Technology in Marketing: Google+. Rethinks Online Privacy

There's a fairly robust legal community developing on Google+. Legal professionals are attracted to the ability to maintain personal and professional connections in one place while honing in on posts that are important to them, their firms or their clients right now. For the most part, folks on Google+ are high-speed on the information superhighway and the information they are sharing is valuable ' and when it isn't, it is easily filtered out.

Not Facebook

Google+ offers some pretty neat functionalities ' video “Hangouts” where you can video chat with up to 10 people at once, “Sparks” news feeds that are tailored to your keyword searches, and the most talked-about feature of all, connection “Circles.” Do Google+ Circles trump Facebook's friend lists? Definitely. Unlike Facebook's friend lists (which folks rarely, if ever, use because they're cumbersome with back-end controls that seem to be ever-changing), Google+ circles are easy to use, serve as the backbone of the platform, and they're intuitive.

You can create as many circles as you like and these circles are viewable only by you. This can lend to some creative connection sorting with groups as widely or narrowly focused as you see fit: friends, trustworthy friends, professionally dangerous friends, coworkers, coworkers I like, attorneys, IP attorneys in Texas ' and on and on. You can place each contact in as many circles as you like. And when you share a post, you have a few privacy options available:

1. Public: Visible to anyone who's added you to a circle, as well as on your public profile (more on public profiles later);
2. Extended circles: Everyone in your circles plus all the people in their circles; and
3. Selected circles: Only those people specifically listed in the circle(s) you designate.

Important! “Disable reshare” (found on each post's dropdown menu) for posts you want kept private within specific circles or you risk a contact resharing your witticism or personal photo with his or her own circles and the post potentially taking on a life of its own ' all while attached to your name as the original person posting it!

Circles also make it easy to filter out the noise online. You'll find a handy list of the circles you created under your profile picture and can select one circle at a time to view posts from folks in that specific stream ' or you can view all streams at once, en masse. This allows you to stay in touch with over-sharing friends and family without cringing and ultimately never opening your page (as happens now on Facebook).

The Pseudonym Debate

But there are privacy concerns to keep in mind before diving in ' some are likely a bit tangential for most users, like the pseudonym debate, but they deserve mention nonetheless. The more alarming privacy concerns will follow this brief overview of the pseudonym discussion.

Google+ does not want you to use pseudonyms. This fact may not be entirely clear when reviewing the last item in the Google+ User Content and Conduct Policy: “To help fight spam and prevent fake profiles, use the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you. For example, if your full legal name is Charles Jones Jr. but you normally use Chuck Jones or Junior Jones, either of those would be acceptable.” But be warned ' if you use a pseudonym and you cannot provide proof that it is your everyday, entirely identifiable name, your Google+ account will be deleted. A Google spokesman says that a grace period has been recently added whereby users have four days to change the name before the account is deleted. (See the post at https://plus.google.com/u/0/109179785755319022525/posts/YcvRKqJeiZi.)

PR Bonanza ' But Beware

As important as freedom of expression is, the pseudonym debate doesn't come close to the heart of Google's potential privacy brouhaha that will affect most users. For starters, stop thinking of Google+ as just another social networking platform ' it's not. It's the largest, most trafficked online search option out there, which now offers a powerful self-promotion platform that could potentially knock the socks off of your SEO strategy ' assuming you have one (if you don't, now would be a good time to start!). There are three key points to keep in mind:

• Google+ is connected to your Google profile.
• Your Google profile allows you to +1 items around the Web.
• Your +1s can be displayed on Google+.

Each +1 you make is a vote for that content, visible to others online and rumored to affect page rank. And even if it doesn't affect page rank (Google's spokesman says that +1 is just one of hundreds of signals it uses to rank websites), it's powerful word of mouth and free PR for that content. Each time you +1 a colleague's blog post or the latest biz-dev piece from Mashable, it's recorded for posterity. And when folks connected to you happen upon that page, they'll see “Jane Public along with 25 others +1'd this link.” Great reciprocal PR potential there, right? You +1 me, I +1 you ' as long as we're both posting killer content (which we are, of course) we both benefit. Hooray for Google's +1!

But then it gets sticky: You can +1 content publicly (where others can see what you have +1'd) but not privately (where you “anonymously” +1 content). Google's spokesman says that +1'ing is a “public action. [Anonymous +1s] are not being talked about right now.” However, he stresses that while a +1 follows a particular post or page, you can make your +1 history private on your profile page. Thus, other users who see that post can see that 15 people, for example, have +1'd that post and your name will be listed if the user cares to look, but if your history is private, other users can't see all the pages and posts that you have favored with a +1.

So, in addition to your colleague's blog posts and that piece from Mashable, folks connected to you will also
see that you +1'd that pithy blog your friend posted on his personal website where he's hilariously telling someone off (they'll probably also note your strongly worded comment supporting his post). They'll also see all those Grateful Dead videos you +1'd on YouTube ' oh and what do we have here? You established your YouTube account long ago by signing in through your Gmail address, so now folks can peruse your video history, from what you've uploaded to what you've commented on or “liked” on YouTube. And they'll start to get a better sense of who you are ' personally. That doesn't sound very good, does it? And these connections to other online profiles and accounts continue to expand daily ' all in the name of user convenience. Hello 1984, we've been expecting you. (Google's spokesman says it's not so simple ' more on that below.)

What can you do? Deleting your Google profile right now, avoiding +1s, avoiding Google+ and avoiding this potential PR crisis seems to be an attractive solution right about now, no doubt ' but you can't do this. With the Google+ adoption rate reaching 25 million users in the first month after it was launched, you can be pretty safe in the assumption that if your clients and employees aren't on Google+ yet, they will be ' soon. And both your firm and your clients will be facing the same potentially hazardous scenario. Advising them to “set everything to private” will only result in limiting their impact online ' not to mention cause headaches for you down the line if and when they want to use this functionality (and they will). You need to be ready to proactively advise your clients and your employees on best practices. Figuring out how to use +1s and Google+ to your advantage is key. Here's what you need to do:

• Create a separate and distinct Gmail address and corresponding Google profile and train yourself to use it only for professional purposes. And when that Google profile is active, watch every click you make online.
• Use this new profile to set up your Google+ account. (You can e-mail me at [email protected] for an invitation if you need one.)
• If you don't already have one, create a social media policy for your firm and your clients' firms now. (I can send you a free social media policy template to get you started. Also, see my article in the May 2009 issue of Internet Law & Strategy, “Social Media Policies: Your Firm Needs One,” http://bit.ly/qY2J5A.)
• Provide social media training for all employees. They're on social networks whether or not you approve ' and they may be viewed as unofficial brand ambassadors. Make sure they are clear about online expectations ' better safe than sorry.
• Explore Google+ now so that you're familiar with the platform and its distinct features of circles, hangouts and sparks and when they release the business page functionality, which is coming soon, you'll be ahead of the curve. ( See, “Your Google+ Guide: 15 Tips For Newbies,” from The Huffington Post at http://huff.to/nlLLLL.)

Privacy Protection

Google says that it has taken many steps to protect users' privacy with Google+ and avoid the Big Brother comparisons. Just like with the +1 history, Google's spokesman says that you can make your video tab private, and because you can edit the links that go along with your profile, there shouldn't be a way to go from a person's Google+ page to his YouTube page ' unless that person wants others to be able to and lists his or her YouTube page as a link. “You're only sharing pieces of information with folks you want to share it with,” he says. And while Google doesn't mind users setting up a separate Gmail account just to use Google+, the spokesman says that using regular Gmail accounts allows users to take advantage of integration with Google Documents, Calendar, and other Google features.

No Rush Out of Beta

The service is still in its trial period ' which means that even with an invitation, you might be told that Google+ is full, but try back later and you should be able to sign up. Google says that there's no time frame to open Google+ to the masses. They'll do so when they're “comfortable” with doing so, its spokesman says. “We're seeing how the service is being used and addressing the feedback we're getting.”

Conclusion

With the line between personal and professional lives almost completely blurred online these days, it's time to start making clear distinctions. Google+ takes one step forward when it comes to protecting your privacy, but the Google profile it's attached to and the +1 functionality can bring it two steps back if not handled with care. Taking precautions now and proactively paying attention to your online activity will put you ahead of the curve and allow you to use Google+ and all its trappings to its full potential.

Jay M. Jaffe is President and CEO of Jaffe Associates, a totally virtual PR firm serving only the legal profession. He can be reached at [email protected].

There's a fairly robust legal community developing on Google+. Legal professionals are attracted to the ability to maintain personal and professional connections in one place while honing in on posts that are important to them, their firms or their clients right now. For the most part, folks on Google+ are high-speed on the information superhighway and the information they are sharing is valuable ' and when it isn't, it is easily filtered out.

Not Facebook

Google+ offers some pretty neat functionalities ' video “Hangouts” where you can video chat with up to 10 people at once, “Sparks” news feeds that are tailored to your keyword searches, and the most talked-about feature of all, connection “Circles.” Do Google+ Circles trump Facebook's friend lists? Definitely. Unlike Facebook's friend lists (which folks rarely, if ever, use because they're cumbersome with back-end controls that seem to be ever-changing), Google+ circles are easy to use, serve as the backbone of the platform, and they're intuitive.

You can create as many circles as you like and these circles are viewable only by you. This can lend to some creative connection sorting with groups as widely or narrowly focused as you see fit: friends, trustworthy friends, professionally dangerous friends, coworkers, coworkers I like, attorneys, IP attorneys in Texas ' and on and on. You can place each contact in as many circles as you like. And when you share a post, you have a few privacy options available:

1. Public: Visible to anyone who's added you to a circle, as well as on your public profile (more on public profiles later);
2. Extended circles: Everyone in your circles plus all the people in their circles; and
3. Selected circles: Only those people specifically listed in the circle(s) you designate.

Important! “Disable reshare” (found on each post's dropdown menu) for posts you want kept private within specific circles or you risk a contact resharing your witticism or personal photo with his or her own circles and the post potentially taking on a life of its own ' all while attached to your name as the original person posting it!

Circles also make it easy to filter out the noise online. You'll find a handy list of the circles you created under your profile picture and can select one circle at a time to view posts from folks in that specific stream ' or you can view all streams at once, en masse. This allows you to stay in touch with over-sharing friends and family without cringing and ultimately never opening your page (as happens now on Facebook).

The Pseudonym Debate

But there are privacy concerns to keep in mind before diving in ' some are likely a bit tangential for most users, like the pseudonym debate, but they deserve mention nonetheless. The more alarming privacy concerns will follow this brief overview of the pseudonym discussion.

Google+ does not want you to use pseudonyms. This fact may not be entirely clear when reviewing the last item in the Google+ User Content and Conduct Policy: “To help fight spam and prevent fake profiles, use the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you. For example, if your full legal name is Charles Jones Jr. but you normally use Chuck Jones or Junior Jones, either of those would be acceptable.” But be warned ' if you use a pseudonym and you cannot provide proof that it is your everyday, entirely identifiable name, your Google+ account will be deleted. A Google spokesman says that a grace period has been recently added whereby users have four days to change the name before the account is deleted. (See the post at https://plus.google.com/u/0/109179785755319022525/posts/YcvRKqJeiZi.)

PR Bonanza ' But Beware

As important as freedom of expression is, the pseudonym debate doesn't come close to the heart of Google's potential privacy brouhaha that will affect most users. For starters, stop thinking of Google+ as just another social networking platform ' it's not. It's the largest, most trafficked online search option out there, which now offers a powerful self-promotion platform that could potentially knock the socks off of your SEO strategy ' assuming you have one (if you don't, now would be a good time to start!). There are three key points to keep in mind:

• Google+ is connected to your Google profile.
• Your Google profile allows you to +1 items around the Web.
• Your +1s can be displayed on Google+.

Each +1 you make is a vote for that content, visible to others online and rumored to affect page rank. And even if it doesn't affect page rank (Google's spokesman says that +1 is just one of hundreds of signals it uses to rank websites), it's powerful word of mouth and free PR for that content. Each time you +1 a colleague's blog post or the latest biz-dev piece from Mashable, it's recorded for posterity. And when folks connected to you happen upon that page, they'll see “Jane Public along with 25 others +1'd this link.” Great reciprocal PR potential there, right? You +1 me, I +1 you ' as long as we're both posting killer content (which we are, of course) we both benefit. Hooray for Google's +1!

But then it gets sticky: You can +1 content publicly (where others can see what you have +1'd) but not privately (where you “anonymously” +1 content). Google's spokesman says that +1'ing is a “public action. [Anonymous +1s] are not being talked about right now.” However, he stresses that while a +1 follows a particular post or page, you can make your +1 history private on your profile page. Thus, other users who see that post can see that 15 people, for example, have +1'd that post and your name will be listed if the user cares to look, but if your history is private, other users can't see all the pages and posts that you have favored with a +1.

So, in addition to your colleague's blog posts and that piece from Mashable, folks connected to you will also
see that you +1'd that pithy blog your friend posted on his personal website where he's hilariously telling someone off (they'll probably also note your strongly worded comment supporting his post). They'll also see all those Grateful Dead videos you +1'd on YouTube ' oh and what do we have here? You established your YouTube account long ago by signing in through your Gmail address, so now folks can peruse your video history, from what you've uploaded to what you've commented on or “liked” on YouTube. And they'll start to get a better sense of who you are ' personally. That doesn't sound very good, does it? And these connections to other online profiles and accounts continue to expand daily ' all in the name of user convenience. Hello 1984, we've been expecting you. (Google's spokesman says it's not so simple ' more on that below.)

What can you do? Deleting your Google profile right now, avoiding +1s, avoiding Google+ and avoiding this potential PR crisis seems to be an attractive solution right about now, no doubt ' but you can't do this. With the Google+ adoption rate reaching 25 million users in the first month after it was launched, you can be pretty safe in the assumption that if your clients and employees aren't on Google+ yet, they will be ' soon. And both your firm and your clients will be facing the same potentially hazardous scenario. Advising them to “set everything to private” will only result in limiting their impact online ' not to mention cause headaches for you down the line if and when they want to use this functionality (and they will). You need to be ready to proactively advise your clients and your employees on best practices. Figuring out how to use +1s and Google+ to your advantage is key. Here's what you need to do:

• Create a separate and distinct Gmail address and corresponding Google profile and train yourself to use it only for professional purposes. And when that Google profile is active, watch every click you make online.
• Use this new profile to set up your Google+ account. (You can e-mail me at [email protected] for an invitation if you need one.)
• If you don't already have one, create a social media policy for your firm and your clients' firms now. (I can send you a free social media policy template to get you started. Also, see my article in the May 2009 issue of Internet Law & Strategy, “Social Media Policies: Your Firm Needs One,” http://bit.ly/qY2J5A.)
• Provide social media training for all employees. They're on social networks whether or not you approve ' and they may be viewed as unofficial brand ambassadors. Make sure they are clear about online expectations ' better safe than sorry.
• Explore Google+ now so that you're familiar with the platform and its distinct features of circles, hangouts and sparks and when they release the business page functionality, which is coming soon, you'll be ahead of the curve. ( See, “Your Google+ Guide: 15 Tips For Newbies,” from The Huffington Post at http://huff.to/nlLLLL.)

Privacy Protection

Google says that it has taken many steps to protect users' privacy with Google+ and avoid the Big Brother comparisons. Just like with the +1 history, Google's spokesman says that you can make your video tab private, and because you can edit the links that go along with your profile, there shouldn't be a way to go from a person's Google+ page to his YouTube page ' unless that person wants others to be able to and lists his or her YouTube page as a link. “You're only sharing pieces of information with folks you want to share it with,” he says. And while Google doesn't mind users setting up a separate Gmail account just to use Google+, the spokesman says that using regular Gmail accounts allows users to take advantage of integration with Google Documents, Calendar, and other Google features.

No Rush Out of Beta

The service is still in its trial period ' which means that even with an invitation, you might be told that Google+ is full, but try back later and you should be able to sign up. Google says that there's no time frame to open Google+ to the masses. They'll do so when they're “comfortable” with doing so, its spokesman says. “We're seeing how the service is being used and addressing the feedback we're getting.”

Conclusion

With the line between personal and professional lives almost completely blurred online these days, it's time to start making clear distinctions. Google+ takes one step forward when it comes to protecting your privacy, but the Google profile it's attached to and the +1 functionality can bring it two steps back if not handled with care. Taking precautions now and proactively paying attention to your online activity will put you ahead of the curve and allow you to use Google+ and all its trappings to its full potential.

Jay M. Jaffe is President and CEO of Jaffe Associates, a totally virtual PR firm serving only the legal profession. He can be reached at [email protected].