In today’s Quick Hits, we follow up on a three-year old Facebook firing, consider social media and politics, discuss Facebook profiles and college admissions, and ponder the privacy implications of the growing “cyberarms” race.

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Court Rules Against Teacher Fired for Facebook Photos

A former Georgia schoolteacher who was fired three years ago after an anonymous parent complained about a photo on her Facebook profile recently faced a setback in her lawsuit against the school district. The teacher had filed a lawsuit asking for her job to be reinstated, but that claim was rejected because of technical issues related to when her teaching contract expired. Her attorney still is working on winning monetary damages in the case, arguing that the teacher was not informed of her rights at the time of the incident.

Social Media Companies Get Involved in Political Campaigns

Big social media companies like Twitter and Facebook are becoming more and more involved in hosting political events and debates, demonstrating a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch your back” savvy that may help them when the issue of privacy legislation. As the AP explains, “social media giants like Facebook and Google are hosting debates and sponsoring presidential town halls. They remain indispensable tools for candidates looking to connect with voters. The companies get great public exposure for their attachment to the presidential campaign. It also helps their business interests by nurturing relationships with political leaders.”

7 Tips for Cleaning Up Facebook Profile for College Admissions

This article from Huffington Post’s new High School section talks about how college admissions officers are using Facebook to screen applicants and shares advice on how high school students can clean up their profiles to make a good impression. As one teen in the article explains, “I treat my profile as a way for college admissions officers to get to know me outside of my academic accomplishments.”

Online Privacy and Cyber Warfare

This article from the Financial Times discusses how the “cyberarms race” between world powers may end up forcing personal privacy protections to disappear. Quoting the article, “an internet increasingly policed by intelligence agencies will be reshaped to fit country borders, says Peter Dombrowski, of the Naval War College in the US. Nations fearing attack will find ways to inspect electronic traffic just as they do people.”