Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits

In today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits, we learn why it is important to think before you post a joke on Facebook, and why privacy seems to be a much more important issue in Europe than in the United States.

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Australian Government Seeks Answers for Internet Safety Concerns

20 Australian high school students have been suspended for establishing a Facebook page mocking one of their teachers. This latest incident comes on the heels of two other Facebook-related incidents in Australia, which has prompted the Prime Minister to consider appointing an Internet ombudsmen to act as a liaison between Internet companies and the government to resolve issues of cyberbullying, hacking, and other cyber crimes.

Bug Temporarily Reroutes Facebook Messages

For a brief period of time yesterday evening, some Facebook users had their messages accidentally rerouted to different people. The bug, which Facebook says was fixed by engineers quickly, only affected a small percentage of users. Nevertheless, how embarrassing would it be to find out a personal message was rerouted to a total stranger.

Twitter Phishing Attacks Claim UK Bank as Victim

Over night, a number of high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised by a phishing attack causing pornographic direct messages to be sent to the infected user’s followers. One of the Twitter accounts compromised was the UK bank First Direct. The attack underscores the importance of maintaining tight security, using strong passwords, not clicking on any suspicious links, and being prepared with a communications strategy should an attack occur.

European Union Voices Objections Over Google Street View

The European Union is again criticizing Google over its popular but controversial Street View program. According to CNET, the EU has sent Google a letter insisting that the company “warn towns and cities before it snaps photos” and “cut the time it keeps the original photos online from a year to six months.” For its part, Google says it does everything within its power to preserve the anonymity of individuals who might be caught on camera and that, furthermore, the pictures Google takes for Street View are all on public property.

Google’s Italian Court Case Was Lose-Lose

The European Union’s latest objection over Street View is just the latest problem for Google in Europe. In a PCWorld article, Jared Newman examines the recent Italian court decision that found three Google executives in violation of privacy laws for not working faster to remove a web video of three teens bullying a mentally disabled child. In his editorial, Newman argues that, even if the Google execs were found not guilty, the outcome was always going to be lose-lose for Google.

University Professor Suspended Over Joke on Facebook

A university professor has been suspended indefinitely after making a joke on her Facebook page about hiring a hitman to shoot her students. The Facebook postings, which were intended to be humorous, were seen by administrators as a legitimate threat to student safety. In light of a recent shooting at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, the administrators may have been right to be suspicious. If they hadn’t acted, and the professor was serious, they surely would have faced criticism for not taking the threat seriously.

On the Internet, it can be difficult to tell if someone is joking, particularly when the issue at hand involves the threat of violence. As demonstrated in this case, as well as in the case of a man who was banned from a UK airport for life after making a joke on Twitter, it is important for social media users to be extremely considerate of what they post online.