Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits

In today’s Quick Hits, we discuss the government’s limited role in regulating Facebook and a piece of major new cyberbullying from Massachusetts.

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Dallas Radio Personality Fired Over Offensive Tweet

Earlier in the week, former MLB pitcher Mike Bacsik was fired from his job as a Dallas sports radio personality for leaving a racially insensitive update on Twitter. In reference to an altercation during Game 5 of the Dallas Mavericks/San Antonio Spurs NBA playoff series, Bacsik jumped on twitter to say, “Congrats to all the dirty mexicans in San Antonio.”

To his credit, Bacsik took full responsibility for the tweet and owned up to his mistake, saying “When you tweet like that, it’s not a playful, harmless thing… If you want to do a job like this, your guard always has to be up… I learned my lesson. I’m owning up to what I did.” Many Twitter users still don’t use enough discretion when it comes to what they share online. Unfortunately, they, like Bacsik, only become aware of the problem when it affects them negatively.

Robert Scoble Wonders if the Government Can Really Regulate Facebook

In an article for Silicon Alley Insider, noted tech blogger Robert Scoble explains why it’s too late for the government to regulate Facebook effectively. Citing a number of reasons from the slow speed of government intervention to the ineffectiveness of fines, Scoble makes his best point in the article’s last paragraph.

“So, what can be done about Facebook? I don’t see what we can do about Facebook. Not enough people have changed their behaviors due to these changes. I’m watching and these features are VERY popular. Even here in Israel, far from the hype bubble of Silicon Valley, all the geeks I talked with are impressed with the new features and many are already implementing them… Zuckerberg just played chicken with our privacy and it sure looks like he won based on what I’m hearing here in Israel.”

Germany Still Steamed Over Google Street View

New privacy concerns over Google Street View in Germany have cropped up since German regulators learned that Google was “archiving the locations of household wireless networks.” The criticism, which Google recently responded to at its Official European Policy Blog, revolved around what Google does with the data and whether taking it violates any German privacy laws.

Massachusetts Cyberbullying Legislation Passes

According to the Boston Globe, a state bill focused on anti-bullying has been approved with overwhelming support from Massachusetts lawmakers. Described as “one of the nation’s toughest” anti-bullying laws, the legislation contains “broad prohibitions against any actions that could cause emotional or physical harm, including text messages and taunting over the Internet.” The bill also requires that faculty and students undergo anti-bullying training, that parents receive notice when bullying occurs at school, and that school officials investigate every instance of reported bullying.

The legislation, which was prompted by the cyberbullying suicides of two Massachusetts youths, Phoebe Prince and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, has received support from the Anti-Defamation League and others, but is being criticized by civil libertarians who feel that the law could infringe upon constitutionally protected speech. The bill also is being criticized as a noble, but impractical measure that will be hard to enforce.