Member Avatar for MktgRob

I saw a report that Hollywood Studios (both movies and TV) and the agencies that manage celebrities are trying to crack down on celebrities tweeting for fear of news getting out that the studios might want to use for publicity at a better time. Personally, I think that as industry after industry tries to crack down on tweeting they are going to encourage more people to get on twitter to see what is going on. This can only benefit the people who created Twitter if they ever go public. What do you think?

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Dani AI

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Good points from , and — the core tension here is real: companies want to protect value and controlled messaging, while talent and employees expect some degree of personal expression. The practical answers come from policy design, not blanket bans.

Legal and regulatory context matters. Employers can lawfully protect trade secrets and require confidentiality, but overly broad social-media rules can raise labor-law issues and regulatory scrutiny. Public companies also need to think about securities disclosure, and anyone doing paid or promotional posts still has to follow advertising/endorsement rules. Those constraints mean a one-size-fits-all ban is often neither necessary nor defensible.

Practical checklist for defensible social-media policy:

  • Define scope clearly: differentiate official accounts, spokesperson roles, and purely personal accounts.
  • Pin down “confidential information” with concrete examples rather than vague language.
  • Require pre-approval only for specific categories (e.g., unreleased product details, campaign copy) and document approvals.
  • Add short, plain-language examples of allowed vs. prohibited posts so staff know the line.
  • Train managers and people who speak publicly; refresh training before big launches.
  • Make enforcement predictable and proportional; keep written records of warnings and actions.
  • Respect privacy and avoid intrusive monitoring of personal accounts unless there is a legitimate, documented reason.

If asked to sign restrictive clauses, get the scope and duration in writing and, if needed, seek legal or HR clarification. For talent and influencers, keep disclosure obligations in mind for any paid relationships. Done well, social-media rules protect company interests without driving creative people offline.

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Member Avatar for MktgRob

Read on Mashable that the first two celebrities to be banned from using facebook, twitter or any other social media app contactually are Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz to keep them from revealing any secrets about the new Shrek Movie. I wonder if certain industries (finance, pharma, IT) will follow Hollywood's lead and start asking incoming employees to contractually agree to limitations or monitoring of social media to protect corporate secrets? Why not, there are non-compete clauses and non-disclosure agreements that some industries require employees to sign.

Member Avatar for jay 11

This makes sense. Unfortunately tho, I think corporate censorship will discourage a lot of the free thinking and unwieldy comments you see in these new social venues. I'm sure a lot of people will hold back, post less, or abandon social media all together out of fear of breaching some sort of contract. It's a shame really..

Member Avatar for MktgRob

This makes sense. Unfortunately tho, I think corporate censorship will discourage a lot of the free thinking and unwieldy comments you see in these new social venues. I'm sure a lot of people will hold back, post less, or abandon social media all together out of fear of breaching some sort of contract. It's a shame really..

I think for people in non-entertainment forms of business, you are right. But for the entertainment industry and probably sports, the people in those arenas will come to realize that there is value to holding back and they will not mind the contractual restrictions. After all, if someone in the cast of SAW MMMCCCLXXXVIII tweets the subtle plot twists, no one will go to see it!;)

Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

Tweeting is the modern day version of "putting your foot in your mouth" or being a chit-chatter or providing "inside information". Thus, companies, especially financial and pharma companies do have very strict rules regarding releasing information. So I can just imagine the consequences...

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