Reputation.com is proud today to announce the launch of uProtect.It, our new free Facebook privacy application that gives individuals the ability to post encrypted messages on Facebook and protect their online privacy. Using uProtect.it, Facebook users can post encrypted messages anywhere on Facebook ensuring that only their friends can see their post.

Additionally, the uProtect.it Facebook application allows individuals to schedule messages for deletion, ensuring that they don’t hang around and cause reputation damage in the future. This one-of-a-kind privacy solution gives Facebook users total control over their messaging on Facebook and allows them to enjoy the benefits of social networking while avoiding its reputation threats.

To learn more about uProtect.it and to see how the application works, check out these videos.

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Check out the full press release for uProtect.It below.

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Reputation.com Launches Free Privacy Application That Gives User Total Control Over Personal Data on Sites Like Facebook

Today at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Technology Pioneer Award recipient, Reputation.com, formerly known as ReputationDefender, announced the launch of a unique, new privacy application, called uProtect.It which protects the privacy and security of personal communications within social networks. The patent pending, BETA application is free and allows users to encrypt Facebook messages, status updates and pictures and store that data outside of the Facebook application so that it cannot be shared with third parties.

“Our customers have been asking for help controlling the personal information that they share on social networks, particularly Facebook,” said Michael Fertik, Founder and CEO of Reputation.com. “uProtect.It allows users the ultimate in social networking data protection; control over who sees it, how long it can been viewed and when it is permanently deleted.”

Once uProtect.It is installed, users can customize the friends with whom they want to share messages and photos, each time they post. The messages appear on the social network via a private and protected encrypted code. Users also control the “digital half-life” of the posts, assigning an expiration date either immediately or after a set date. uProtect.It’s encryption technology means that the message is only visible to those that are selected; the data is no longer hosted on the Facebook platform, making it off limits to third party developers, advertisers and other outside interests.

uProtect.It (BETA) features and benefits:

Customize message and photo visibility: Not all messages or photos are meant for all audiences. With uProtect.It, users choose who can and cannot see their photographs and wall posts. This is more than just protection for an encrypted one-on-one conversation (that feature already exists). It’s now easy and convenient for users to tailor their wall post communications to reach the audiences they want and prevent even the social networking from having access to the posted content.

Set a time stamp on messages: Wall posts, photos and messages don’t need to exist forever on social networks like Facebook. With uProtect.It, users can decide now or in the future, when they want messages to expire. They can individually tailor their settings for extra precision.

Ensure message and photo privacy: By removing third parties from the process, Reputation.com’s uProtect.It ensures the message is never available on the open Web. The wall post is protected via Reputation.com’s privacy vault, and users can instantly and immediately choose to permanently delete the message.

Reputation.com now offers a full spectrum of reputation and privacy solutions, including: additional Facebook privacy controls (PrivacyDefender), proactive reputation management; a service to safeguard and remove private, personal information from the Internet; and protection for false and malicious online attacks.

uProtect.It is an easy-to-install bookmarklet, that requires only a simple drag and drop set-up. The bookmarklet supports all browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.

Basic instructions for uProtect.It available here: Protect Your Messages on Facebook.

Instructions on uProtect.It’s advanced features available here: Control Your Facebook Messages.

The Reputation.com resource center has more advice on protecting your Facebook wall posts.

About Reputation.com
Reputation.com’s mission is to empower individuals and businesses to control their privacy and reputation online. Formerly ReputationDefender, Reputation.com was founded in 2006 and is the pioneer of online reputation management solutions. The company is recognized by World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer 2011 for its global technology leadership and innovation. The privately held company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, has an office in Germany and serves customers in more than 100 countries.

As we shared yesterday, Reputation.com CEO Michael Fertik is in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum. For those unfamiliar with the World Economic Forum, the WEF “is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.”

In other words, it’s a really big deal. As Michael Fertik describes it in a recent dispatch, Davos “becomes the center of the universe” for nearly a week during the World Economic Forum, and for good reason. It is exceptionally rare to have so many world leaders meet in one place to discuss the most important issues facing our collective society, which is why it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

To help newcomers to Davos, Fertik recently authored a Beginner’s Guide to Davos for the Harvard Business Review. Check out the article in full below.

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Davos, Switzerland, becomes the temporary capital of the planet this week as business and policy leaders converge to tackle pressing questions. Like only a handful of other small towns, Davos becomes the center of the universe for a brief span each year. Other temporary capitals include my own cherished Louisville, which commands the world’s attention for the full two minutes of the annual Kentucky Derby, though Davos does become the hub of the world for nearly a week.

Along with others from HBR, I’ll be sending dispatches all week. Please follow along and let me know what you’re interested in. I got in late last night, barely slept due to jet lag, and then woke up this morning for some extremely good muesli. Also some bread and cheese with holes in it; here they don’t call it Swiss cheese.

I didn’t know much about Davos and the World Economic Forumbefore I got involved with the WEF; here’s some basics for those of you who are new to the event:

The World Economic Forum functions more like an ecosystem or a city than a monolithic organization. To be “at Davos” doesn’t mean you’ll be in the same place as Bill Clinton or Bono, though that would be cool. The WEF is comprised of many groups, among them policy groups, civil society groups, technology pioneers, and many more. Meetings tend to align around these organizations or along horizontal themes, which offer some of the best opportunities for substantive cross-pollination. The WEF is remarkably good at making substantive matches among parties with similar interests in industry or thematic sessions, but the shortage of time, naturally shared professional focus, and the social bonds of prior events often lead people to have their own WEF experiences that can be rather different from others’.

Most of the really good stuff happens outside the Congress Centre. The official sessions of the WEF are well-publicized. But much of the most fascinating substance occurs either after hours or in private sessions. Some of the best meetings happen at the many hotels in town and include both “official” WEF participants and thought leaders who are invited to contribute but who aren’t themselves official attendees; I’m guessing that less than half of the people visiting Davos this week will have WEF badges. The Belvedere Hotel — probably the ritziest option on the strip — is known as a kind of “mini-Davos” itself, with many key meetings and casual get-togethers. Indeed, I’m writing this dispatch from the coffee bar at one of the many mini-lounges inside the hotel, each of which is hosted by a company or a country. The veterans say the best conversations happen at the parties and bars from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

It is cold here. Stay-inside, yes-it’s-crisp-and-refreshing-Alpine-air-but-did-you-hear-me-say-it’s-cold, eat-your-muesli, and wear-heavy-undergarments cold. The Swiss don’t seem to know that. The local kids in the town traipse to school in the morning with sneakers and light sweaters, and there are hale-looking people running by you for exercise in snow-traction shoes and windbreakers. The Scandinavians and the surprisingly large contingent of Mongolians also seem not to notice the temperature.

I hope that gives you some early flavor for what’s going on. Today I’m heading to some opening sessions for the Technology Pioneers. Looking forward to meeting some very smart entrepreneurs!

For up-to-the-minute dispatches from Davos, follow Michael Fertik on Twitter.

In today’s Quick Hits, we ponder the ramifications of a Facebook firing, consider Foursquare’s growth in 2010, and talk about The Social Network‘s numerous Academy Award nominations.

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Foursquare Tops 6 Million Users, Grew by 3400% in 2010

The location check-in service Foursquare exploded in popularity last year. According to company figures, Foursquare grew 3400% in 2010 and now boasts six million users. As location-based social networking continues to expand, there are many privacy and security issues that need to be addressed. For one, there is the issue of location spoofing (or pretending to be someone else on Foursquare and checking into an odd location). There is also the issue of home security, as checking in somewhere online reveals that you’re not safely at home.

Reputation.com COO Owen Tripp will talk location privacy with other Internet privacy experts tonight at a special Churchill Club event in San Francisco. Check here for more details.

New York City Names Chief Digital Officer

Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced that 27-year-old social media expert Rachel Sterne would be the first ever Chief Digital Officer for New York City. In her role, Sterne will streamline social media communications for the city and help make existing web properties more social. The hiring of a Chief Digital Officer heralds a new understanding among businesses and government agencies that social media technology is here to stay and engaging online is an absolute must in the digital age.

Various Real Kate Middletons Banned on Facebook for Sharing Name with Soon-to-be Princess

Kate Middleton isn’t the world’s most common name, but it’s certainly not uncommon — something that several  Facebook users were forced to tell the website after they found their accounts frozen over suspicions that they were impersonating soon-to-be UK princess, Kate Middleton. As social media impersonation continues to be a growing problem (California recently passed a law making online impersonation a felony) companies like Facebook are working on ways to protect their users. Sometimes it works, but other times, it doesn’t.

Hearing Begins for Woman Fired Over Facebook Post

Per Mashable, “a hearing for a woman who was fired over remarks made on her Facebook account is scheduled to be heard by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Tuesday.” The woman, a former medical technician who criticized her manager online, will argue that her comments were protected under labor laws. The outcome of the case will have a significant impact on corporate social media policies.

The Social Network Nominated for Eight Oscars

The Academy Award nominees were announced this morning and David Fincher’s critically-acclaimed drama about Facebook’s origins, The Social Network, received eight nominations. The success of The Social Network serves as an exclamation point to a decade in which social media technology took over the Internet, making our online lives an intangible part of our “real” lives.

Reputation.com Director of Business Development Noah Lang has paired with Mediabistro for a special privacy-focused webinar tomorrow, January 25th. The webcast, entitled Controlling Your Online Presence, will focus on proactive online reputation management strategies and the importance of maintaining control over your Google and Bing search results. Read on for more information about the webcast:

Your Google presence is your calling card. Searching your name online is the first thing a potential employer or new client does when they’re deciding whether or not to work with you. Having a few hits is a start, but it’s not enough. For you to land a job, expand your business, or position yourself as an authority in your field, people not only need to find you — they need to feel they know you, and that you’re in control of your brand. In this webcast, we’ll review tips for controlling how and when your name appears in a search, and we’ll review proven techniques for taking ownership of your online presence.

In this webcast, you will learn:

- Tips for controlling how and where your name appears in a search How to ensure you’re noticed online — for the right reasons

- How to fight back against negative content online

- Why LinkedIn matters, and why filling your profile to completion can only help you

- How to use social media platforms to position yourself as an expert in your field

To register for the webcast, follow this link.

[Image by Flickr User John Ward used under a Creative Commons Attribution License]

Reputation.com CEO Michael Fertik will be in Davos, Switzerland this week for the World Economic Forum. As a member of the World Economic Forum Agenda Council on Internet Security, Fertik will appear as a guest on a panel discussing the important issue of Internet privacy, and he will also moderate a different panel addressing the same issue.

During his time in Davos, Michael Fertik will offer insider reports on the various panels and discussions occurring during the World Economic Forum. In his first pre-Davos report, Michael Fertik checks in with the Washington Post to explain why digital privacy will be one of the most talked-about issues at the World Economic Forum this year and how policymakers in the United States and Europe will be addressing the issue throughout 2011.

Check out an excerpt from Michael’s Washington Post report below:

We all know digital privacy is under grave threat. This important subject gets global treatment this week as business leaders and policymakers convene at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The WEF has identified this emerging topic early and is promising to help set the worldwide agenda for new solutions to the rapidly advancing problem by convening a number of events specifically addressing the subject. I shall be moderating one such session and a panel member of another.

Social networking, Wikileaks, and the cloud are all turning up the heat on the urgency of protecting private information. To date, however, the law has been slow to foster deep security for personal data, while business has failed to develop novel ways of monetizing information without resorting to proven advertising models that necessarily exist in tension with the interests of privacy.

In the past year alone, privacy has been thrust into the public’s awareness by Google Street View, Facebook, social networking apps, iPhone and Droid apps, the I Can Stalk U app, Wikileaks, and even Julian Assange’s OKCupid profile. Cohesive responses to growing threats to personal data have remained elusive, however. Some of the elusiveness derives from deep disagreements as to how to proceed. From a policy perspective, the EU and US appear to be gearing up for a fight, given strongly dissonant views on how best to treat privacy.

Head over to the Washington Post for the full report.