In the latest installment of "Be Careful on Social Media Web sites," the Texas Attorney General resolved an enforcement action with Tagged Inc. which is the 3rd largest social networking site behind Facebook and Myspace. Tagged was required to pay approximately $250,000 in civil penalties and state investigative costs for allegedly misleading subscribers into providing their e-mail address books which Tagged used to send invitations in the user's name to all their contacts. Under the agreement, Tagged must implement new privacy features and explicitly inform users on how their personal information will be used.

The lesson to take from this story is to always read the fine print when you become a member of an online community. It may take awhile to go through, but knowing what information will be public and which stays secure is a big deal when it comes to your identity. This is especially true if you subscribe to a Web site which requires any sort of payment as the fine print can include details like automatic bank account debits or contracts that you may not be comfortable signing. So stay safe out there in cyberspace and if you aren't comfortable with a Web site asking you for personal information, it's probably a good idea to trust your gut and stay away.