Behavioral advertising is a hot issue on the internet today. Despite the fact that consumers overwhelmingly reject it, internet companies rely on behavioral advertising for billions of dollars in advertising revenues. Seeking a way to keep the gravy train rolling, a consortium of internet companies recently pushed for a tightened self-regulatory model, but their efforts don’t seem to have gotten anywhere, as the government is still pressing for legislation that will provide sweeping changes to the way internet companies can use data and how they inform consumers about data mining.

Most recently, the advertising industry and internet companies have teamed up to make one more pitch to the government to show their commitment to protecting user privacy. Unsurprisingly, the advertising industry’s solution involves more advertising.

The plan is detailed in the Wall Street Journal,

“The industry is finalizing an ad campaign to educate consumers about how digital advertising works, creating an icon that would appear on Web pages or ads alerting consumers if their activity is being tracked and deploying new technologies to police the Web for illegal activities. At issue is the practice of tracking consumers’ Web activities — from the searches they make to the sites they visit and the products they buy — for the purpose of targeting ads.”

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“We don’t have the drafting pen up on the Hill, so instead of wringing our hands on what they may or may not write, we are just trying to build the most credible self-regulatory program possible,” says Mike Zaneis, vice president of public policy at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade group representing 375 media and technology companies, including AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. The IAB is putting the finishing touches on a digital ad campaign to teach consumers about how online advertising works. It plans to launch the campaign before the end of the year.

Ideally, the internet companies and the government will come to some kind of agreement that protects and informs consumers of their digital rights without significantly limiting the economy of the web. Unfortunately, this compromise seems to be a long ways off.

As the stalemate lingers, however, consumer awareness on the issue is rising, and that’s not a good sign for the internet companies. In a recent survey by Forrester Research, over 75% of adults indicated they were uncomfortable with a company sharing their browsing history. The number rises to 90% when the information being shared includes your phone number.

[image via Wall Street Journal]

Given that hundreds of thousands of people signed up for the government’s Do Not Call Registry, it’s no surprise that people are showing equal concern for their digital privacy. That’s why Reputation.com came up with MyPrivacy. When you sign up for MyPrivacy, you’re joining the Global Do Not Call List, a place where you can keep your personal information out of people search databases with the click of a button. While the trade groups and beaurocrats sort out the details of whatever proposal they’re working on, you don’t have to remain unprotected. MyPrivacy, and all of the tools from Reputation.com, can help keep you safe online.

America’s favorite anchorwoman, Katie Couric, found herself in the embarrassing position of being the evening news yesterday when pictures of her dancing at a party from 2006 surfaced on Facebook. The images, which first came to the web via celebrity gossip site Gawker, aren’t particularly bawdy, but you can’t help but chuckle when you see them. The picture below is a good representative example.

Let’s be honest. At some point in your life, someone took a picture of you that’s way more embarrassing than these pictures of Katie Couric. For the most part, she just looks like she’s having fun. I mean, come on, she just debuted as the first female anchor of a major network news program. If that doesn’t call for a little funky dancing, I don’t know what does. Besides, it’s hard for anybody to look good dancing when

That being said, Katie Couric is a celebrity, which means that everything she does is going to be put under a magnifying glass. Quite frankly, I’m amazed that it took over three years for these pictures to make it to the mainstream media. It just goes to show you that if you don’t take the utmost precautions in protecting your identity on the web, a persistent snooper can and will find information about you.

Even if your profile is private, it is still possible for people to find images of you via public photo albums or through a friend’s public profile. If you have a Facebook photo problem that you can’t solve, check out MyReputation from Reputation.com. Our experienced search experts will work on your behalf to identify any embarassing or inaccurate content about you online and help you figure out the best way to take it down. To learn more about MyReputation, call us at 877-720-6488.

It would appear that the sad story of Megan Meier has finally come to an end. In July, we reported that a Federal judge had decided to reverse a jury’s decision and dismiss three charges of misdemeanor computer fraud against Lori Drew. Last Friday, Federal prosecutors decided not to appeal this decision, effectively ending the three-year case.

For those unfamiliar with the case, Drew had been on trial for her involvement in helping her daughter use a fake MySpace account to bully the 13-year-old Meier. Prosecutors had argued that the bullying is what led to Meier’s suicide. The case drew national attention, and even prompted legislative changes designed to prevent cyberbullying in the future.

We have been covering the Megan Meier story and Lori Drew’s subsequent trial since the beginning here at the Reputation.com Blog and the only thing that has remained consistent through it all has been tragedy. Tragedy that a young girl cut her own life short out of fear and insecurity. Tragedy that adults could show such recklessness and inconsideration for a young girl. And tragedy that our society may not learn the lessons of the Megan Meier case in time to prevent more cyberbullying.

Now that the final chapter on this story has been closed, it is important that we all take time to reflect on how this all might have been prevented. If you’re a parent, talk to your kids about social networking and the dangers of cyberbullying. If you’re a teacher or counselor, look for depression, anxiety, and the other telltale signs of mental abuse. And, if you’re a teen yourself, know that there’s no shame in asking for help.

For more information about cyberbullying, check out our guide. I also recommend watching this 30-minute special on cyberbullying that was put together by The Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) and Comcast.

You can always count on Jenna Wortham to offer some valuable advice in the New York Times GadgetWise Blog, and today’s column was no exception. Focused on two issues critical to online reputation management and Internet privacy, the first question asks what to do if you have embarrassing information online, and the second question asks how to effectively separate your personal and professional life online.

Check out the two questions, and their excerpted answers below. For Wortham’s full response, check out the column here.

Q) I’m applying for a new job and there is some unflattering stuff on the Web that I would be really embarrassed if even my parents—let alone a potential employer—were to see. But is it really necessary to delete anything that a potential employer might happen to see online?

A) A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com determined that 45 percent of employers questioned were using social networks to screen job candidates — more than double from a year earlier, when a similar survey found that just 22 percent of supervisors were researching potential hires on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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If you cringe at what surfaces after a cursory Google search — like photos from that hotdog eating contest you won in 1995 — you could always try creating your own content online, like a LinkedIn account or Google profile, to help buffer it out, but “a better idea is to think twice before posting any public content you wouldn’t want found by potential employers,” said David Binkowski, senior vice president of marketing at MS&L, a communications firm.

Q) My job is really jumping on the social-media bandwagon and strongly encourages employees to use sites like Twitter and Facebook to help broaden our company’s brand and build a presence online. I’m really uncomfortable with combining my personal online life with my professional one, but no one else seems to mind. Can I push back or should I just go with it?

A) Dabbling with building your online brand, both for your company and for yourself, could be a great way to make connections, broaden your professional network and build credibility – so don’t be afraid to join the conversation.

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For starters, keep your personal Facebook profile private so only your friends and family can connect with you – this way you can still trade jokes and photos with friends without wondering about the effect on your company, said Ms. Bury. You could help maintain a fan page for your company and contribute professionally on the platform through that.

In addition she says, if you’re worried about having a personal Twitter account, ask if you can contribute to the company’s Twitter account instead of having a personal one.

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As sites like Twitter and Facebook continue to grow as an essential personal and business networking tool, these sorts of concerns and issues are only going to get thornier.

One good rule of thumb Ms. Bury suggests you remember, however you decide to proceed, is “don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it.”

Here at Reputation.com, we’re committed to being on the cutting edge of online reputation management and privacy issues not just in the United States, but all over the world. To this end, since Reputation.com’s inception in 2006, we have expanded our international clientele to include customers from over 35 countries worldwide. Along with our cosmopolitan clientele, Reputation.com has also picked up a considerable amount of international press exposure, from India, Italy, Germany, France, and more.

Most recently, ReptuationDefender was featured in the French daily newspaper, Le Monde. In the article, which discusses digital privacy and online reputation management, CEO Michael Fertik shares insights into how Reputation.com works and provides some examples of our services. Naturally, the article is in French, so if you’re not a French speaker, I would recommend using Google’s free translator tool.

From the article:

Ces prestations haut de gamme sont réservées aux chefs d’entreprise, aux stars du show business et aux hommes politiques, car elles peuvent coûter des dizaines de milliers d’euros. Pour les citoyens ordinaires, d’autres agences proposent des services plus modestes, à des tarifs abordables. Aux Etats-Unis, la gestion de “e-reputation” est en train de devenir une industrie, fonctionnant sur le modèle des compagnies d’assurances. Pour un abonnement de 15 dollars par mois, la société californienne Reputation.com effectue ainsi sur Internet une veille permanente pour le compte de ses clients. A chaque fois que leur nom ou leur photo apparaît sur un nouveau site, elle les avertit. Si le client estime que ce contenu est dérangeant, la société lance une offensive pour le faire effacer. Elle facture 29 dollars par document supprimé.

Michael Fertik, le patron de Reputation.com, affirme posséder plusieurs milliers de clients modestes : psychologue accusé d’avoir acheté son diplôme, parents découvrant que leur fils raconte des secrets de famille sur des forums… Il note aussi la multiplication des affaires impliquant des images. La mode des photos érotiques prises dans l’intimité du couple se répand dans la jeunesse occidentale. Quand la passion s’estompe, les images restent à l’abandon sur un disque dur, mais en cas de crise ou de dispute, elles surgissent au grand jour : par vengeance, des hommes éconduits ou trompés les affichent sur Internet. Parfois, la femme contre-attaque en publiant des textes assassins sur son compagnon. Du coup, les deux parties deviennent clientes de Reputation.com.