In today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits, we talk social media in the military, Tiger Woods’ online reputation management problems, and why Europeans think about privacy so differently from Americans.

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United States Military Allows Social Media

According to CNN, the United States military has authorized the use of social media technology among soldiers. Quoting from the article: “The new rules authorize access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media Web sites from nonclassified government computers — as long as such activity doesn’t compromise operational security or involve prohibited activities or Web sites.” Like hundreds of other public and private organizations across the country, the military has had a hard time determining the risk-to-reward ratio of social media.

Why Did Google Launch Buzz Before It Was Ready?

Three weeks after its launch, Google Buzz appears to have addressed the majority of the privacy issues and other concerns that plagued the program at its inception. Considering that Buzz came out of the mighty fortresses of Google, however, you have to wonder why there were so many things wrong with it to begin with. At TechCrunch, Erick Schonfeld gives three theories as to why Google Buzz was pushed out before it was ready.

Reuters Poll Shows Changing Perceptions of Appropriate Office Social Media Use

A new poll from Reuters brings to light some interesting facts about social media use in the workplace. According to the poll, “56 percent of Americans say it is irresponsible to be friends with a boss and 62 percent say it is wrong to be friends with an employee.” The poll also found that people are more or less split on the issue of using social media to evaluate a possible new hire, “with 52 percent saying it is appropriate and 48 percent saying it is unacceptable.”

Numbers aside, the fact that people are discussing these issues at all is a major step forward from only one or two years ago. It would appear that people are finally beginning to understand the importance of maintaining discretion online and proactively managing their reputations.

Why is Europe So Much More Focused on Privacy Than the United States

In light of the conviction of three Google executives for privacy violations in an Italian court, a New York Times article explores the differing perceptions of privacy that Europeans and Americans have. In Europe, the article argues, privacy has been the number one issue of concern for citizens since World War II, when the Nazi secret police “used informers, surveillance and blackmail to maintain their power.” In the US on the other hand, privacy is understood in the context of the American revolution, and is mostly associated with limited government interference in private life.

Modern Data Mining Requires New Privacy Protections

According to another article in the New York Times, the way that marketers use the Internet in modern times has outgrown existing privacy protections for consumers. Specifically focused on the use of automatic opt-ins and lengthy privacy policies, the article talks about some of the possible alternatives that could help Internet users understand how the info they share online is being used.

Online Reputation Management Advice for Tiger Woods

Now that Tiger Woods has come out of hiding and officially apologized for his indiscretions, he has to begin a whole new phase of damage control online. In a special article for CNN, Rhea Drysdale, the chief operating officer of Outspoken Media, offers Tiger (and anyone else who has had problems online) some advice on how to rebuild his online reputation.