In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about the growth of Google+, share some cybersafety advice, and share more evidence that self-regulation among Internet advertisers is flawed.

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Google+ Tops 10 Million Users

After only two weeks, Google’s new social networking site Google+ has accumulated 10 million users, according to Google CEO Larry Page. The incredible growth of Google+ suggests that the service, Google’s latest in a long line of attempts at social networking, may actually be a viable threat to Facebook. Part of the appeal of Google+ is the service’s easy ability to filter contacts into distinct groups or “circles.” Of course, Google’s numbers should be taken with a grain of salt since the company is a legitimate tech giant. Facebook and Twitter took much longer to achieve the same number of users, but they were much smaller at the time by comparison.

British Medical Association Advises Doctors to Avoid Friending Patients Online

The British Medical Association (BMA) recently issued a warning to its members to avoid contacting patients online via social networking websites. According to the Wall Street Journal Health blog, the BMA told its members, “Given the greater accessibility of personal information, entering into informal relationships with patients on sites like Facebook can increase the likelihood of inappropriate boundary transgressions, particularly where previously there existed only a professional relationship between a doctor and patient.”

The BMA’s warning mirrors similar calls from other medical organizations, which are collectively coming to grips with how the Internet, and social media in particular, has changed the doctor-patient dynamic.

UK Survey: Over Half of Parents Use Facebook to Check on Their Kids

According to a new UK survey from the security firm Bullguard, “more than half of parents surveyed said they keep an eye on their children by checking their activity on sites like Facebook.” As reported by Mobiledia.com, the survey revealed that “nearly half of parents check their children’s updates and look at postings, while one-in-three check out tagged photos.” However, parents are not always able to access their child’s page. According to the same study, “Thirty percent of parents say their kids rejected their attempts to ‘friend’ their them,” forcing parents to find alternate means to check up on their kids online.

How To Avoid Cyberstalking and Online Impersonation

This article from the Seattle Weekly offers advice to teens and their parents on how to avoid having their social media accounts violated and used for cyberbullying or cyberstalking. The offer’s sensible suggestions include always logging out of your social media account when you’re finished with your session and never using the “save password” option.

Online Ad Networks Ignoring Self-Regulation

PCWorld reports that, “some online advertising networks continue to track Web users after tracking opt-out requests, even though the networks have promised to honor those questions, according to a new study from Stanford University’s Center for Internet Society.” The study revealed that 33 out of 64 members of the Network Advertising Initiative “left tracking cookies in place after a Web user opted out of targeted ads,” in defiance of the NAI’s stated self-regulatory guidelines. Stanford’s research sheds light on why self-regulatory efforts are not enough to protect consumers from data abuse online.