OMG! Parents Friend Kids on Facebook

Racy pics, suicide threats get would-be cops dumped

(NEWSER) - Law enforcement agencies are probing potential recruits’ digital lives for information that might make them unfit for the job, USA Today reports. More than a third of police agencies look into applicants’ social media presence, says a new report conducted for police executives. Reviewing postings to sites like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, some agencies require applicants’ online passwords, or want to see their text-messaging and email records. More»

They object in principle but end up using it by proxy

(NEWSER) - The Washington Post today profiles an increasingly rare breed: people in their 20s and 30s who don't use Facebook or other such sites. And though the “refuseniks” interviewed have different rationales—privacy, “morals and beliefs,” being “old-school in the personal touch way,” many share something in common that speaks to the pervasiveness of social networking: They use Facebook by proxy. More»

Defamation lawsuit against angry student may set a precedent

(NEWSER) - A lawsuit filed by administrators at an Illinois beauty school may set a precedent regarding so-called “suck sites,” the Chicago Tribune reports. Nicholas Blacconiere, a student at the Salon Professional Academy of Elgin, welcomed classmates to criticize teachers on a Facebook page. After students posted accusations of teacher incompetence and promiscuity, administrators claimed emotional damage and filed suit for $50,000. More»

Police have gathered intel on the cyberbeat for years

(NEWSER) - As teenagers embrace social networking, campus cops have started using Facebook and MySpace to prevent brawls, monitor gangs, and—in one case—identify an armed robber based on clothing he wore in his profile picture. Officers assigned to the cyberbeat regularly scour thousands of students' pages, many of which flaunt illicit behavior. "It's crazy, the things they put on there," a sheriff tells the Washington Post. More»

Protect your offline reputation on social networking sites with these six steps

(NEWSER) - Social-networking sites make it easier to connect with friends and make new ones, but they also let casual acquaintances like co-workers—or your boss—look you up on a whim. Protect your privacy with these six steps from MarketWatch:

1. Look for tools that allow you to restrict access to your profile, like the "private" setting on MySpace or the "limited profile" function on Facebook.