In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Twitter’s spam problem, why Americans aren’t using location check-in services, and the budding world of photo hacking.

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3.5 Billion Malicious Messages Shared on Twitter Every Day

Security company BitDefender thinks Twitter has a spam problem. According to statistics compiled by the firm, and reported in The Daily Mail, one percent of the 350 billion message impressions on Twitter each day, “are malicious, containing spam, or links to sites containing viruses or other malicious software. That means that 3.5 billion nasty Tweets are sent every day. For an average user that can mean up to 17 dangerous Tweets per day.” The article notes that the use of URL shorteners has greatly increased the number of malicious messages on the site.

Apps and Social Networks Pose Privacy Risks to Kids

USA Today tech reporter Byron Acohido explains how mobile apps and social networking sites pose risks to children under the age of 13 and often risk violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The article also highlights the disconnect between children and parents online. Quoting the story, “A recent survey by anti-virus firm AVG found roughly half of children ages 6 through 9 regularly interact with friends online, yet 58% of their parents admitted to not being knowledgeable about social networks.”

Ohio Women Settles Invasion of Privacy Lawsuit Involving Nude Images on Stolen Laptop

An Ohio women has settled an invasion of privacy lawsuit with a software manufacturer and police department after she claimed that “her privacy was violated when [the company] grabbed sexually explicit images of her and her boyfriend from a computer she didn’t know was stolen.” The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. As technology advances, questions of privacy are becoming more and more complicated. This story, with its multiple twists and turns, would have been very interesting.

Photo Hacking is a Hot New Field for Start-ups

With photo sharing being one of the biggest and most time-consuming hobbies on the Internet, it’s no wonder that CNN has highlighted photo hacking as a hotbed of new innovation in the start-up economy. This article from CNN Money discusses how several popular start-up companies are breaking down the idea of photo sharing and rebuilding it in new and interesting ways. Sometimes, these photo hacking exercises push the boundaries of personal privacy, especially when they involve facial recognition. Despite privacy concerns, companies continue to invest in this “gray area” of software development.

Location Services Not Catching on in the U.S.

Location check-in services aren’t catching on in the United States according to new research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The Pew data shows that 23% of Americans are using location data for things like maps and shopping, but only 4% are using check-in services to share their locations with friends online. The issue of personal privacy appears to be a big factor in Americans’ decision to not share their locations online.