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 new bill that would punish companies for privacy breaches, changes to Missouri’s ban on social networking for teachers, and why Twitter CEO Dick Costolo likes having anonymous users on his site.

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New Bill Would Penalize Companies for Privacy Breaches

A new bill in the U.S. Senate would penalize companies for security breaches that compromise consumer privacy. The bill comes in response to a number of high-profile breaches in the past year. According to VentureBeat, “Democratic Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal, who sponsored the bill, said many of the more recent security breaches (like Sony’s Playstation Online fiasco) were very preventable.”

Facebook to Work With German Government on Privacy Code of Conduct

According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook has agreed to work with the German government on developing a voluntary privacy code of conduct that will “cover issues such as strengthening media literacy and transmitting data in accordance with German law.” Facebook and numerous other Internet companies have faced stiff resistance from privacy regulators in Germany, which is one of the most privacy-conscious European countries.

Social Media Advice for Job Hunters

Boston Globe career columnist Scott Kirsner wants to help the unemployed get back to work, so he turned to a host of Internet experts and hiring managers to offer advice on how to use social media to find a new job. The article has lots of great tips and insights on how an individual’s online reputation can help them stand out from other job applicants.

Sponsor of Missouri Social Networking Ban Changes Wording of Bill

Following a federal judge’s decision to halt the implementation of a Missouri social networking ban between teachers and students, the sponsor of the bill has made some changes to the legislation that will likely circumvent the injunction. According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, “In her new version, [Sen. Jane Cunningham] gives local school districts complete control over the subject but does impose a requirement that each district have a policy on social media contacts between staff and students.”

Twitter CEO Champions Ability to Stay Anonymous

While Google and Facebook are on the defensive over their “real name only” policies, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has gone out of his way to champion Twitter’s pseudonym-friendly service. According to Wired, Costolo recently argued that real name policies are increase the value of advertising on the site at the expense of the user. Instead, Costolo says, “[Twitter is] are more interested in serving our users first, and we think by serving that by serving our users first, we will have a better platform for marketers and advertisers.”

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.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about an unusual criminal case in Mexico, a recently discovered Facebook flaw, one dad’s beef with Facebook, and some advice for college students on online reputation management.

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Two in Mexico Face 30 Years in Prison for Twitter Updates

Two people in Mexico are facing up to 30 years in prison for allegedly causing a panic with their Twitter updates. The Huffington Post reports that the individuals tweeted updates about an alleged attack at a local school where gunmen were kidnapping children. The reports turned out to be untrue, but the panic caused by the messages supposedly led to 28 car accidents and the collapse of the emergency response telephone system. The defendants in the case say that they weren’t tweeting maliciously, but were merely passing on information that they had heard. Numerous civil rights groups have petitioned for the pair to face lesser charges.

Facebook Flaw Allows Administrators to Get Kicked Off Their Own Pages

A flaw in Facebook allows page administrators to remove the original creator of the page. ZDNet explains that, while it is the original creator who assigns the administrators, new admins shouldn’t be able to remove the original creator according to Facebook’s written policy. This flaw poses a security risk, because “if [an admin] account gets hijacked by someone else, in addition to their account, your Facebook Page could be taken over as well.”

Dad Sues Facebook Over 12-Year-Old Daughter’s Racy Pictures

A dad in Northern Ireland is suing Facebook after discovering sexually provocative pictures of his 12-year-old daughter on the site. The dad argues that Facebook isn’t doing enough to enforce its own policy of restricting children 13 and under from accessing the site. Of course, it’s nothing new for under-13 kids to join Facebook, either with or without permission. In May, a Facebook spokesperson said that the site bans 20,000 underage Faceook accounts everyday.

Students Must be Aware of Their Online Reputations

This article in the Toronto Sun explains why students need to be extra careful about protecting their online reputations. Quoting the article, “It used to be that a university student could go out to a wild party, drink their face off, pull some embarrassing stunts before stumbling home and the only record would be a conversation among friends later. Not that we’re condoning the behaviour, but at least it only existed over a 24-hour period.  These days, it’s all archived. And the people paying attention could be the ones writing your future paycheque.”

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, 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.

In today’s Quick Hits, Jackie Chan faces a Twitter death hoax, Apple faces thousands of lawsuits, and four tech titans face off against each other for digital dominance.

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Jackie Chan Death Hoax Hits Twitter Again

Beloved action star Jackie Chan has been declared dead on Twitter…again. According to the Washington Post, “Rumors of [Chan's] demise rekindled Tuesday night after someone made an ‘RIP Jackie Chan’ Facebook page. The page has more than 67,000 followers, and Twitter has been buzzing again.” Chan was the victim of an Internet death hoax in March as well, following in the footsteps of numerous other unfortunate celebrities.

LinkedIn’s Social-Ad Misstep

LinkedIn recently found itself in hot water with privacy advocates after the company opted users into social advertising without their explicit consent. The resulting backlash has forced LinkedIn to change its privacy policies. This article from the New York Times Gadgetwise blog discusses the entire LinkedIn incident in detail, along with information on how to opt out of social ads on LinkedIn.

27,000 Koreans Sue Apple Over iPhone Privacy

According to PCWorld, “nearly 27,000 South Koreans are suing Apple for privacy violations” following the company’s recent flap over location tracking via its mobile devices. Apple, which briefly was the richest company in the world following stock market fluctuations, can pay any penalties from the lawsuits easily, but there is a bigger issue at stake. As PCWorld explains, “a victory for the plaintiffs could spell bigger trouble for the company in the U.S., where it could embolden more plaintiffs and politicians to go after Apple.” With privacy continuing to be a touchy issue, Apple certainly doesn’t want this issue dredged up again with U.S. regulators.

Facebook and Yahoo Test Six Degrees of Separation Theory

It’s been said that all human beings can be connected by six degrees of separation, but researchers have never been able to prove this theory. Now, thanks to the incredible growth of social networking technology, it may actually be possible to put the theory to the test. The Washington Post reports that Facebook and Yahoo are starting something called the “Small World Experiment,” which will use Facebook’s extensive network of 750 million members to try and link two random people in six steps.

Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple Compete for Dominance in Digital Age

This article in the Washington Post discusses how four of the world’s largest tech companies – Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple – are competing with each other to rule the “digital age.” Each company is taking its own approach, sometimes working together and sometimes working against each other, to imprint their vision of the future on consumers.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about Twitter’s new features, why sexting is an issue for schools (even if teens disagree), and why Rebecca Black of “Friday” fame had to drop out of school.

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Twitter Adds Facebook-Like Changes

Twitter is rolling out a handful of changes to its popular micro-blogging service, and many of them appear to be taken from social networking kingpin Facebook. This article from MSNBC describes the new features and why Twitter users may like and dislike the ability to see more information about who is interacting with them and what their followers are doing.

Teens Treat Sexting as No Big Deal

In a feature for the New York Times, several teens share their thoughts on sexting, the practice of sending nude or sexually provocative photos of oneself to others via mobile devices or online. Disturbingly, the teens interviewed don’t seem to think sexting is a big deal, even as they acknowledge that the photos routinely get shared with the whole school. For instance, one teen says “About three photos go viral each year and a third of the school sees them.” Simultaneously, however, teens don’t understand the ramifications of sexting. At the end of the article, a different teen is shocked to learn that sexting is actually against the law.

Schools and Politicians Struggle with Teen Sexting and Social Media Use

While teens may not think sexting is a big issue, educators and lawmakers disagree. For instance, should two teens who send nude photos back and forth be charged as sex criminals? This article from the Northwest Indiana Times discusses a new Indiana law that clarifies the issue of sexting, making it more difficult for children to be arrested and charged with child pornography for sharing nude photos with their peers. The article also discusses how texting and social media have contributed to bullying, and some of the steps schools have taken to discourage online harassment.

Unintentional Viral Sensation Rebecca Black Leaves School Over Bullying

Rebecca Black, whose embarrassing music video Friday caused her international fame (or infamy) after racking up millions of views on YouTube, recently revealed that she had to drop out of her school after being bullied about the song. Black, who is now being home schooled, continues to maintain a positive attitude, saying “one thing that you can’t do is let them stop you from doing what you want to do.” The Internet celebrity singer is now trying to build a real recording career.

Educators and Parents Dealing with Missouri School Ban on Social Media

Several weeks ago, the state of Missouri banned teachers from interacting with students on social media websites. Since that time, educators and parents have been trying to work out the specifics of the rules, and figure out a way to keep positive interactions from getting swept aside by a blanket ban. This article and segment from The Early Show on CBS talks about the first amendment issues at stake in Missouri’s decision as well as other ways that parents can help keep their children safe online.

In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about how deleted tweets are “undetweetable,” Facebook’s upcoming design tweaks, new facial recognition technology, and a guide to Google+ privacy settings.

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Undetweetable Archives Deleted Tweets

When someone deletes a tweet, he or she probably assumes that nobody will be able to access it (and rightly so). Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as demonstrated by the new website Undetweetable. The website was created by Dean Terry who says it is meant “to test limits, to question privacy, data ownership and explore the idea of the permanence of online expression.” Twitter has already forced Terry to shut down Undetweetable, but the website still retains all of its archived tweets.

Facebook Working on Unfiltered News Feed, Expanded Like Buttons to Improve Advertising

ZDNet writes that Facebook is experimenting with an unfiltered news feed and expanded functionality for the site’s ubiquitous “like” button. Facebook is making the changes to improve advertising on the site. As ZDNet explains, “Facebook’s algorithms don’t display every piece of content that is shared, limiting the impact of the various advertising campaigns launched on the website. Facebook engineers are reportedly working to create an unfiltered News Feed that would show everything your friends are doing on the social network: from what games and apps they are using on the site to what Pages of companies and products they Like.”

Facial Recognition Software Tracks Faces Over Time

A new software program from a University of Washington scientist and Google engineer is pushing the limits of facial recognition technology. The software, which has already been incorporated into Google’s Picasa photo-sharing service, synchs an individual’s facial features and expressions across multiple photos to create a movie. In Picasa, the feature is known as Face Movie and it also includes a name tagging feature. While technologically impressive, this software raises numerous privacy questions. If software like this can do such a good job of organizing unstructured photos, what could it do on a website like Facebook, where there are billions of available images?

Lifehacker Guide to Google+ Privacy Settings

Gawker’s Lifehacker blog has a great guide to Google+ privacy settings. Included in the guide are detailed instructions on how to conceal one’s profile, manage Google’s Social Circles feature, and how to ensure your posts don’t unintentionally end up being public.

In today’s Quick Hits, Groupon has made a big change to its privacy policy, early Google+ users are optimistic about the service, and some thoughts from NPR on kids and social networking.

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Groupon Changes Privacy Policy to Collect More User Information

In advance of its upcoming IPO, the group discount company Groupon is increasing the amount of data it shares with third party companies. Groupon announced its privacy policy changes in an e-mail to customers on Sunday. According to Cecilia Kang at the Washington Post, Groupon said it would “expand the categories of “personal information” it collects and shares with partners, such as Expedia. Now, Groupon will share data on interests and habits with third-parties. Other information it shares includes contact information, relationship information, transaction information and mobile location information.”

Oakland A’s Suspend Pitching Prospect Over Twitter Updates

The Oakland A’s have suspended top pitching prospect Ian Krol for an offensive tweet involving a “gay slur along with some other offensive language.” This is not the first time that an athlete has been suspended for his social networking presence, but Krol’s low follower numbers make this an interesting story. At the time of the update, Krol only had approximately 90 followers. While 90 people is not a significant audience, the A’s organization determined that anything Krol said, no matter how many people he said it to, reflected on the A’s organization as a whole and that a suspension was necessary.

10 Safe Social Networking Websites for Kids

NPR writes about social networking websites for children and how there is a growing demand for such services. Quoting the article, “The need is undeniable; the market potentially huge and lucrative. Companies are gearing up for this gold rush by creating websites strictly for children and websites that allow parents to create profiles for their kids.” The article then lists 10 of the better known social networking websites for kids, including YourSphere from fellow ABC 20/20 Web Avenger Mary Kay Hoal.

When Should Children Join Social Networks?

In another NPR article on social networking for children, Linton Weeks discusses the appropriate age for kids to join social networking websites and how some parents are approaching the issue. Weeks’ article does a good job of discussing the various dangers involved with social networking for young users as well as the possible benefits, citing a number of academic sources.

Understanding Google+ Privacy Settings

As Google’s new social network, Google+, continues to roll out to a larger audience, many tech journalists are on high alert for privacy slip-ups. So far, Google has done a good job with privacy on Google+, earning mostly positive reviews. As the product becomes more popular however, there is potential for even one confusing privacy setting to turn off users. This article in the Wall Street Journal discusses Google+ privacy settings and where the company may run into some problems.