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Few Swedish firms have social media policy: survey

Only seven percent of Swedish firms operate a formal policy for how employees may use social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter during working hours.

The equivalent figure for the rest of the world is 20 percent, according to the new survey conducted by staffing firm Manpower.

“In Sweden it is perhaps part of a more general IT policy. Perhaps we see social media as more of an opportunity than a problem. Perhaps business culture in Sweden places more responsibility on the individual,” Hans Makander a Manpower Sweden told The Local on Thursday.

Many firms express concern over the use of social media and its impact on staff productivity. There is also a concern that sensitive information could leak out, according to the survey of 34,000 companies worldwide.

“Companies need to find ways to capitalise on social media in their operations. A formal policy for the use of external social media can be fine, but it should not be used to control staff,” Manpower Sweden CEO Peter Lundahl said in a company statement.

Hans Makander told The Local that he recognises the discussion in that which met the arrival of the photocopier, fax machine and mobile telephones.

“It takes some time to establish what can be done with the new technologies, and what is okay to do privately at work; but after a while it settles down,” he said.

The survey also asked employees across the world in what areas social media could be applied to boost company performance. The largest benefit was within brand development, the report shows.

Manpower recommends firms to also make use of social media to develop new methods for teamwork, stimulate commitment among employees, and for recruitment purposes.

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Denmark proposes new law to make Facebook pay for news and music

The government is to forward a bill on Friday proposing tech giants such as Facebook and Google pay Danish media for using content on their platforms.

Denmark proposes new law to make Facebook pay for news and music
File photo: Regis Duvignau/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

The proposal will also mean platforms used to share media, such as YouTube, will be required to make agreements with rights holders in order to display videos or music, the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

A comparable law recently took effect in Australia, resulting in all news pages being temporarily blocked for Facebook users in the southern hemisphere country.

READ ALSO: Could Denmark force Facebook to pay for news content?

“The media plays a central role in our democracy and ensures that public debate takes place on an infrormed basis,”culture minister Joy Mogensen said in the statement.

“If the media are to be able to continue making journalism, they should of course be paid for its use,” she added.

The proposal will provide for rights holders such as musicians or media outlets to be given a new publishing right which will enable them to decide who can use their content.

As such, companies like Facebook and Google will need permission to use the content online.

The Danish proposal builds on an EU directive which gives individual media outlets the right to agree deals with tech giants.

The bill put forward by Mogensen will allow Danish media to make a collective agreement with the tech companies providing for payment when their content is used.

An interest organisation for Danish media companies has backed the proposal.

“We have wanted to be able to enter collective agreements with tech giants because that would strengthen the media companies’ position,” Louise Brincker, CEO of Danske Medier, told newspaper Berlingske. Brincker noted she had not yet read the full proposal.

Media will not be obliged to make agreements with the tech companies, however. Complaints to the Danish copyright board, Ophavsretslicensnævnet, will be possible under the new law, should it be passed by parliament.

The bill will become law on June 7th should it receive the backing of a parliamentary majority.

Both Facebook and Google decline to comment to Berlingske on the matter, stating they had yet to see the bill in full.

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