My weekly news round up is back after a two week break. Here’s my latest selection of top comms news stories curated via @CisionUK.

Google: Gmail users shouldn’t expect email privacy by @dominicru via the Guardian
People sending email to any of Google’s 425 million Gmail users have no “reasonable expectation” that their communications are confidential, the internet giant has said in a court filing.

Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group that uncovered the filing, called the revelation a “stunning admission.” It comes as Google and its peers are under pressure to explain their role in the National Security Agency’s (NSA) mass surveillance of US citizens and foreign nationals.

Apple Applies for ‘Audio Hyperlinking’ Patent by @VigneshR  via Mashable
Apple has filed a patent application in the United States for a new kind of hyperlink: an audio one.

The patent could enable building audible or inaudible audio hyperlinks into apps for playback on podcasts and TV shows or for in-store sales, as Patently Apple noted. Apple’s official patent application states that these audio hyperlinks would give listeners a way “to access linked resources.”

Twitter explains how Ryan Gosling, Chris Hadfield and Dove went viral by @stuartdredge via the Guardian
How, exactly, do things go viral on Twitter? It’s a question that thousands of self-styled social media mavens, gurus and ninjas claim to have the answer to, but Twitter itself should be much better placed to explain.

The bad news from the company’s latest UK blog post: “There is no single magic formula.” That’s one finding from Twitter’s study of three videos that recently went viral on its network: the Ryan Gosling series of “Won’t eat cereal” videos; astronaut Chris Hadfield’s performance of Space Oddity; and Dove’s Real Beauty marketing campaign.

BBC’s director of news and current affairs James Harding takes up post by @StephenLepitak via The Drum
The BBC’s new director of news and current affairs, James Harding, takes up his post today, having been appointed to the role in April. Harding, a former editor of The Times, has already spent time working alongside the team in the run up to taking over the post made vacant by Helen Boaden, who has moved to the role of director of BBC Radio.

Lessons to be learned from ‘fake fans’ documentary, claim social media experts by @lynseybarber via PR Week
Brands must avoid playing the ‘numbers game’ if the industry is to drive out the practice of ‘fake fans’, according to social media experts following last night’s Dispatches documentary Celebs, Brands and Fake Fans.

Drew Benvie, founder of Battenhall, and Danny Whatmough, associate digital and social media director at Ketchum, argued that brands must commit to building and engaging communities rather than prioritising easy metrics such as likes, views and follower counts, which can easily be inflated by paying companies to create fake accounts, a practice highlighted in the Channel 4 show.

Weekly Comms News Round Up 01/08/2013