In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Mark Zuckerberg’s thoughts on underage Facebook users, why a deputy and student got in trouble for online comments, and some insights from the PII 2011 conference.

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Zuckerberg Wants Kids Under 13 on Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants kids under the age of 13 to be able to join his social network legally. In recent comments, Zuckerberg advocated changes to COPPA, the existing federal child protection law designed to protect children from data tracking, claiming that if children were allowed to use social media content at an earlier edge they would better access the educational benefits of Internet technology.

Woman Gives Up Facebook After Scam

This article in the Vancouver Sun discusses how one woman lost control of her Facebook account after falling victim to a sneaky scam. The article goes on to discuss ways to prevent Facebook scammers from accessing your account, as well as steps to take if you have been scammed. For her part, the victim highlighted in the story says she is giving up social media for good. Her final quote sums up the issue well: “There’s too much of my personal information out there.”

Barrow County Deputy Resigns Over Facebook Posts

According to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “A Barrow County deputy resigned after he was confronted with postings from his Facebook page that included derogatory references to President Obama with terms like ‘towel headed’ and ‘camel jockey.’” The deputy had initially been suspended for his remarks, but ultimately resigned when the sheriff launched a full investigation into the matter. The investigation began when someone slipped a printed copy of the Facebook remarks under the sheriff’s door.

13-Year-Old Suspended Over Bin Laden Facebook Remark

A 13-year-old New Hampshire student was suspended from her school after making a Facebook post in which “she wished Usama bin Laden killed her math teacher,” according to a WCVB-TV report. The girl’s mother has been critical of the school for suspending her daughter over the remark, since she made it from her home computer. However, this isn’t the first instance in which online content published outside of school has gotten a student into trouble. Many school districts are writing specific rules that cover repercussions for inappropriate student conduct online.

Benefits and Risks of Using Smartphones to Find Location-Based Deals

Everyone wants to save money, especially in a lean economy, but how much personal privacy are you willing to give up for it? This article in the New York Times Bucks blog discusses a new partnership between the website Cheapism and the mobile check-in service Foursquare that alerts users to good deals on food and shopping in their area. While learning about cheap eats is a good thing, many people are still uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their location publicly. A new survey reveals that 17 million mobile users currently use check-in services.

Consumer Behavior Varies Regarding Online Privacy

This article from PaidContent.org discusses how consumer behavior varies online when it comes to privacy issues. Quoting numerous experts from the ongoing PII 2011 conference, which Reputation.com attended, the article discusses how many businesses are trying to assuage consumer privacy concerns while also delivering a valuable product and giving individuals “ownership” of their data.