In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Facebook’s dramatic recent changes, why it can be difficult to develop effective social media policies, and concern on Capitol Hill over OnStar’s recent privacy policy tweaks.

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Facebook “Frictionless Sharing” a Potential Privacy Problem

One of Facebook’s new changes following its dramatic redesign is a feature called “frictionless sharing.” The idea behind frictionless sharing is that users can allow certain online activities to be shared with friends without manually updating their profiles. However, as this PCWorld article points out, frictionless sharing raises some very serious privacy concerns. Quoting the article, “The new functionality is reminiscent of Beacon, Facebook’s now defunct over-sharing system that landed the social network in hot water in 2007. Under the Beacon plan, if you bought movie tickets from the Fandango site, say, Facebook would alert your Facebook friends.”

Frictionless sharing is different than Beacon, because it requires explicit authorization before sharing info, but the same issue applies. You don’t want to share certain information on Facebook, but Facebook continues to make it easier and easier to share.

10 Things to Know About the New Facebook

The Detroit Free Press has a nice write-up of Facebook’s recent design overhaul and what it means for users. In the article, Mark Smith touches on many possible privacy issues related to the makeover and also how users can protect themselves from sharing too much sensitive data online.

Companies Have Hard Time With Facebook Policies

To protect their bottom lines, companies need to develop smart social media policies for employees. But many companies are having a hard time coming up with policies that don’t restrict employees’ freedom of speech, leading to several cases in which the National Labor Relations Board has helped employees who were fired for online comments regain their employment. This article from ABC News discusses the NLRB’s efforts to help employees who have been wrongfully terminated as well as companies who need to establish social media policies as part of a risk management strategy.

Sen. Chuck Schumer Calls for Probe Into OnStar Privacy Changes

Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has been active in consumer privacy issues in Congress, has called for the FTC to launch an investigation into OnStar and the company’s recent privacy policy changes. Last week, OnStar made a switch to its privacy policy that gave the company a lot more room to share customer data with third-parties.

Couple Ask Facebook to Name Unborn Baby

An Illinois couple has asked Facebook (all 800 million members) to help them pick a name for their unborn child. Perhaps anticipating that the Web could come up with something terrible, they have set-up a poll with their four favorite names and asked for votes. The four choices are McKenna, Madelyn, Addilyne, and Emily.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about a new social scoring company, ponder our current privacy landscape, and discuss Facebook’s new subscribe feature.

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Identified Launches People-Ranking Professional Search Engine on Facebook

According to Forbes, “a new professional job search engine built on Facebook data called Identified, is launching in public beta Monday with technology for ranking people on a scale of 0 to 100, aiming to bring better results for job seekers and recruiters.” The goal of Identified is to parse an individual’s Facebook profile for relevant professional information and assign them a score that makes it easier for recruiters to find qualified job candidates. One possible issue with the service is that an individual’s rank is made public, meaning potential reputation damage for someone with a low number. Additionally, Identified further muddles the line between private and public on Facebook, making online reputation management even more important than ever.

Larry Magid: Facebook’s ‘Subscribe’ Feature May Help Weed Out Fake Friends

Internet safety expert Larry Magid writes that Facebook’s new Twitter-like subscribe feature, which allows a Facebook user to follow someone’s updates without “friending” them, will help users weed out the number of “friends” they have online that they don’t actually know in real life. Magid argues that the subscribe function will help people sort out friends from acquaintances.

Chicago Sun-Times Op-Ed: Defend Privacy — Before It’s Gone

The Chicago Sun-Times has a strong op-ed discussing the upcoming Supreme Court case over whether police can surreptitiously monitor an individual’s location using GPS technology and the general state of privacy in society. The Sun-Times argues that “it’s important for citizens to speak up to prevent a loss of privacy before no privacy becomes standard practice.”

Profile of Ex-Drug Smuggler Turned Data Miner

The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting feature on Hank Asher – a former drug smuggler turned data mining expert and successful entrepreneur. A snippet from the Chronicle article sums up Asher’s work: “Asher’s field is data fusion, the collecting of bits of information about people and businesses from thousands of data bases and linking them to create a previously unseen mosaic: typing in three Zip codes and getting a list of people who’ve lived in all three, where they work and what they drive, for instance.” Asher often works with law enforcement agencies on apprehending criminals, but his work has faced criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and others for violating personal privacy rights.

CBS Show ‘Person of Interest’ Shows World of Cyber-surveillance

The new CBS drama Person of Interest shows how surveillance is a part of our everyday lives, from closed circuit cameras to online updates. This feature from CNET discusses the new show and also includes a comprehensive wrap-up of the most pertinent privacy news from the last few months.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about a new Microsoft study, a huge privacy breach involving 20,000 hospital patients, and one Applebee’s worker’s stand for self-expression online.

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Microsoft Study Shows More Than Half of U.S. Teens Don’t Consider Consequences of Online Actions

A new Microsoft study shows that “before posting personal information online, more than half of U.S. teens and parents don’t truly consider the potential consequences of their actions.” The study also showed that while teens recognize “the importance of limiting what they share online,” they still reveal more personal data than their parents and that 6 in 10 teens admit to having “friends” online that they have never met in real life. This data reveals the importance of online reputation management and digital citizenship – two important issues that Microsoft is addressing through a new white paper called “Fostering Digital Citizenship” and a Teen Reputation Guide.

Stanford University Medical Breach Affects 20,000 Patients

The New York Times reports that “a medical privacy breach at Stanford University’s hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., led to the public posting of medical records for 20,000 emergency room patients, including names and diagnosis codes, on a commercial Web site for nearly a year.” This isn’t the first time that medical data has been exposed online. The Times writes that “records compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services reveal that personal medical data for more than 11 million people has been improperly exposed during the last two years alone.”

Applebee’s Worker Threatened with Termination for Refusal to Sign Agreement Prohibiting Negative Comments

An Applebee’s worker claims that his job has been threatened by his refusal to sign an agreement from his employer that restricts his right to post negative content about Applebee’s online. The man, who has had no problems with the company in the past, says that he is concerned the agreement would stifle his freedom of expression. The Applebee’s story comes at an interesting time. The National Labor Relations Board recently issued a report outlining when companies can and can’t fire employees for their online profiles and a judge ruled that several non-profit employees were unjustly fired for their Facebook comments.

Facebook Explains Difficulty of Policing Under-13 Age Restriction

The Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) requires companies to block children under the age of 13 from accessing their websites. But this is often easier said than done, especially if you’re Facebook, the world’s largest social networking website. This article from ZDNet discusses how Facebook approaches the problem and why the website claims that “it is difficult is to implement age restrictions on the Internet and that there is no single solution to ensuring younger children don’t circumvent a system or lie about their age.”

Mobile App ‘Blendr’ Helps Users Hook Up

New York Times tech reporter Jenna Wortham writes about a new mobile app called Blendr, which combines social networking with location check-in technology to help users “find someone to meet nearby, right now.” The app includes some privacy restrictions, including the ability to narrowly tailor what type of person can access one’s profile, but it is still likely something that a privacy-conscious individual would be leery to use. Nevertheless, the creator of Blendr’s previous mobile app Grindr (which offers a similar service for the gay community) has been very successful with 2.6 million users, proving the viability of the concept.

In today’s Quick Hits, we have two stories on the risky relationship between teachers and social networking as well as some information on Internet tracking, location tracking, and which of your Facebook friends is most likely to expose your private information.

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Schoolteacher’s Double Life as Stripper Discovered Online

A UK sex-ed teacher was found guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct” after students discovered him in an adult video online. The teacher, who also worked as a stripper using a different name, was temporarily suspended pending a hearing, but is still allowed to teach. The school council acknowledged his argument that his personal life has no bearing on his professional qualifications as a teacher, but insisted that he discontinue his extracurricular activities anyway in keeping with the “widely held public view that such work is not acceptable conduct for a teacher.”

Teachers in Dayton, Ohio Banned from Friending Students Online

The New York Daily News reports that, “a new policy in the Dayton Public School systems bars instructors from friending their students on Facebook, along with instant messaging or texting with the kids.” This policy echos a similar proposition from the state of Missouri, which banned teachers from interacting with students online. Last week, that law was temporarily halted by a federal judge. The difference between the Dayton policy and the state-wide Missouri law is that the Dayton policy only extended to the school district and that it specifically barred “friending,” as opposed to all online contact.

How to Tell Which of Your Facebook Friends is a Blabbermouth

Some of your friends are more apt to gossip than others, but how can you be sure which ones might spill your secrets? The Globe and Mail shares a report from Pritam Gundecha at Arizona State University. According to Gundecha’s analysis, you should look at what your friend is sharing to help cue you as to their privacy awareness. For example, “around 80 per cent of users are happy to disclose their gender, but less than 1 per cent share their home address. That suggests people publicizing their address aren’t particularly privacy-conscious and you might want to avoid them.”

Interactive Advertising Bureau Do Not Track Button Faces Criticism

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) recently released a button that advertisers can place in their ads that allows users to opt-out of Internet tracking. The do not track button is one of several self-regulatory efforts aimed at preventing legislative action against online trackers. However, the button may not be effective and has already seen criticism from consumer privacy groups. According to The Street, Carmen Balber, Washington director for Consumer Watchdog, criticized the program saying, ”this industry program is another example of the failure of self-regulation to protect consumers from unwanted monitoring of every move they make on the internet and their mobile devices.”

Microsoft Accused of Tracking Location Data

CNET’s Declan McCullagh reports that security researcher Samy Kamkar has discovered that Microsoft is tracking users’ locations via software in its mobile devices. Quoting CNET, “the Camera application sends the device’s location–complete with latitude and longitude, a unique ID, and nearby Wi-Fi access points–to Microsoft even when the user has not given the app permission to do so.” Microsoft hasn’t commented on the claim.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about mistakes job seekers make online as well as some of the dumb things people do on Facebook.

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Cleaning Up Your Digital Dirt Before a Job Interview

Dianne Stafford, the careers columnist for the Kansas City Star, wonders why job seekers don’t spend more time on their online reputations. In a column, Stafford writes, “Job recruiters Google your name. They look for you on Facebook. They check out your LinkedIn profile and read what others say about you. They research Internet user groups and join discussions.” Stafford urges job seekers to “do everything in their power to present a polished, professional image online.”

UK Man Used Facebook to Access Banking Info

A UK man is facing 15 months in jail after spending “up to 18 hours a day” trolling Facebook for information that helped him crack into his neighbors’ online bank accounts. According to the Telegraph, the man stole “more than £35,000 over two years” by using the password reset function at a victim’s online bank. The fraudster accessed information to answer the bank’s security question by looking on Facebook and other social media websites.

UK Pushes Google for More Privacy Improvements

Following an embarrassing incident in which Google collected Wi-Fi data via its Street View vehicles, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office pushed the company to adopt better privacy safeguards. In the last year, Google has taken steps to meet these recommendations, but the ICO is asking for more. According to an ICO statement,”the ICO has now asked the company to go further to enhance privacy, including ensuring that users are given more information about the privacy aspects of Google products.” Specifically, the ICO recommended Google have a “privacy story” for each of its products, so that people understand how the service impacts their personal information.

AllFacebook: 7 Stupidest Mistakes We Keep Seeing on Facebook

AllFacebook.com has an article on the “7 Stupidest Mistakes We Keep Seeing on Facebook.” The article features such “stupid mistakes” as sharing your entire birthdate, ignoring privacy controls, and announcing when you’re going on vacation. It’s an insightful read for those who are not quite so Facebook savvy.

In today’s Quick Hits, we have two different stories of people who were fired over their online comments plus insights from Facebook on the FTC’s privacy proposals.

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Massachusetts Firefighter Fired Over Facebook Comments

After a thorough investigation into allegedly improper Facebook comments, city officials in Bourne, Massachusetts, have decided to fire a 16-year veteran firefighter. According to the city’s investigation, the firefighter “reportedly used a homosexual slur,” and “wrote of his anger at having to work on July 4, 2010″ among other incidents.

The firefighter’s union has said it will back the man if he decides to sue the city over his termination. Recently, a Connecticut ambulance company employee successfully sued her employer over her Facebook-related termination. The precedent set in that case will likely play a role in the firefighter’s decision to sue the city.

Facebook Bans Relationship Status Tracking App

A new Facebook app, which allowed users to track relationship statuses on the site, has come down almost as quickly as it went up. According to MSNBC, Facebook banned the app, called Breakup Notifier, because it was too popular. Apparently, Facebook took down the app out of fears that it was spammy. The creator of the app has been unable to get in touch with anyone at Facebook to offer more details.

Indiana Deputy Attorney General Fired Over Twitter Comments

American political discourse is often littered with inflammatory comments and overly tough rhetoric, but one Indiana official may have taken things too far when he used his Twitter account to call for “live ammunition” to be used on protesters in Wisconsin. According to MSNBC, the official, who worked as a deputy attorney general for the state, was uncovered as the Twitter user after Mother Jones magazine investigated the messages and his related blog posts. After reviewing the comments, an Indiana spokesman announced that the attorney no longer held his position and that, while they “respect individuals’ First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums,” public servants are “held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility.”

Facebook Responds to FTC Privacy Plans

Facebook joined hundreds of other tech companies in filing an official response to the FTC’s recent consumer privacy proposals. This article from the Huffington Post gives an overview of Facebook’s response, noting that the company’s position values self-regulation among Internet companies and recommends that the FTC should take into account “evolving perceptions of privacy” among consumers. For a company that has been in the spotlight on privacy issues since its inception, this 29 page filing is perhaps the best and most clear explanation of where Facebook stands on privacy. For the record, Reputation.com’s response to the FTC report can be found on the Reputation.com Blog.

Swiss Court to Rule on Google Street View Soon

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Switzerland’s top administrative court said it will rule on whether Google Inc.’s (GOOG) map service is legal in Switzerland in coming weeks, following a public hearing in court Thursday.” Privacy concerns over Google’s Street View service have been especially prominent in Europe, where a number of countries launched high-profile investigations into Google after it was revealed that the company collected Wi-Fi payload data via its Street View cars.

In today’s Quick Hits, a bogus rumor claims Facebook is shutting down, a New York Times piece talks about Facebook’s growth problems in Japan, and a judge vindicates several nursing students who were kicked out of school over photos of a human placenta.

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Viral Hoax Claims Facebook is Closing Down

Inexplicably, a hoax claiming that Facebook will close down on March 15th has exploded across the web in the past few days. Considering the fact that Facebook is the world’s largest social networking website and the company recently took on $500 million in additional funding from Goldman Sachs, it’s pretty hard to see why anyone believed this rumor to be true. On the other hand, the fact that such an obviously bogus hoax spread so easily reveals that people don’t always closely consider what they read online.

Judge Orders Nursing Student Reinstated After Being Kicked Out of School for Placenta Photo

We finally have closure in the bizarre case of the nursing student who was dismissed from school for sharing a photo posing next to a placenta. After filing a lawsuit against her school alleging that she was not given a proper hearing before being dismissed, the student argued her case in court. A judge agreed with her, offering a level-headed ruling that is admirable given the strange nature of the case, and ordered the school to reinstate all of the students.

Unfortunately, while the young woman does get to go back to school, she now has to deal with the permanent reputation stain of being involved in the placenta incident. In court, she told the judge, “All you have to do is Google ‘placenta,’” to find her name online. That online reputation problem could cause some difficulties for her later when she actually applies to become a nurse.

Facebook Unsuccessful in Japan

Japan is one of the world’s most populous and tech-savvy nations, but that hasn’t helped Facebook gain a foothold in the country’s social networking market. According to a recent New York Times article, Facebook has less than 2 million users in Japan, a drop in the bucket compared to the site’s 583 million total users worldwide. Why is this the case? Privacy. In Japan, personal privacy, particularly online, is very important. As the New York Times explains, the most successful Japanese social networking websites “let members mask their identities, in distinct contrast to the real-name, oversharing hypothetical user on which Facebook’s business model is based.” In order to make an indent in Japan, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may have to reconsider his “privacy is no longer a social norm” approach.

In today’s first post-Thanksgiving Quick Hits, we talk about surviving the company Christmas party, whether Diaspora has a shot at competing with Facebook, and the possibility of a “Do Not Track” bill in Congress.

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Surviving the Company Holiday Party with Your Reputation Intact  

From drinking too much to fooling around in the copy room, this article from MSNBC discusses some of the many ways employees can ruin their reputations in the workplace at the annual company holiday party. What the article doesn’t mention is how indiscretions at the holiday party can wind up online and further damage your good name with friends, family, and future employers as well.

Employee Suspended for Bragging About Upcoming Layoff

If you hate your job, getting fired and receiving a severance package may seem like a blessing. But that doesn’t mean you should brag about it online, as one UK worker found out. This article from MSNBC discusses how a bank employee may have cost himself his severance pay by bragging about an upcoming layoff online. The article also offers several other examples of employees who have gotten in trouble because of their online missteps.

First Look at Privacy Social Network Diaspora

When it was first announced, Diaspora received considerable media coverage for being a so-called “privacy aware” social network. Recently, Diaspora opened to a private Alpha test. In this article from Ars Technica, Ryan Paul shares his impressions of Diaspora and speculates as to whether the open source network will ever be able to compete with Facebook.

New Worm Hits Facebook

ZDNet journalist Zack Whittaker talks about a new Facebook worm that has infected thousands of users in a few hours. The worms rely on users to click a shortened link, which then takes them to an unsecured site where their Facebook account is compromised. From that point on, the worm spreads to the infected user’s friends and replicates some more. The prevalence of this worm and others like it raise questions about Facebook’s security as the company continues to grow.

Do Not Track Bill to be Debated in Congress

According to the Washington Post, this Thursday the “House subcommittee on commerce trade and consumer protection will examine the idea of a Do Not Track bill that would prohibit Web sites and third-parties from tracking information about users who choose to participate in such a program.” The list of witnesses at the hearing has not been released yet.

In today’s Quick Hits, we explore shifting trends in social media, offer advice on avoiding clickjacking attacks, and hear from a doctor about the importance of online reputation management for medical professionals.

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Forrester Study: Decrease in Content Creators on Social Media

A new Forrester Study shows a decrease in the number of people who are content “creators” on social media websites. Creators are social media users who “have a blog, upload videos and music and write articles.” There was also a decrease in the number of “critics,” or users who “who rate and review products, post comments on others’ blogs, participate in discussion forums and collaborate on wikis,” as well as a decrease in the number of “collectors,” or users who “subscribe to syndicated feeds, tag Web pages and photos and in general organize content for the benefit of other users.”

The majority of users in these categories represent early adopters of social media technology who are becoming less active over time. For social media to continue to grow, new social media users, called “joiners” by Forrester, must continue to evolve as users. The number of “joiners” on social media websites increased from 51% to 59%.

New Social Networking Website Namesake Aims to Connect Users with Professional “Opportunities”

Namesake, a new social networking venture that was formally announced at TechCrunch’s Disrupt conference, hopes to become the preferred network for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals to connect with one another and share job opportunities through mutual social connections. Co-founder Brian Norgard said the site would be “the next evolution” from professional social networking websites like LinkedIn, because it would focus on building out “the expertise graph” of its users.

PCMag: Advice on Avoiding Clickjacking Attacks

Clickjacking has become a popular method for attacking Facebook, because it preys on a user’s instincts for clicking provocative content and it uses their social network to spread the message further. In this informative article, PCMag talks about ways to avoid clickjacking attacks, which can severely tarnish a victim’s reputation.

Twitter Earthquake Hoax Frightens Californians

News spreads fast on Twitter, but so do hoaxes (just ask any of the celebrities who have been pronounced dead on the website). Recently, a hoax spread across Twitter claiming that a massive earthquake was going to strike Southern California. Amazingly, even though earthquakes can’t be predicted with any certainty, people begin retweeting the message hundreds of times over causing a mild panic among some less-discerning Twitter users.

Physicians Have Trouble Fighting Back Against Online Attacks

This well-written article by Dr. David Goldberg talks about the importance of online reputation management for medical professionals and how doctor review websites and social networking websites have become tools for angry patients (or competitors) to launch biased and defamatory attacks against doctors. Dr. Goldberg’s analysis is right on the money and a clear reminder that doctors are some of the people who need proactive online reputation management services the most.

In today’s Quick Hits, we discuss Facebook Places, how it’s impossible to block Mark Zuckerberg, and how a cop and a teacher are in hot water over Facebook.

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WSJ: Facebook Places Causes New Privacy Concerns

The Wall Street Journal has an update on Facebook privacy concerns in the wake of the company’s new location-based networking feature, Facebook Places. As usual, the issue revolves around the level of control Facebook gives users to manage checking-in to Places. According to the article, “Many privacy groups said they were pleased that Facebook had limited Places to voluntary check-ins–rather than constant real-time tracking of users’ locations–and also that the service set defaults for much of the shared information to be limited to a user’s circle of friends.Still, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, one of the groups briefed by Facebook about the product before its launch, said Facebook didn’t give users adequate controls.”

Why Do You People “Check-in” to Their Homes?

In a column for the Washington Post, Rob Pergoraro talks about Facebook Places and how he can’t understand why some of his friends who are otherwise aware of privacy issues have decided to publicly share their own homes’ locations. Pergoraro ponders about the purpose of such a check-in and asks his readers what they get out of checking in from home.

You Can’t Block Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook

Facebook has taken great pains to provide easy-to-use privacy controls to its users. So why does the website make it impossible to block Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg? According to a Mashable report, if you attempt to blog Facebook man-in-charge, “you’ll get an error message that says, ‘General Block failed error: Block failed.’” The report speculates that the failure could be “a bug or an intentional inside joke.” In either case, it’s something that Zuckerberg doesn’t need bad publicity over, especially since he’s got a highly-fictionalized major motion picture about his life hitting the big screen soon.

Mass. Trooper Under Investigation Over Facebook Photos

A Massachusetts state trooper is under investigation after three photos appeared on Facebook showing the officer posing with underage women. There is a bottle of alcohol in the background of the picture and the officer is in full uniform, implying that the officer was in the midst of arresting the underage individuals when he agreed to pose for the photos. There is no word yet on whether the officer will be punished for his egregious lapse in professional judgment, but this story is a sober reminder that one’s online reputation is constantly at risk even in “real-life” situations.

School Administrator Fired After Criticizing Parents on Facebook

Additional Facebook foolishness comes our way via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In an article discussing how social networking can be risky for teachers, the AJC article mentions the story of a 30-year veteran Massachusetts school administrator who was forced to resign last week after posting on her Facebook page that the parents at her school were “‘arrogant” and “snobby” and that she was, “so not looking forward to another year at Cohasset Schools.” The administrator acknowledged her mistake and said, ““I take full responsibility for my stupidity and I hope it serves as an example to kids that they need to be very, very vigilant about their privacy.”