Many social media profiles are private, meaning a third-party cannot access a profile’s content without user consent. Requesting access to another’s social media account is commonly referred to as “friending.” As opposed to viewing a public profile, friending—the overture to friend someone—almost certainly constitutes a communication with the social media owner, subjecting friending to ethical constraints. Ethical consequences of friending vary, depending on whether the account owner is a represented or unrepresented party. A lawyer will likely commit an ethical violation by friending represented parties to gain access to their profiles, unless the lawyer has the consent of opposing counsel. However, if the person profiled is unrepresented, friending does not necessarily violate an ethical rule, depending on the lawyer’s jurisdiction.