In today’s Quick Hits, we  examine how much tech companies spend on privacy lobbying, why hooking up with your ex on Facebook is a bad idea, and how one man’s ill-advised Facebook messages lost him his six-figure job.

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Tech Companies Increase Spending on Privacy Lobbying

In this insightful article, privacy blogger Kashmir Hill examines the lobbying expenses of Google, Yahoo, and other major tech companies. Hill takes a look at previous years and notes that only Google is spending markedly more money on lobbying as a whole, but the portion of lobbying dollars spent on privacy issues has increased for all of the companies. The increase in privacy-focused lobbying specifically comes in response to inquests from Congress, as well as a number of non-profit organizations.

Open-Source Social Network Diaspora Makes Source Code Public

Diaspora, the open-source social network dubbed the anti-Facebook by the media, has held fast to its founding principles and opened up its source code to the public. With the launch of its developer release, Diaspora founders say they hope to create an “intrinsically more private social network.”

Connecticut School Official Fired for Facebook Comments

The Connecticut school superintendent who was suspended from his six-figure job for a series of inappropriate Facebook posts has officially been fired. According to the Boston Globe, “the Windsor Locks Board of Education Wednesday voted 4-1 Wednesday night to approve a settlement calling for Superintendent David Telesca to resign and continue receiving his salary for six months or until he finds a new job, whichever is sooner.” The superintendent’s Facebook comments included nothing outwardly inflammatory, but they did make it seem as if he didn’t take his job seriously. For instance, in one remark, he wrote that one of his first tasks was “counseling an administrator to retire or face termination.” According to the Globe, he ended the comment with a smiley face.

Ex-Lovers on Facebook Spell Trouble for Relationships

In a column for Fox News, sex therapist Ian Kern explores the growing problem of former flames rekindling their romance on Facebook (despite the fact that they are currently involved in another relationship). Kern explains that “when two people strike up an e-mail or Facebook relationship, it’s easy to begin idealizing each other and blur the line between fantasy and reality.” Because the individuals involved often try and keep the digital romance a secret, this kind of relationship rarely works out and ultimately ends up in the destruction of their current relationship.

Businessweek Tip: Preventing Identity Theft

In today’s Daily Tip from Bloomberg Businessweek, Brendan Ziolo of the California company Hindsight, offers tips on how individuals who work from home can ensure that they don’t become the victims of identity theft. Ziolo explains how you should develop a security solution that works in layers so that one flaw does not open up all of your data.