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 toddlers on Facebook, Facebook’s new “trusted friends” security feature, and how some healthcare workers are violating patient privacy by posting information on social networking sites.

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Is Facebook Profile for Your Toddler Too Much?

Psychologist Andrea Bonior has an interesting article on the Huffington Post about the downside of creating a Facebook profile for your toddler. Bonior argues that there are privacy concerns, issues about the child’s lack of consent, and the potential for future resentment. The article is a great read for any new parents who want to create social media accounts for their kids.

Facebook Introduces Trusted Friend Feature

Facebook just introduced an interesting new security feature. TIME’s Techland blog explains: “Facebook just announced a new feature called Trusted Friends, which uses—surprise, surprise—your social network to log you back in if you forget your password. This is how it works: First, you pick five Facebook friends you trust. If you get locked out, you can arrange it so those friends get a code. Afterwards, call them, collect three of the codes, enter them, and voila—you’re back in business. Facebook likens it “to giving a house key to your friends when you go on vacation.”

Healthcare Workers Violating Patient Privacy via Social Media

A new UK report reveals that “private records belonging to ill and vulnerable patients were breached more than 800 times over the last five years by nurses, doctors and administrative staff at 152 NHS trusts and hospitals.” In many cases, these breaches came via social media, where workers posted information about patients and sometimes photos.

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, we talk about a new social start-up, why oversharing and privacy don’t go hand-in-hand, the ongoing investigation into Facebook’s alleged “shadow profiles,” and how one Austrian law student’s efforts to access his Facebook data have created international press coverage.

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Internet Start-up Wants to be the Anti-Facebook

A new Internet company hopes to take on Facebook and Google+ by painting the companies as corporate giants interested only in snatching user data. Quoting CNN, the website, called Upthink, hopes “to capitalize on frustrations with the social networking giant, not to mention some of the anti-corporate sentiment bubbling up on Wall Street and beyond.” The start-up is similar to Diaspora, a self-proclaimed privacy-centric alternative to Facebook that launched to much fanfare last year.

Choosing Between Twitter and Privacy

In an op-ed for NJ.com, Carl Golden writes that the way people overshare online is at odds with a society that desires personal privacy. Quoting the op-ed: “In the electronic communication world in which we live, nothing remains confidential for very long and only the foolhardy believe it is. A secret, as has been said, remains a secret only for as long as it takes one person to tell another. And, in the case of social media, once it’s exposed, it’s out there forever no matter how many times or how frantically someone hits the delete button.”

Privacy Groups Investigate Facebook’s Irish Offices

Fox News reports that “privacy watchdogs began an on-site investigation Tuesday of Facebook’s regional office in Ireland, following sensational accusations that the company is creating extensive ‘shadow profiles’ of non-users.” Facebook has denied the claims and is cooperating with the investigation.

Austrian Law Student Takes on Facebook Over Privacy

The AP has an interesting report on one Austrian law student’s efforts to show how much data Facebook collects and stores about users online. Quoting the article, “Max Schrems wasn’t sure what he would get when he asked Facebook to send him a record of his personal data from three years of using the site.  What the 24-year-old Austrian law student didn’t expect, though, was 1,222 pages of data on a CD. It included chats he had deleted more than a year ago, ‘pokes dating back to 2008, invitations to which he had never responded, let alone attended, and hundreds of other details.”

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 allegations that Facebook is creating “shadow profiles,” a New Jersey politician’s ill-advised tweets, a new survey on cyberbullying, and a look at TrueRep from Intelius.

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Irish Data Protection Commissioner Claims Facebook Creating “Shadow Profiles”

According to Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, Facebook “is now building profiles of non-users who haven’t even signed up.” The claim, which Facebook categorically denied, is the latest problem for Facebook in Europe, where privacy laws are much stronger. According to Fox News, the Data Protection Commissioner “will be commencing a comprehensive audit of Facebook Ireland before the end of the month.”

New Jersey Senate Candidate Apologizes for Sexist Twitter Update

A New Jersey Senate Candidate has apologized for a sexist Twitter update directed at women saying, “Women, you increase your odds of keeping your men by being faithful, a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom.” The adage, which was paraphrased from a famous quote by Mick Jagger’s ex-wife, was labeled offensive by both political parties.

Survey Shows Parents and Students Want Action on Bullying

According to a new report from the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, more than three-quarters of students want schools to be involved in bullying prevention. The report also reveals that 84% of parents think schools should step in in the case of cyberbullying. This report reflects a growing awareness of bullying issues among students and parents.

Dan Tynan Reviews TrueRep

In an article for IT World, Dan Tynan writes about TrueRep, the new reputation management service from people-search and online background check company Intelius. Tynan’s review isn’t flattering: “Say you have a fresh water well on your land. The water is all the data available about you in the public record. Though the water is technically yours, other people can also drink from the well, and you still have to pump it out yourself when you get thirsty. Companies like Intelius take the water, bottle it, and sell it back to you at a profit.  And that’s what TrueRep is: your own water in a fancy plastic bottle.”

In today’s Quick Hits, tracking technology helps uncover a cheating spouse, Larry Magid discusses the dangers of oversharing, a teacher gets in trouble over Facebook posts, and a New York woman creates a new online identity with a UK woman’s photos.

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Did iPhone ‘Find My Friends’ Feature Help Uncover Cheating Wife?

Kashmir Hill at Forbes has the story of how the iPhone’s new “Find My Friends” feature may have helped a husband find his cheating wife. Hill writes that the Find My Friends feature makes tracking easy: “Now you can just install the ‘Find My Friends’ app on your wife’s new iPhone 4s without her knowledge and see if she goes where she said she was going to go on a Saturday night. That’s what one Machead claims to have done this weekend, and now he’s planning to file for a divorce.” Naturally, the legality of the spurned husband’s tracking has been called into question. The courts are still debating whether GPS tracking is a violation of privacy.

Larry Magid: Be Careful of Oversharing

In a column for the San Jose Mercury News, child safety advocate and tech expert Larry Magid talks about the dangers of oversharing online. Recalling a recent incident where a Google engineer accidentally made a negative rant about Google+ public, Magid offers tips on how to make sure you know when you’re sharing privately and publicly.

Alabama Teacher Allegedly Mocks Special Needs Students on Facebook

An Alabama school teacher is in trouble after he allegedly mocked students with special needs in a Facebook post. According to the Los Angeles Times, the teacher made derogatory statements about special-ed students and also “posted a picture of himself with a helmet” to make fun of students. The school declined to say what punishment the teacher faced for his posts, but that “appropriate measures” were taken.

The Bizarre Story of How One Woman Had Her Internet Identity Stolen

WalesOnline has the unusual story of how a New York woman used a Welsh woman’s online pictures to set up a fake MySpace account and engage in a four-year online relationship with a man. The details of the story are too complicated to repeat here, but the basic takeaway is that the Internet is a crazy place.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about the infamous Hollywood hacker, why Facebook doesn’t have to give you all of your data, Verizon’s big privacy policy changes, and how a New Jersey teacher’s Facebook comments have started a mini-controversy in her school district.

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Man Accused of Hacking Into Celebrity Accounts Claims “Addiction” to Violating Privacy

The Florida man arrested for hacking into the e-mail accounts of Scarlet Johansson, Mila Kunis, and other celebrities has apologized for his actions, claiming that he knew what he was doing was wrong but that he couldn’t stop himself. According to the hacker, he “became addicted to seeing the behind-the-scenes of what’s going on with these people you see on the big screen every day.” If convicted of all charges, the hacker faces up to 121 years in prison.

Facebook Won’t Give Users Their Data to Protect “Trade Secrets”

In news that clearly demonstrates Facebook’s priorities when it comes to user data, the company recently revealed that international law protects it from having to give up all data about users, even if they request the data themselves. The news came out when users of the social sharing website Reddit flooded Facebook with data requests and the company was forced to reject the requests.

Verizon Now Sharing Location Data, Web Surfing Data, and More

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Verizon Wireless has made a change in its privacy policy that clears the nation’s largest wireless carrier to track its subscribers’ Web browsing, location and app usage habits.  The change in Verizon’s privacy policy covers all customers of the company by default, automatically opting-in subscribers, though they can opt out of this if they want.”

Teacher Sparks Controversy With Anti-Gay Facebook Remarks

A New Jersey teacher sparked a controversy after school administrators discovered anti-gay speech on her Facebook wall. The woman, who was expressing her religious beliefs regarding homosexuality, may face investigation over whether she violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

In today’s Quick Hits, some school teachers get in trouble for making fun of students online, the USPS is criticized over privacy issues, a mom wonders when bullying is really bullying, and the FBI makes an arrest in the case of the Hollywood hacker.

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School Apologizes Over Teacher Facebook Post Calling Students “Inbred”

A school in the U.K. was forced to offer an embarrassing apology to parents when several of its teachers were discovered referring to students as inbred during an online chat on Facebook. This isn’t the first time a school has faced criticism for its teachers remarks. Earlier this year, a first-grade teacher in New Jersey was suspended for calling students “future criminals.”

USPS Welcome Kit Raises Privacy Concerns

For years, the cash-strapped United States Postal Service has earned money by sending ads to individuals as part of its change of address welcome kit, but privacy advocates argue that the arrangement may be in violation of federal privacy laws. According to the Washington Times, “While these welcome kits may provide a targeted marketing opportunity for advertisers and much-needed revenue for the USPS, federal agencies aren’t allowed to sell or rent personal information such as names and addresses under the federal Privacy Act.” The USPS has defended the partnership and claims that it’s doing nothing illegal.

The Difficulty of Identifying Bullying

In this article for TIME, Bonnie Rochman talks about bullying and why it can be hard for parents to identify if their child is being bullied or is a bully themselves due to changing definitions of the act. Rochman also discusses research into anti-bullying techniques and how children naturally form antipathetic relationships with some of their peers.

Man Arrested for Scarlett Johansson Nude Photo Leak and Other Hollywood Hacks

A Florida man has been arrested for hacking into the e-mail, cell phones, and social media accounts of Scarlett Johansson and other notable celebrities. According to the AP report, “the FBI announced that it had made an out-of-state arrest Wednesday morning in a year-long investigation of celebrity hacking that was dubbed Operation Hackerazzi.”

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about data collection online, Facebook’s desire for younger users, an annoying Spotify bug, and concerns over frictionless sharing online.

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Stanford Report Reveals Widespread Data Sharing on Popular Websites

A new report from the Stanford Center for Internet and Society reveals just how rampant data collection is online and how difficult it is for individuals to protect their information while browsing the Web. According to PCMag, “researchers created an account and interacted with 185 Web sites that offered a sign up, did not require a purchase, and had limited features so as to be practical for the study. They were able to identify a username or user ID leaked to a third party on 113 of those Web sites. The top five sites that received the data were: comScore, Google Analytics, Quantcast, Google’s DoubleClick, and Facebook.” The way that this leaked information can be used to create a detailed profile of individuals is worrying to government regulators who are considering enacting a “Do Not Track” law to protect personal privacy online.

Why Facebook Wants Kids as Users

In an op-ed for the New York Times, Emily Bazelon explains why Facebook wants to amend the federal Child Online Privacy Protection Act to make it easier for kids under the age of 13 to join the site, writing that “Facebook has tripled its spending on lobbying, formed a political action committee and hired former Bush and Obama officials to push for its agenda.” Despite the company’s efforts, however, it appears that new child privacy legislation may be on the horizon with Congress considering a proposal that “would bar Web sites outright from using kids’ data to target ads to them until they are 17.”

Spotify Bug Keeps Sharing Data After Users Opt-Out

Spotify angered fans recently when it forced users to sign-in through Facebook with the social sharing option enabled by default. Spotify quickly backtracked and added a private listening option, but the company missed an important bug, which caused users to continue to sharing music even after opting out. According to ZDNet, “Apparently, the Spotify app disregarded users having disconnected their Facebook accounts, and logged them back in the next time they loaded the app. As a result, users who explicitly said they no longer wanted to share their music listening activity with their Facebook friends may have continued to share songs on the social network.”

Frictionless Facebook Sharing Concerns Privacy Groups

This article from The Hill discusses how privacy groups and some congressional leaders are concerned over Facebook’s recently announced “frictionless sharing” feature. Quoting the article, Facebook “points out that users still have complete control over which applications share their data and who has access to different types of profile information…but privacy advocates respond that the controls are either too complex or wrongly make public sharing the default option.”