In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about the effectiveness of Internet tracking opt-out tools, an embarrassing Google glitch for Mitt Romney, and a pro athlete’s (mildly) scandalous tweets.

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Usability Issues Make Opt-Out Tools Ineffective

Opt-out buttons and other tools designed to help people stop Internet tracking may not be effective according to a new study. Quoting the Wall Street Journal, “instead of helping consumers limit websites, advertisers and others from collecting information about their web browsing behavior, the Carnegie Mellon University study found that the tools were more likely to cause confusion and, at times, accomplish the opposite of what the user intended.”

Google Glitch Says “Romney Can’t Win” 2012 Election

Everyone knows that Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has a pretty bad Google problem, but it looks like Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has a Google issue of his own. According to CBS News, “when a Google user types the phrase ‘Romney can win’ into the search engine, its spell check function responds with the message, ‘Did you mean: Romney can’t win?’” The glitch is related to Google’s auotmatic spellcheck function, which the company says it is always improving.

New England Patriots Receiver Apologizes for Twitter Snapshots with Porn Star

New England Patriots Tightend Rob Gronkowski apologized to the Patriots organization recently after snapping a few photos for Twitter with an adult film star. In a statement Gronkowski said “I didn’t intend anything to hurt the reputation of anyone on the New England Patriots or on behalf of Robert Kraft.” Truthfully, the incident was pretty mild. The pictures weren’t inappropriate or explicit in anyway and the relationship didn’t extend beyond the snapshots. Nevertheless, the incident shows how pro athletes must always be mindful of their online reputations.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Facebook affecting students from getting jobs, a potential privacy flaw in Skype, and info from Google’s biannual transparency report.

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Students Fear Facebook Posts Will Affect Employment Opportunities

According to a new report from the Information Commissioners Office, “four out of 10 students (42 per cent) are worried that personal details they have shared on social networking sites, such as Facebook, as well as elsewhere online, could blight their chances of getting a job… The ICO study has been released to coincide with the launch of its new ‘Student Brand Ambassador’ campaign – a nationwide project aimed at raising young people’s awareness of information rights.”

Google Reveals 70% Rise in Government Takedown Requests

According to Google’s biannual transparency report, the company has seen a sharp rise in takedown requests from police and other government agencies. The Guardian reports that these demands “formed part of a 70% rise in takedown requests from the US government or police.” The report also revealed that the “US demanded private information about more than 11,000 Google users between January and June this year.”

Privacy Flaw Discovered in Skype

According to Keith Ross, a professor of computer science at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, Skype’s default settings leave users open to having their IP addresses tracked. According to Ross, “if you have Skype running in your laptop, then I or any other attacker can inconspicuously call you, obtain your current IP address and your current location without you ever knowing about it.”

In today’s Quick Hits, the FTC wraps up its settlement against Google for the company’s ill-fated Buzz service. Also, we talk about online tracking, Facebook’s stance on search, and how to look good on LinkedIn.

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FTC Finalizes Googly Buzz Privacy Settlement

Chloe Albanesius at PCMag.com writes that “the Federal Trade Commission has finalized a settlement with Google over its Buzz social-networking feature, which requires the search giant to implement privacy safeguards and submit to regular audits.” As Google continues to push its new social network Google+ into competition with Facebook, the company would be smart to look back to the mistakes of Buzz.

Someone is Always Tracking You Online

This article from the Calgary Herald discusses how advanced Internet tracking technology makes it difficult for Internet users to avoid being tracked, even when they’re offline. The author suggests that the only solution to this problem is privacy tools for consumers. Quoting the article, “It seems the tools to control our digital privacy and protect valuable personal data are not in our hands.  Whether we use such tools or not is another matter, but the idea of designing privacy controls into digital products or online services is at the very least an appropriate consideration.”

Facebook Exec Criticizes Google for Getting Search Wrong

Ethan Beard, the director of the Facebook Platform, recently criticized Google and other search engines for getting search wrong. According to the Telegraph, Beard “said that search needed to go social so that people could get really good product recommendations from their most trusted sources, their friends, as well links to sites where they can buy the items.” This is part of Facebook’s search strategy, as seen in the company’s recent shift to add streaming content from third-party apps into user profiles.

LinkedIn Etiquette Tips

LinkedIn can be a great personal branding and networking tool, but only if it’s used correctly. This article from InformationWeek offers nine tips from hiring managers and executives on how to use LinkedIn effectively.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Facebook and Google privacy, and why debt collectors aren’t allowed to contact debtors online.

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Majority of Facebook Users Hate Redesign

Facebook is in the midst of rolling out a major redesign, and users aren’t happy about it. According to the New York Times, “a poll run by the social media news blog Mashable found that 75 percent of Facebook fans ‘hate’ the redesign. The new Facebook fared even worse on the poll site Sodahead, where 86 percent gave the changes a thumbs down.”

Debt Collectors Banned from Social Media in UK

The Daily Mail writes that “debt collectors are to be banned from hounding people through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, a consumer watchdog said today. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has updated its Debt Collection Guidance to reflect new methods of communication, to prevent people suffering the ‘stress and embarrassment’ of having their money troubles made public.”

Facebook Says Privacy Settings Are Easy to Use

At the San Francisco Web 2.0 Summit, Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor said that Facebook’s privacy settings are easy to use. According to The Los Angeles Times, Taylor bases his statement on the fact that “the majority of people on Facebook have modified their privacy settings.”

Google Change Promises Privacy, but Boosts Profit

The Telegraph writes that Google’s new policy for Google Analytics is a means of making more profit, not protecting user privacy. Quoting the article, ”[Google] has enraged digital marketers by announcing it will no longer be passing search-query data to websites when users are logged into Google accounts such as Gmail, unless you pay them via their Adwords marketing platform. From now on, when logged in, users who perform a search on Google.com do securely, using a protocol that encrypts their data, so that the owners of the websites they visit can no longer see what search terms led them there.” This change is being billed as a privacy protection for consumers but the fact that the info is still available if an advertiser pays for it demonstrates how Google really feels about personal data.

In today’s Quick Hits, Facebook is hit with a lawsuit, Google adds some privacy features to Google+, and Barnes & Noble tries to swoop in on Borders’ customer base.

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Kansas Man Seeks Class-Action Lawsuit Against Facebook Over Tracking Cookies

A Kansas man recently filed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging that the company violated federal wiretap laws by tracking browsing data on users after they logged off the service. As ABC News explains, however, the litigation may be unsuccessful because it is difficult to prove harm in these kinds of cases. Quoting the article, “Experts say the Kansas litigation faces an uphill battle since courts in the past have tossed out similar cases against Facebook and others filed under wiretap law, finding such computer cookies are not wiretaps. In those cases that do end up being litigated the plaintiffs typically lose because they cannot prove any harm.”

There is a movement among some privacy activists to reframe what constitutes “privacy harm” in a legal sense. Stanford’s Ryan Calo has been a leading voice in the debate over the meaning of privacy harm and was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on the subject last year.

Dad “Stalks” Journalist Daughter on Twitter

In today’s Quick Hits, Google’s Street View cameras turn up something naughty, Facebook wins the Internet’s popularity contest, a student council president risks his office over a few dumb tweets, and Leslie Gaines-Ross offers smart reputation management advice.

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Google Street View Captures Photo of Naked Woman in Florida

When Google’s Street View cars are in your neighborhood, you should probably shut your blinds. Better yet, don’t stand fully nude in your backyard. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the Florida woman who was snapped standing naked outside of her home by Google cameras. According to The Huffington Post, “Typically, Google Street View pixelates faces, license plates and other potentially identifying information. However, this nude photo somehow slipped by Google’s censors.”

Facebook is the Most Popular Website in the United States

The Huffington Post reports that “according to new research from Nielsen’s ‘The Social Media Report,’ American Internet users now devote more time to Facebook than any other website, spending a total of 53.5 billion minutes a month on the world’s largest social networking site.” Coming in at a distant second was Yahoo (17.2 billion minutes), followed by Google (12.5 billion minutes).

College Student President Faces Impeachment Over Offensive Twitter Comments

The student body president of a South Carolina college faces impeachment from his position following complaints over a handful of inappropriate and offensive tweets. The tweets, which have been called sexist and homophobic, include disparaging remarks about fellow elected officers on the student government council.

Leslie Gaines-Ross: 5 Ways to Counter a Digital Crisis

In a Wall Street Journal blog post, Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist at global communications firm Weber Shandwick and board member of the Online Reputation Management Association, offers five tips on how big brands can weather a digital crisis and protect their online reputations. As Gaines-Ross explains, quick action is important because, “a company that handles itself online says much about its ability to execute in this modern age and helps define how a company is perceived.”

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about a poorly planned social media promotion by Qantas, why you should secure your Google account, the social media savvy of Canadian teens, and an interesting case involving sexy photos on a stolen laptop.

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Qantas Apologizes Over ‘Blackface’ Photo in Promotional Contest

Qantas sheepishly apologized to the public after the Australian airline chose a picture of two men wearing blackface as the winner of a promotional contest. According to the Daily Mail, “The airline had offered two tickets to the deciding game of the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand national rugby teams in Brisbane on Saturday night… The tickets were awarded to two Wallabies fans who dressed up in ‘afro’ wigs, daubed black paint on their faces and wore the Australian rugby green-and-gold uniform. The pair said they were copying their ‘favourite player’, Fijian-born flanker Wallabies flanker Radike Samo, by blacking up their faces, arms and legs.” While Samo himself was not offended by the fans, even posing for a picture with them, members of the public expressed outrage at the “racist” photos, leading Qantas to remove the offending tweet and issue an apology.

How To Secure Your Google Accounts

From Gmail to Google Reader, avid Google users may have a lot of information tied up in their Google accounts. As Angela West at PCWorld explains, “For many of us, a Gmail password is not just a Gmail password. It’s a passport to our Google Docs account, our AdWords campaigns, our personal Google calendars, Google Docs, and more. That’s not to mention access to Gmail itself, through which someone can find tax returns, private email conversations, and other data to pull off identity or credit card theft. If you are using Google business apps, you risk damage to your company if staff members’ accounts are insecure.”

In the rest of her article, West offers four tips on how to secure your Google account from hackers and keep your personal information protected.

Canadian Youth More Likely to Use Privacy Filters Online

Younger Canadian social media users are more likely to share content online, but they are also more likely to use privacy filters to protect their content. Quoting a CBC report, “a study released on Aug. 25 by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner found those aged 18 to 34 are more likely to use social media sites, but are also more likely to be aware of and to use restrictive privacy controls compared to older Canadians.” Just because teens are digital natives, however, doesn’t mean they are always using social media safely. As one researcher explains, “although teens may be more familiar with the technology, they are also less mature and more likely to take risks in terms of what they post.”

Court Case Raises Interesting Questions About Privacy of Information on Stolen Laptops

Forbes privacy blogger Kashmir Hill writes about an interesting new court case that delves into some complex privacy issues. The case involves a school teacher who unknowingly purchased a stolen laptop from a student. The teacher then used the laptop to share sexually explicit material with her long-distance boyfriend. When the school tracked the laptop using remote access software, they were able to gain access to the explicit content and shared it with police. The police then contacted the teacher over the laptop and bullied her about the pictures. Now, the teacher is suing the school and police department for an invasion of privacy in sharing the photos. Traditionally, content on a stolen piece of property would not be protected, but because the teacher was unaware that the laptop was stolen, a judge has decided to let the case proceed.

In today’s Quick Hits, Eric Schmidt uses interesting language to describe Google+, Dan Tynan criticizes Facebook’s new privacy settings, and ZDNet tests your ability to weed out phishing scams.

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Eric Schmidt Calls Google+ an “Identity System”

You might think of Google+ as a social networking site, but according to Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, it’s an “identity system.” Schmidt made the statement while defending Google’s policy of requiring real names, which many have criticized for being overly aggressive. As BusinessInsider explains, this approach is useful for Google because having a single trusted identity “could ease their interactions offline and online,” making Internet advertising, the core of Google’s business model, more effective.

Juror Sentenced to Community Service for “Friending” Defendant

A Texas juror was sentenced to two days of community service after he pleaded guilty to contempt of court following his attempts to “friend” the defendant in the case on Facebook. The juror also attempted to talk about the case with the defendant, in clear violation of the court’s orders to not discuss the case online. This isn’t the first time that a juror has gotten in trouble for social networking, not will it be the last, as social media has become a staple of everyday life.

Legitimate Facebook E-mails vs. Phishing E-mails

Could you tell the difference between a legitimate Facebook e-mail and a phishing scam? It’s not as easy as it seems. This article from ZDNet gives three examples and asks the reader to pick whether the e-mail is legit or a scam. The level of sophistication around online scams may surprise you.

Dan Tynan: Facebook Privacy Controls Stil Broken

Despite Facebook’s recent efforts to make privacy controls more accessible, the company is still missing the point when it comes to user privacy, according to tech journalist Dan Tynan. In his ITWorld column, Tynan singles out Facebook’s new tagging controls, which he says allow users to post negative information about a Facebook user without them knowing.

Quoting Tynan, “Using Facebook’s new “improved” privacy controls, you can tag someone else in photo and then keep them from seeing it. It’s pretty simple; just change the sharing option so they don’t see what you posted. So if you want to tag a picture of a jackass with your friend’s name on it and make it Public, everyone on Facebook will be able to see it except one – the person whose name is on it.”

Christopher Wolf of Future of Privacy Forum Questions Law Focused on Erasing Privacy Data

Attorney Christopher Wolf, who is co-chair of the Future of Privacy Forum, recently appeared on Bloomberg Law where he questioned the efficacy of new privacy laws that promise to give consumers the power to erase their private data on demand. Wolf specifically discussed the “Do-Not-Track Kids Act of 2011,” which he said could be unwieldy and difficult for companies to enforce.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Google’s historic settlement over illegal ads, how social media use is linked to higher levels of substance abuse in teens, and what Facebook’s new privacy settings mean for users.

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Google Pays $500 Million in Settlement Over Illegal Pharmaceutical Ads

In one of the largest settlements in U.S. history, Google has agreed to pay $500 million in damages after a Department of Justice investigation determined that the company violated U.S. laws by allowing Canadian pharmacies to advertise and sell drugs to U.S. consumers. Google has suspended this practice and apologized for the advertisements.

Social Media Use Linked to Higher Rates of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Teens

According to a new survey commissioned by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teenaged social network users were “five times more likely to report using tobacco (10 percent versus 2 percent), three times more likely to say they used alcohol (26 percent versus 9 percent) and twice as likely to admit using marijuana (13 percent versus 7 percent).” It’s important to note that the survey doesn’t show a causal link between social media and substance abuse, but that certain elements of social networking can contribute to relaxed attitudes about alcohol and drug use.

HR Magazine: Why Facebook Searches on Job Hunters Should Be Banned

In an article for HR Magazine, Paul Deakin argues that screening job applicants based on their social media profiles causes hiring managers to prejudge candidates unfairly and should be banned. Quoting Deakin, “By their very nature, social networking sites are not naturally respectful of privacy, reputation and control which is something both HR professionals and job applicants should take into account.”

Microsoft Deletes “Supercookie”

According to The Register, “Microsoft has deleted code on its MSN website that secretly logged visitors’ browsing histories across multiple web properties, even when the users deleted browser cookies to elude tracking.” These so-called “supercookies” are practically impossible to opt out from and have drawn considerable criticism from privacy advocates.

Wall Street Journal: What Facebook’s new Privacy Settings Mean For You

The Wall Street Journal’s Digits blog has a good report on Facebook’s new privacy controls and how they will affect Facebook users. Reputation.com shared a first look at Facebook’s new privacy controls in a blog post yesterday.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about “Cyber Shame,” one photographer’s stand against cyberbullying, and the White House’s consumer privacy protection plans.

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Over a Third of Young People Experience “Cyber Shame” from Social Media

“More than a third of young people admit to feeling ‘cyber shame’ after posting embarrassing photos or posts online while drunk” according to a survey commissioned by the alcohol education charity Drinkaware. In addition to the physical dangers of excessive drinking, Chris Sorek, CEO of Drinkaware, notes that there are also reputation consequences to posting drunk photos online. Sorek explains that living in the digital world “means that people who have been drinking to excess can have their actions come back to haunt them online,” particularly when it comes to getting a new job and other important life transactions.

Photographer’s Refusal to Serve “Ugly” People Wins Support from Anti-Bullying Advocates

A Pennsylvania photographer has become an unlikely spokesperson in the country’s growing crusade against bullying after she refused to photograph several high school girls whom she observed on a Facebook page bullying other students. In a note on Facebook, Jennifer McKendrick wrote that she didn’t want to make people who were ugly on the inside look beautiful on the outside. Since making her stand, McKendrick has received broad support from anti-bullying advocates across the country.

Consumers Turn to Twitter to Complain About Businesses

The Sydney Morning Herald writes, “consumers are increasingly turning to Twitter and Facebook to vent their frustrations at having their complaints ignored as online activism becomes a powerful tool forcing businesses to fix unresolved issues.” Citing several examples where online activism has forced company’s to change their operating procedures, the Herald article highlights an important new reality for businesses of all sizes. In a world where customers can talk directly to brands, it’s important that brands listen and talk back.

Criticism of Google+ Real Name Policy

In an article for InformationWeek, Thomas Claburn argues that Google’s real name policy for its new social network Google+ is a mistake, offering five reasons why it hurts users. Claburn’s argument echos other complaints from tech writers who view Google’s name policy as a mistake and argue that it stifles open discourse online.

White House Pushes Consumer Privacy Protection Plan

Danny Weitzner, associate administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently outlined the White House’s plans for improving consumer privacy without stifling innovation in the economy. During comments at a Technology Policy Institute conference, Weitzner said, “You can have stronger privacy law, clearer rules, clearer principles established in law, without the costs and downsides of a traditional regulatory structure.” How privacy rules would be regulated without a traditional regulatory structure remains to be seen, but the notion of a broad “Privacy Bill of Rights” still seems to be popular in Washington, D.C.