In today’s Quick Hits, Zynga feels the sting of the Facebook privacy breach, Canada gives Google a break, and a Utah politician uses novel net tactics to generate interest among voters.

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Zynga Faces Lawsuit Over Facebook Breach

It was only a matter of time. Zynga, the maker of Farmville and some of Facebook’s other most popular applications, is facing a class action lawsuit over charges that the company violated user privacy. Facebook has been in the headlines throughout the week since the Wall Street Journal published an investigative report exposing wide-spread data privacy issues related to third-part app developers. A lawsuit was almost a foregone conclusion, though it is unclear at this time whether Zynga will be on the hook for damages related to the breach.

Washington Post Tells Reporters Do Not Debate Readers on Twitter

In an internal memo to Washington Post staffers, Post management has told reporters that they are not to use Post-branded Twitter accounts to debate readers over stories, but only to use them to “promote news, bring in user generated content and increase audience engagement with Post content.” The memo came in response to a debate on Twitter over the Post’s publication of an anti-gay editorial, to which gay rights organizations objected. The internal debate at Washington Post over Twitter is a microcosm of the problems that “old media” companies have faced in utilizing social tools. Completely one-directional communication is no longer possible, but using social media to engage with readers directly raises questions about a reporter’s objectivity.

Do Facebook Fans Equal Campaign Momentum?

This short article from The Hill compares and contrasts several political races across the country, comparing the number of Facebook fans a candidate has with their overall campaign momentum. Interestingly, the candidates with the most Facebook fans are not necessarily the ones leading in the polls. As voting day nears, it will be interesting to see whether social media support directly equates to electoral success.

Canada Will Not Prosecute Google’s ‘Serious Violation’ of Privacy Laws

In a statement Tuesday, Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said that Google had committed a “serious violation” of Canadian privacy laws when the company accidentally collected user information via its Street View cars, but she also said that she would not pursue legal action against the company. This decision has raised objections from Canadian privacy groups who feel it is weak-willed to admit that Google broke a law and then refuse to prosecute the company for the violation. Stoddart has ordered Google to delete all of the confidential data Google collected by February 1st.

Utah Republican Tries to Energize Base with Data Mining

Using the Internet in political races is critical to campaign success, but one Tea Party-backed Utah Republican may have unintentionally alienated some of his base with his web savvy. Senate candidate Mike Lee wanted to energize some of the Utah voters who don’t typically show up for midterm elections, so he turned to the web. After purchasing a statewide voter list, Lee cross-referenced voter names with a number of other data sets, including a Republican newsletter. Once he had created a list of names and e-mail addresses, he sent them out to his current supporters to work on his behalf in reaching out to the potential voters. Of course, not everyone appreciated Lee giving their data (albeit legally obtained) to strangers. One individual who received the e-mail objected to the approach calling it “unethical.”