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********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/ ********************************************************** The threat from terrorism does not justify slicing away our freedoms by Timothy Garton Ash http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2211061,00.html Dissidents in China still fear internet police despite Yahoo! pledge http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article2872370.ece uk: Michael Langham: My son Chris was demonised http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article3172086.ece au: ACCC challenges Google's shading tactics http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766952337.html uk: Hidden crime of ‘wi-fi tapping’: only 11 arrests but most of us are guilty http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2872726.ece The Facebook betrayal - users revolt over advertising sell-out http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3172153.ece FCC Urged to Stop ISP Traffic 'Throttling' [IDG] http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9047438 US Senate passes cybercrime bill aimed at restitution [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139757-c,cybercrime/article.html In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession http://nytimes.com/2007/11/18/technology/18rehab.html TV sets a turn-off for South Korea's youth [Reuters] http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1421636520071115 Sudoku may save us from spam http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2095186.htm The Evolution of Spam, Part 2: New Defenses http://ecommercetimes.com/story/The-Evolution-of-Spam-Part-2-New-Defenses-60344.html Yes, Google Is Trying To Take Over the WorldNext step: Take out Ma Bell by Tim Wu http://www.slate.com/id/2178158/ UN meeting gives mobile service providers access to terrestrial TV spectrum [AP] http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/14/1194766708849.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** The threat from terrorism does not justify slicing away our freedoms by Timothy Garton Ash Britain is now one of the world's most spied-upon societies, where such ancient rights as habeas corpus are hacked to bits http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2211061,00.html Dissidents in China still fear internet police despite Yahoo! pledge Dissidents in China say that they still face danger in using the internet to spread their message, despite a pledge by Yahoo! to protect their right to confidentiality. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article2872370.ece Singapore lifts ban on Microsoft video game: paper [Reuters] Singapore has lifted a ban on a Microsoft Xbox 360 video game that contains a scene showing a human woman and an alien woman kissing and caressing, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKSP886920071117 http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9595_22-6219176.html http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4280632a28.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: Michael Langham: My son Chris was demonised Even before his trial started, the actor who was convicted of downloading illegal images was assumed to be guilty – in the press and in the courtroom itself, writes his father: On 14 September I attended the sentencing of my son, Chris Langham, at Maidstone Crown Court, and was both impressed and astonished by the humanity with which the fall from grace of this otherwise gentle person was handled. The judge, summing up, emphasised that the defendant was not on trial for being a paedophile; he was on trial for downloading illegal images. The defending barrister wound up his resolutely persuasive plea by reading a letter from the defendant's wife – a loving and moving description of the Langham family at home. And, in the course of cross-examination, the widely respected psychiatrist Dr Meehan confirmed that the defendant is not in any way a danger to the public. (Chris Langham had been consulting Dr John Meehan on a weekly basis for almost two years, and he arguably knows Chris better than anyone else alive.) http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article3172086.ece IGF targets online sex predators THE second United Nations forum on governance of the internet has closed with participants agreeing on the need to protect children from sexual predators using the web to lure victims. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22781940-15306,00.html YouTube tackles bullying online The first online anti-bullying channel has been launched to encourage young people to denounce the intimidation. YouTube has set up a site where youngsters can post their own videos and messages. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7098978.stm au: NSW Paedophiles forced to register internet details New laws will be introduced in New South Wales to force convicted child sex offenders to register their email addresses, chat room names and internet service providers. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/15/2091933.htm au: Labor takes aim at cyber bullies [AAP] LABOR has vowed to provide internet filtering for all Australian homes, schools and public computers to fight cyber-bullying and child computer addiction. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,22783717-7582,00.html http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=438094 au: Cyber intimidation and the art of bullying Today's bullies don't just want your lunch money, they want to trash your reputation. Elissa Baxter finds out why. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/18/1195321595404.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/18/1195321595404.html us: Death of girl, 13, linked to friend's cyber-bully parents A BIZARRE, cruel internet hoax that ended with the suicide of a girl, 13, has provoked a firestorm of controversy. The death of Megan Meier in Missouri went beyond the growing phenomenon of cyber-bullying because the alleged hoaxers were adults - parents of a girl who, until a falling-out, had been Megan's best friend. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22780665-663,00.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** au: ACCC challenges Google's shading tactics The hearing to decide the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's misleading conduct case against Google will commence in the Federal Court on June 23. In court today, Justice James Allsop said he expected the hearing would take a few days and there would be little need for expert evidence or for Google to provide the ACCC with extensive documents. The regulator claims Google does not clearly distinguish between regular, "organic" search results and ads on the same page, which Google calls "Sponsored Links". http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766952337.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766952337.html ACCC continues Google hunt The Trading Post could be let off the hook if a settlement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) becomes a reality. Unfortunately, Google Inc might not have such luck. In July, the ACCC claimed that Google and the Trading Post used sponsored links to engage in misleading and deceptive conduct. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22770102-15306,00.html Google in ACCC sights, Sensis wriggles The Federal Court has set a hearing date for the ACCC's allegations against Google of misleading and deceptive conduct, while the Trading Post angles to settle with the regulator. Last Friday, Justice James Allsop set a hearing date of 23 June for the ACCC's case against Google Inc to be heard in the Federal Court. Friday's court date allowed the ACCC to resubmit its case against Google Inc after Justice Allsop was unable to understand the ACCC's initial submission, which he called "incomprehensible" and "repetitious". http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/Google-in-ACCC-sights-Sensis-wriggles/0,139023166,339283905,00.htm Australian court sets June date for Google case [Reuters] Google will go before an Australian court in June next year to defend allegations made by the nation's competition regulator over alleged misleading sponsored advertising links. Australia's Federal Court on Friday set a June 23 hearing date for the case bought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Google said. The watchdog says Google has not done enough to distinguish between sponsored advertising links and the search links that result when customers type keywords into Google's search system, which it asserts are deceptive. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-6218963.html Governments struggle as militants refine Web tactics [Reuters] Islamist militants are becoming more skilled at tailoring their message to specific audiences, including women and children, and Western societies are struggling to find a response. That was the message from a meeting hosted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe this week, attended by leading experts on Islamist radicalisation. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1656842820071116 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21842228/ de: 13,000 determined to file suit against data retention legislation Interest in the proposed "mass filing of constitutional complaints" against last week's passing of the data retention amendments by the Federal Parliament [Bundestag] on the retention of phone and internet data keeps sky rocketing. Already more than 13,000 concerned citizens are prepared to challenge the warrantless storing of user traces before the Federal Constitutional Court, reports the Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung [working group on data retention] this Friday with reference to the the number of complaints which had been filed with the Berlin-based law firm Starostik. Solicitor Meinhard Starostik intends to represent the plaintiffs jointly in the Karlsruhe court. He relates that the number of plaintiffs has almost doubled since the passing of the relevant legislation on telecommunication surveillance had been amended. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/99161 Most EU airline websites break consumer laws, says Commission Consumers are in danger of being hoodwinked by over half of European airline ticket sales websites, the European Commission has revealed. Inaccurate prices and unclear terms are just two of the dangers consumers face, an investigation found. http://out-law.com/page-8641 au: Gold Coast computer fraud, identity theft almost triples The number of crimes involving computer fraud and identity theft on the Gold Coast nearly tripled last year. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093041.htm uk: Hidden crime of ‘wi-fi tapping’: only 11 arrests but most of us are guilty More than half of computer users have illegally logged on to someone else’s wi-fi connection yet only 11 people have been arrested for the crime, an investigation by The Times has found. “Wi-fi tapping” or “piggybacking” has boomed in the past few years as hackers take advantage of unsecured computers to access the internet without paying for it. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2872726.ece Wi-Fi piggybacking widespread, Sophos research reveals Over 50% of people polled admit they have stolen Wi-Fi internet access [news release] IT security and control firm Sophos has revealed new research into the use of other people's Wi-Fi networks to piggyback onto the internet without payment. The research, carried out by Sophos on behalf of The Times, shows that 54 percent of computer users have admitted breaking the law, by using someone else's wireless internet access without permission. http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2007/11/wi-fi.html Wi-Fi piggybackers confess Fifty-four percent of computer users admit to using someone else's Wi-Fi without permission, according to a new survey by security firm Sophos. And many Internet-enabled homes fail to secure their wireless connection properly with passwords and encryption, allowing others to steal Internet access rather than pay an ISP, said Sophos, which carried out the 560-person survey. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-1035_22-6218959.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** The Facebook betrayal - users revolt over advertising sell-out It used to be a great way to swap student party drinking stories. Office workers embraced it as a chance for a quick escape from the daily drudgery – until their bosses banned it. And 50-something parents marvelled at a virtual window on what their children were up to. That is the appeal of Facebook, which in little more than a year has exploded from an elite student-only club into a global social networking phenomenon with more than 54 million users. http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3172153.ece ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** McCreevy rejects call for EU online music rules [Reuters] A demand from European Union lawmakers to regulate how authors and composers receive cash for downloaded works has been rejected by the bloc's executive arm. EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said in remarks to the European Parliament on Wednesday evening that more time was needed for his two-year-old voluntary guidelines on cross-border management of music rights to work. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1563056120071115 Telecoms regulators accused of failing consumers The European commissioner for telecoms, Viviane Reding, today warned the telecoms watchdogs across Europe that she would no longer tolerate them "cosying up" to the industry they are supposed to regulating. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/nov/14/telecoms.eurocommission Australian election flops on YouTube Opinion: In an election campaign as drawn out as this, you'd have to have excellent memory to remember the hype around John Howard's use of YouTube to make policy announcements. Some months ago, the media were all over the story - but unfortunately for the Prime Minister, much like the widely-predicted poll 'narrowing', the YouTube effect has been missing in action. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093120.htm US State Dept. Tries Blog Diplomacy The State Department, departing from traditional public diplomacy techniques, has what it calls a three-person, "digital outreach team" posting entries in Arabic on "influential" Arabic blogs to challenge misrepresentations of the United States and promote moderate views among Islamic youths in the hopes of steering them from terrorism. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801114.html Canada moves to reform copyright protection [Billboard] The Canadian music biz is breathing a sigh of relief after a government pledge to introduce long-awaited copyright legislation aimed at solving the country's music piracy problem. The legislation might be introduced as soon as within the next few weeks. Caroline Grondin, spokesperson for the Industry Canada ministry, said the government is aware of the need to move quickly. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN1641421620071117 FCC Urged to Stop ISP Traffic 'Throttling' [IDG] A distributor of online video content has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, asking the agency to stop broadband providers from blocking or slowing P-to-P traffic. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139751-c,internetlegalissues/article.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9047438 US Senate passes cybercrime bill aimed at restitution [IDG] The US Senate has passed a bill that would allow victims of online identity theft schemes to seek restitution from criminals and expands the definition of cyberextortion. The Senate passed the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act by unanimous consent last week. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139757-c,cybercrime/article.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/16/Senate-passes-cybercrime-bill-aimed-at-restitution_1.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9047578 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession The compound — part boot camp, part rehab center — resembles programs around the world for troubled youths. Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming. But these young people are not battling alcohol or drugs. Rather, they have severe cases of what many in this country believe is a new and potentially deadly addiction: cyberspace. http://nytimes.com/2007/11/18/technology/18rehab.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/11/18/business/boot.php TV sets a turn-off for South Korea's youth [Reuters] South Korean university student Seong-sun is a rebel without a TV. Like other twentysomethings in tech-friendly parts of the world, Seong-sun, 27, uses his laptop to watch user-generated content and can see programming on his mobile phone. But, in South Korea, peer-to-peer video services have exploded. His laptop is his entertainment gateway. The Internet is the distribution platform of choice and the content at his fingertips is a dizzying array of pirated TV shows and movies. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1421636520071115 http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-pluggedin16nov16,1,5062552.story http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6218844.html Study reveals Australian eBay hotspots Sydneysiders may buy more clothes but when it comes to spending money on online shopping, Melburnians win hands down. New figures released by eBay Australia, which rank postcodes based on how much residents buy and sell on the site, show Melbourne and outer Melbourne suburbs snagging five of the top ten spots, including first and second. Sydney snagged three spots. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766925119.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766925119.html au: Paid online ads outstrip the rest Paid search advertising is growing more than twice as fast as the general advertising market. Called "online crack" because of its addictive qualities, it will reach $416 million this year, an increase of 65.5 per cent over 2006, the latest estimates from researcher Frost and Sullivan show. The sector will be the largest in the online advertising industry, which the company estimates will grow at 29.8 per cent to $1.428 billion this year, followed by classified advertising ($407 million), general advertising, including banners and other display formats ($384 million) and online directories such as Sensis's Yellow ($221 million). http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22779576-7582,00.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Screen grabbers - crime hits the digital frontier As a teenager is arrested for stealing pixels, Victor Keegan reports on the rise of the 3-D 'virtual worlds' that could transform the way we work, play, shop and communicate: A 17-year-old Dutch teenager was arrested this week on suspicion of stealing furniture worth £2,800 from a hotel room. Four other teenagers were also questioned about the offence. It is believed they moved the stolen furniture into their own hotel rooms. Such a minor incident might not have merited a paragraph in the local paper had it not been for one extraordinary detail of the case: the crime happened not in real life but in a "virtual" hotel in the three-dimensional world Habbo Hotel, a children's game that only exists on the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/17/internet.crime ********************** SPAM ********************** Sudoku may save us from spam Tricky mathematical puzzles like Sudoku could be the next weapon in the fight against spam, an Australian computer scientist suggests. Paul Gardner-Stephen from Flinders University in Adelaide is looking for ways to improve existing spam filters, which try to prevent unwanted email from getting to your inbox. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2095186.htm The Evolution of Spam, Part 2: New Defenses Spam network operators, otherwise known as "botnet herders," are becoming increasingly proficient at evading detection and harnessing the power of peer-to-peer (P2P) computing, much to the consternation of spam detection, prevention and IT security specialists, as Part 1 of this series discusses. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/The-Evolution-of-Spam-Part-2-New-Defenses-60344.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** ICT Crucial to African Continent's Development African governments need to partner their efforts in developing their IC) in order for the continent to grow and develop. Speaking at the annual African ICT Achievers Awards, Mauritius Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Etienne Sinatambou said one of the key challenges facing Africa was the lack of collaboration of African governments. "[Seven years ago] sixteen African countries did not even have an ICT policy," said the minister on Friday. http://allafrica.com/stories/200711160495.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Comcast Sued Over BitTorrent Blocking A California man filed suit in state court Tuesday against internet service provider Comcast, arguing that the company's secret use of technology to limit peer-to-peer applications such as BitTorrent violates federal computer fraud laws, their user contracts and anti-fraudulent advertising statutes. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/comcast-sued-ov.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Invasion of the computer snatchers: Dork Talk by Stephen Fry Gazing into the techno-future can be fun. We all dream of utopias involving benign robots, food for all and fusion power that is free, safe and unlimited, but then there are the cacotopias, too - nightmare visions of malevolent machines that turn on mankind. It has been usual to suppose that the two-pronged threat to our liberty and our privacy would emanate from big business and government, from untrammelled corporate and bureaucratic greed, stupidity and wickedness. But let me paint another scenario... http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/17/stephenfry.security The wireless disconnect A negative, paranoid attitude is displacing the optimistic ethos the internet once promised: I never thought I was cut out for a life of crime. I even felt guilty when I accidentally stole a Subbuteo catalogue, thinking it was free. But everyone has an inner rebel, and mine has finally found a natural outlet. My crime of choice is that with a heart as cold as ice and no care for what society thinks, I steal wireless computer network time. Take that, Jesse James. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2212491,00.html au: Beware those searching for a crisis by Michael Duffy The case of Izhar ul-Haque this week provides a rare insight into how politics now involves, much more than before, the manufacturing of unnecessary fears. As Mark Latham noted last week, we live in a time of such prosperity and stability that politicians agree on almost all big issues. So the political system - which includes the media - is forced to create artificial crises in order to continue to appear relevant to the public. There is usually some kernel of reality involved, but it becomes grossly exaggerated by governments keen to portray themselves as caring and responsive. No issue has received this treatment more than fundamentalist terrorism. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766964922.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766964922.html Yes, Google Is Trying To Take Over the WorldNext step: Take out Ma Bell by Tim Wu When Google conquered Internet search in the early 2000s, it was strictly a Web company and faced only Web competitors. Since then it has only rarely ventured out of the friendly confines of the Web world. The 2005 launch of its controversial "book search," which enraged the New York publishing industry, shows what can happen when Google leaves its comfort zone. Now, with its recently announced plans to enter wireless communications, Google is making its deepest foray yet into a foreign territory where its allies are few. It faces the challenge of not just entering the wireless world but also converting its inhabitants. Provided that Google has the nerve and resources to try to remake wireless in its image, it'll either prove its greatest triumph or its Waterloo. http://www.slate.com/id/2178158/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** UN meeting gives mobile service providers access to terrestrial TV spectrum [AP] A U.N. telecoms meeting decided Thursday to give mobile service providers access to bandwidth currently reserved for terrestrial television broadcasts, offering the promise of high-speed Internet access on-the-move anywhere in the world by 2015. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/14/1194766708849.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/14/1194766708849.html UN agrees to free bandwidth The United Nations body charged with coordinating global broadcast frequencies said on Friday it has agreed to free up more space to meet growing demand from mobile and broadband services. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2884&iArticleId=4135610 Are we on the brink of a Wimax revolution? Is Wimax set to become the de facto standard for business, or will advancements in 3G and other wireless technologies leave it by the wayside? Are we on the brink of a Wimax revolution? http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/11/16/228134/are-we-on-the-brink-of-a-wimax-revolution.htm ********************** VoIP ********************** Analyst Bets VoIP on 3G will Beat Wi-Fi Mobile VoIP is set to grow, but it will run over the 3G data provided by cellular handsets, rather than over Wi-Fi, according to a research report from Disruptive Analysis, which predicts 250 million users of 3G VoIP by 2012, compared with less than 100 million for voice on Wi-Fi. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139764-pg,1/article.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! 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