Jane K. Storero and Yelena Barychev of The Legal Intelligencer and Law.com authored an article that the system of reviewing and monitoring information posted on a company Web site should be part of the disclosure controls included in the enterprise-wide risk management system established by the company: Corporate Governance of Public Web Sites.
This article describes methods of effectively complying with the SEC guidance related to company websites: Commission Guidance on the Use of Company Websites (Release 34-58288, August 7, 2008).
That release gave some guidance as to whether a company’s website is a means of public dissemination of information under Regulation FD.
It also addresses how the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws can be applied to a statements made on the internet. One issue is whether historical information is considered “republished” each time the material is accessed on the company’s website. If they are considered republished, then the company would have a duty to update the materials.
As a general matter, we believe that the fact that investors can access previously posted materials or statements on a company’s web site does not in itself mean that such previously posted materials or statements have been reissued or republished for purposes of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, that the company has made a new statement, or that the company has created a duty to update the materials or statements.
The release also notes that hyperlinks to third party information could be implicated as part of the anti-fraud provisions. The key is the context of the hyperlink. If explicit approval or endorsement is plainly evident, then the hyperlink to a third party statement can be found to be a implicit approval of the statement in the hyperlinked web page.
The release also endorses the use of blogs:
We acknowledge the utility these interactive web site features afford companies and shareholders alike, and want to promote their growth as important means for companies to maintain a dialogue with their various constituencies. As we noted in the Shareholder Forum Release, companies may find these forums “of use in better gauging shareholder interest with respect to a variety of topics,” and the forums “could be used to provide a means for management to communicate with shareholders by posting press releases, notifying shareholders of record dates, and expressing the views of the company’s management and board of directors.”
Statements made on a blog or forum will not be treated any differently than any other statements made by the company for purposes of anti-fraud provisions.