Opt out of Google Shared Endorsements

From Lifehacker:

Last week we mentioned that Google is updating its terms of service so it can use your name, face, reviews, and social networking activity (like +1s) in ads displayed to your friends or anyone else Google thinks would be influenced by your opinion. Good or bad, one thing is true: It's easy to opt out. Here's how.

1. Just click here to go directly to the "Shared Endorsements" Google+ settings page.
2. Uncheck the box labeled "Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads." Click Save.
3. You'll get a pop-up warning you that if you disable the feature, your friends won't see your recommendations. Click Continue.

That's all there is to it. If you don't want your name, photo, +1s, comments, or Google Reviews to be used in advertisements, you'll need to uncheck that box. You'll have to do this for every Google account you have (including Google Apps for your domain), and if you're a Google+ user, the box is enabled by default. Also remember, you can opt-out of all of Google's targeted ads as well.
On the bright side , Google has gone out of its way to tell alert people to the change and provide a direct link to opt out. That's more than can be said for Facebook, which made a similar change earlier this year, from which there's no opting out (aside from tweaking your privacy settings so no one sees what you like). To boot, Google's Shared Endorsements are (at least for now) only seen by people Google thinks would be influenced by your opinion, meaning your friends, people in your circles, or people who have circled you on Google+. It's actually a restrained way of approaching faux-word-of-mouth advertising, and there are arguments that this is actually a good thing—why wouldn't you want to hear what your friends thought of a band or restaurant before you download a new album or eat there?
On the other hand, there's something to be said for the notion that companies should be able to find ways to advertise without using the identities and likenesses of their users to do it, or even offer a users a method to pay for a useful service without constantly being marketed to or instead being forced to fight for their privacy. Similarly, not everyone likes or +1s a company or product in order to give it an endorsement—sometimes you do so for work, or to stay up to date on their products—not because you love them and want your friends to try them too. However you feel, you have until November 11th to opt out or stay opted in; that's when the new terms of service go into effect. Worst case, you could just change your profile picture to a photo of Eric Schmidt, like some people are doing.
How to Opt Out of Google’s Plan to Use Your Name and Comments in Ads | The New York Times

New Michigan Law

From TechCrunch:

Michigan Becomes Latest State To Protect Citizens From Employers And Schools Snooping On Private Social Feeds

Matt Burns

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

Employers and schools in Michigan, the greatest state in the Nation, are now prohibited from asking employees and students for passwords to their personal email and social media accounts. In a win for reasonable privacy and common sense, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder just signed House Bill 5523 into law introduced by state Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton.
“Cyber security is important to the reinvention of Michigan, and protecting the private internet accounts of residents is a part of that,” Snyder said in a released statement on 12/28/2012. “Potential employees and students should be judged on their skills and abilities, not private online activity.”
The bill also protects job and school applicants from having to give out their passwords. Offenders to the new law could be charged with a misdemeanor and charged up to a $1,000 fine.
Bills such as these are in response to a troubling trend that surfaced in 2012. Employers and schools were found asking current and prospective employees and students for access to their online accounts. This was often labeled as voluntary but not complying often had negative effects. Earlier this year, the United States House of Representatives failed in an attempt to ratify a Federal ban, paving the way for states to take up the responsibility.
California, Delaware, Illinois, and New Jersey have similar laws on the books. But remember, there’s a difference between private and personal, and anything you put online will never be completely private — right, Randi?
 

SOPA/PIPA

Today, many websites are going dark to bring attention to SOPA, the Stop Online Privacy Act, and PIPA, Protect IP Act.  To read more about them see the Wikipedia articles on SOPA and PIPA.  To see how the Michigan Delegation is voting on it, and to get links to the Senators' and Representatives' websites to leave a comment, see the ProPublica site.   Wikipedia also has a link to finding your Congressional Delegation.