115 - What You Legally Need to Know About Facebook Groups with Tamsen Horton

Facebook groups are the latest and greatest way to build a community for your business.  However, as great as they are, you also have to be sure to protect yourself from what legally could happen to you.

Yes, it's not a lot of fun to think about.  However, by putting precautions in place now, you could save yourself a lot of headaches down the line.

What are the general things we should know about Facebook Groups? No matter what type of group you have, there should be general term rules. Basically terms of use and terms and conditions. The big thing is that when they come into the group (especially if it’s not part of a paid program), you make this a pinned post, especially when you’re first starting. Make sure that you make it clear that being in the group isn’t a free for all.

What kind of rules are you making? Be specific, so like a promo day, don’t just say the day it is. Also say what kind of promo it is. You want to let people know if affiliate links are allowed. There’s a lot of trouble around affiliate links because if you’re doing business in the United States or with the United States, you’re governed by the Federal Trade Commission. If you are allowing affiliate links to be posted, then you must have really solid Terms and Conditions of your group so if someone doesn’t live up to a promise, you aren’t held reliable.

You have to be specific that even if you’re allowing affiliate links. However, tell people to click and use at their own risk.

The reason why you have to be careful and define the terms is that all it takes is one bad apple. Even though it may seem like it’s not a big deal now, law is behind the curve. Business happens now, and law is the clean up crew.

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There is so much gray area because it could be something you do now, but doesn’t show up on your plate until five years from now.

What are some other things that we need to think about? Who can add files to the file tab. Can anyone just add anything there? You don’t know what it is in other people’s stuff.   You have to be clear about what is allowed and what is not.

You also have to warn people about sharing their intellectual property at their own risk. Many times we may put stuff up asking for advice when someone can run with it and steal it.

How are these rules and terms affected by international play? Basically, you have to follow the rules of the strictest laws of the country. So for example, double opt-ins, if you’re doing any sort of dealing with people in Canada.   Even for those in the U.S., you’ll still have to require a double opt-in.

In regards for intellectual property, the U.S. has the strictest laws, so you have to make sure to abide by those.

One thing to remember too, with legal, is that once it’s set, you don’t have to keep revisiting it. Just get your foundation set, and you can be ready to go in your business.

Also, one thing you need to be careful of in your groups is having a dual admin. Have you VA under an independent contract agreement, where you lay out the expectations.

You can find more about Tamsen, along with some awesome downloads over at:

www.launchinglegal.com