Live Streaming or Posting Content Involving Minors Without Consent
Violates child privacy laws like COPPA in the U.S., especially if monetized.
10. Letting AI Tools Autopost Without Human Oversight
Examples include bots tweeting offensive content or “hallucinating” legal citations—users remain legally responsible for their outputs.
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