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Privacy Experts Discuss Social Media At The National Constitution Center

By Cherri Gregg

The National Constitution Center held a discussion on social media and privacy Thursday, featuring several privacy experts. And judging by the forum, privacy law has a long way to go to meet the needs of technology. 


It's the age of social media- a time when millions share their lives on Facebook and Twitter. But when an inappropriate tweet, photo or email could mean the death of your career, where does the law stand on the right to privacy?

"We have to figure out how to protect things we care about, free speech, right to a fair trial," said author and legal expert Lori Andrews.

Andrews helped lead the Constitutional discussion and says, privacy laws are sorely lagging behind technology.

"There's no real regulation about what is done with information about you posted on the website Facebook. And if you think about it, 800 million people's private information, if a government tried to get that it would take lawyers, it would take the government, it would take guns. And yet we are freely giving that up."

But at the same time, Andrews says there should be balance since social media is a forum for democracy. The panel discussion was a part of the Constitution Center's 'Join the Conversation' series.

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