********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
********************************************************** Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, already online! And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** 20% of teens say they've put nude pics of themselves online http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081211-20-of-teens-say-theyve-put-nude-pics-of-themselves-online.html Australian court serves documents via Facebook http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585107578.html Facebook under fire for racist rants in Australia http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585086888.html Survey Asks: Internet Access or Sex? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/nearly-half-of-us-women-would-pick-the-internet-over-sex/ Andrew Keen: Community self-policing is the way to tackle internet child porn http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/andrew-keen-community-selfpolicing-is-the-way-to-tackle-internet-child-porn-1066700.html Call to overhaul Australia's cyber-racism laws http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/15/1229189500951.html US Court Freezes Assets of Alleged 'Scareware' Purveyors http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/12/court_freezes_assets_of_allege.html Cyberthreats Tripled in 2008, Study Says http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=108170 Russian hopes to cash in on ;-) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7778767.stm Online film and music piracy 'could cost 30,000 UK jobs' http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/14/online-downloading-internet-piracy-rights-royalties Free broadband plan stirs debate on filtering http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401354.html Why the IWF was wrong to lift its ban on a Wikipedia page http://out-law.com/page-9653 Wikipedia censorship highlights a lingering sting in the tail http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/14/wikipedia-censorship-scorpions-virgin-killer New hurdle for Australian net censorship http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585100603.html Proposed Web Filter Criticized in Australia http://nytimes.com/2008/12/12/technology/internet/12cyber.html Australia to Test Web Filter to Block Banned Content http://nytimes.com/2008/12/14/world/asia/14australia.html Protests make clean-feed Internet a mess for govt http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/270898/ Industry baffled over clean-feed internet pilot http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270791/ Telstra excluded from Australian national broadband bid http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24800932-5018020,00.html NZ Communications Minister starts fibre talks http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4793462a28.html nz: Report proposes utility expansion for broadband future [news release] http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/report-proposes-utility-expansion-for-broadband-future NZ mobile plans still among world's most expensive http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-mobile-plans-still-among-worlds-most-expensive-38964 Commerce Commission releases September quarterly report on telecommunications markets [news release] http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200809/commercecommissionreleasesseptembe.aspx ACMA and ACCC release joint report on communications infrastructure and services [news release] http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311566 ACCC publishes data on take-up of broadband access services [news release] http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/853327/fromItemId/142 Brazil police uncovered global child porn network [AP] http://www.thestate.com/world/story/619976.html Man arrested in child porn sweep faces child sex charges http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24785125-2702,00.html Global Child Porn Ring Taken Down http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6452112 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Dating site 'prostitution', says Iran A popular Iranian internet dating website that claimed to be helping people find a spouse and start families has been banned for "promoting prostitution", on the advice of leading Islamic clerics. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/11/iran-prostitution-dating-website 20% of teens say they've put nude pics of themselves online ... A survey of 1,280 teenagers (users age 13-19) and young adults (age 20-26) conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com has revealed that one out of five (20 percent) teens overall have posted nude photos or video of themselves on the Internet—that number goes up to a third when young adults are included. While 71 percent of teen girls and 67 percent of teen guys who have sent these photos say they've sent them to a boyfriend or girlfriend, 15 percent overall said they've sent nude photos to people they only "knew" online. For women, that percentage stays the same when they turn into young adults, although the percentage of young adult men goes up to 23 percent. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081211-20-of-teens-say-theyve-put-nude-pics-of-themselves-online.html One in five teens engage in 'tech sex' One in five teenagers say they have sent naked or partially-clothed images of themselves to someone by email or mobile phone, according to a poll in America. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/3710180/One-in-five-teens-engage-in-tech-sex.html In a virtual world of their own A social space aimed at the global Muslim community might not seem a good idea in the face of recession, but its creator could be on to something http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/11/muxlim-virtual-world-mmorpg Australian court serves documents via Facebook The big question about Facebook is does it have any valuable commercial application? Well it seems that the courts have found one. Today in what appears to be a first in Australia and perhaps the world, Master Harper of the ACT Supreme Court ordered that a default judgement could be served on defendants by notification on Facebook. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585107578.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585107578.html Facebook under fire for racist rants in Australia Facebook has come under fire from Australian users for ignoring racial vilification on the site and failing to remove blatantly racist groups even though they have been flagged as offensive. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585086888.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585086888.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4791053a28.html Survey Asks: Internet Access or Sex? Intel came up with a novel way to show how important the Internet and computing have become in the lives of Americans. In conjunction with Harris Interactive, the company conducted a survey of adults in the United States under the prosaic-enough banner “Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy.” http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/nearly-half-of-us-women-would-pick-the-internet-over-sex/ No headache needed: 46% of women choose Internet over sex We have all done it before—something on the Internet is so intensely important, everything else can wait, including sex. According to new survey results from Intel and Harris Interactive, however, more women would give up sex in favor of the Internet than men. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081212-no-headache-needed-46-of-women-choose-internet-over-sex.html UK Broadband internet access growth stalls as downturn hits The growth of broadband as a means to access the internet in the UK has slowed to near-stagnation this year, as customers hold back from subscribing to new technology, according to research by Deloitte. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/3759590/Broadband-internet-access-growth-stalls-as-downturn-hits.html Australia ends June with 5.7 mln broadband subs - study [sub req'd] http://telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=649746 Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites For some time, Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser, has been dipping its big toes into the vast pool of Facebook, now the world’s largest social network. I recently knocked on the doors of both companies to hear how the experiment was going. Neither was inclined to say much. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/14/business/media/14digi.html VeriSign Survey Finds Nearly Ten Times as Many Consumers Feel Trust Is More Important Than Cost When Transacting Online [news release] The findings of a recent consumer survey conducted by Synovate and commissioned by VeriSign suggest that consumers may be willing to forgo gimmicks and spend a little more online if they know their identities are protected. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=459144&releasejsp=custom_97 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Playing computer games improves brain power of older adults, claim scientists The elderly should play computer games to keep their brains sharp, new findings by scientists suggest. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologyreviews/videogamereviewsandpreviews/3708754/Playing-computer-games-improves-brain-power-of-older-adults-claim-scientists.html Commission unveils plans to 'green' ICT[fr][de] The European Commission will publish proposals next February to boost the use of smart technologies to combat climate change, Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding told industry representatives in Brussels. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/commission-unveils-plans-green-ict/article-178001 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Andrew Keen: Community self-policing is the way to tackle internet child porn What's the best way to fight child pornography and other illegal forms of child abuse on the internet? The British model focuses on the establishment of a democratically self-regulatory body called the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a community hotline to flag inappropriate content. In Australia, in contrast, the government has introduced a trial net filtering system designed from above to stop adults downloading child porn. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/andrew-keen-community-selfpolicing-is-the-way-to-tackle-internet-child-porn-1066700.html Safety, education, and empowerment on YouTube We've always been committed to providing you the tools to have the best possible YouTube experience. Educating parents, teens, and families on how to stay safe on our site is a critical part of that commitment, so we can't think of a more appropriate place to introduce our new Abuse and Safety Center than at the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) conference in Washington, D.C., today. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/safety-education-and-empowerment-on.html us: Sony BMG Music Settles Charges Its Music Fan Websites Violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act [news release] Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Sony Music) has agreed to pay $1 million as part of a settlement to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Commission’s implementing Rule. The Commission’s complaint alleges that, through its music fan Web sites, Sony Music improperly collected, maintained and disclosed personal information from thousands of children under the age of 13, without their parents’ consent. The civil penalty to be paid by Sony Music matches the largest penalty ever in a COPPA case. http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/12/sonymusic.shtm Sony music unit accused of disclosing personal data of children [Bloomberg] Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the recording company of Justin Times and Bruce Springsteen, has been sued by the United States for collecting and disclosing personal data about 30,000 young children without informing their parents. http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/11/technology/sony.php U.S. sues Sony Music over children's online privacy Sony BMG, which is changing its name to Sony Music Entertainment, was sued on Wednesday by the U.S. government, which accused the music company of violating federal rules aimed at protecting the online privacy of children. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE4B977U20081211 Verizon Enhances Parental Control Resource Center for TV, Wireless and Online Services [news release] To help them manage their children's digital experiences, Verizon is making it easier for parents to find and access the online parental controls and resources for customers of the company's online, FiOS TV and wireless services. http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2008/verizon-enhances-parental.html Group wants National Safety Officer under new Obama's CTO President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to appoint a federal Chief Technology Officer when he moves into the White House next year. But won't someone think of the children? The Family Online Safety Institute wants the new CTO's office to include a National Safety Officer, who would work with a proposed US Council for Internet Safety to help keep kids safe online, and oversee a $100 million education program. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081212-group-wants-national-safety-officer-under-new-obamas-cto.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Virginia seeks revival of its anti-spam law Virginia's attorney general asked the nation's highest court Thursday to revive a state anti-spam law struck down by a lower court as unconstitutionally overbroad. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/391841_antispam12.html Flurry of Spam Targeting the Federal Bureau of Investigation [news release] Consumers continue to be inundated by spam purportedly from the FBI. As with previous spam attacks, the latest versions use the names of several high ranking executives within the FBI and even the IC3 to attempt to defraud consumers. http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/081210.aspx ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Nielsen Finds East/West Divide in Media Habits The so-called digital divide between emerging and developed economies worldwide might not be that wide after all. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4BB24Q20081212 http://www.stuff.co.nz/4792154a28.html http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/technology-finance/e3if39d7edc6dfc96b56208a17b93a5d282 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Call to overhaul Australia's cyber-racism laws Urgent action is necessary to combat widespread racial vilification on social networking sites such as Facebook. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/15/1229189500951.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/15/1229189500951.html US Court Freezes Assets of Alleged 'Scareware' Purveyors A federal court has frozen the assets of several businesses accused of conspiring to trick more than one million consumers into purchasing and installing "scareware," which uses fake security alerts to frighten consumers into paying for bogus computer security software. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/12/court_freezes_assets_of_allege.html FTC Shuts Down Security 'Scareware' Scammers A U.S. district court has issued a temporary halt to a massive "scareware" scheme in which makers of bogus security software and services falsely claimed that their scans had detected viruses, spyware, and illegal pornography on consumers' computers. http://www.darkreading.com/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212400520 US Court Halts Bogus Computer Scans [news release] At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has issued a temporary halt to a massive “scareware” scheme, which falsely claimed that scans had detected viruses, spyware, and illegal pornography on consumers’ computers. According to the FTC, the scheme has tricked more than one million consumers into buying computer security products such as WinFixer, WinAntivirus, DriveCleaner, ErrorSafe, and XP Antivirus. The court also froze the assets of those responsible for the scheme, to preserve the possibility of providing consumers with monetary redress. http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/12/winsoftware.shtm Retail Fraud Rates Plummeted the Night McColo Went Offline One month after the shutdown of hosting provider McColo Corp., spam volumes are nearly back to the levels seen prior to the company's take down by its upstream Internet providers. But according to one noted fraud expert, spam wasn't the only thing that may have been routed through the Silicon Valley based host: New evidence found that retail fraud dropped significantly on the same day. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/12/mccolo_shutdown_killed_retaile.html Top execs would roll up sleeves to fight cyber war, according to think tank study Top executives of major corporations should expect to serve on new government cybersecurity panels if president-elect Barack Obama follows the recommendations released this week by a think-tank panel. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/121108-cybersecurity.html us: Intelligence official urges common cybersecurity standards Civilian agencies should follow the same procedures for protecting their computer networks as the defense and intelligence communities, particularly as information sharing becomes more essential to government operations, a high-ranking intelligence official said on Thursday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20081211_6661.php Study: Identity Theft, Organized Retail Crime On The Rise Identity theft, organized retail crime, and the effects of terrorist attacks are among the most urgent threats facing security managers in the near future, according to a new report issued earlier this week. http://www.darkreading.com/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212500159 http://www.asisonline.org/foundation/noframe/PDFs/finalized_asis_report_dec08.pdf Cyberthreats Tripled in 2008, Study Says Cyber attacks that infect web pages with malicious codes have tripled in 2008, according to security product vendor Sophos. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=108170 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/155457/.html Microsoft sees 'huge increase' in IE attacks Microsoft warned Saturday of a "huge increase" in attacks exploiting a critical unpatched vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE), and said some originated from hacked pornography sites. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9123398 EBay 'negligent' in fakes fight, L'Oreal tells court [AP] Internet auction Web site eBay takes a "negligent attitude" toward sales of counterfeits, a lawyer for L'Oreal told a French court Wednesday. http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_11190785 ca: Blogger convicted in threat to Harper The profanity-laced rantings of an Internet blogger against Prime Minister Stephen Harper were more than just a joke, a judge has ruled in convicting him of uttering threats. http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/12/09/7680806-sun.html China downplays 'cyber attack' on French embassy website [AFP] China downplayed Thursday an alleged cyber attack on the website of the French Embassy in Beijing, saying there was no clear link between the shutdown and a diplomatic row with France over Tibet. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/china-downplays-cyber-attack-on-french-embassy-website-20081212-6ww9.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/china-downplays-cyber-attack-on-french-embassy-website-20081212-6ww9.html Thailand's cyber law struggles with tech terms The Computer Related Crime Law was announced almost four months ago, however, there are many ambiguous points within it that are still being argued. Legal experts have suggested considering the intention of the law in the cases where the statement of meaning is questionable. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62049197,00.htm Russian hopes to cash in on ;-) A series of punctuation marks used to convey a wink in text messages - known as an emoticon - has been trademarked in Russia, says a local businessman. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7778767.stm Smile ... that will be £10,000, thanks The smiles could be wiped off the faces of millions of Russian internet users, after a Moscow businessman claimed to have trademarked one of the world's most popular emoticons. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/12/intellectualproperty-internet ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** YouTube Videos Are Pulling in Serious Money Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime for millions of Web surfers — is now a way to make a living. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/11/business/media/11youtube.html Online film and music piracy 'could cost 30,000 UK jobs' Illegal downloading of films, TV programmes and music could mean the loss of 30,000 British jobs, according to a powerful alliance of retailers and rights-holders. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/14/online-downloading-internet-piracy-rights-royalties ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Free broadband plan stirs debate on filtering M2Z Networks' proposal to build a free wireless broadband network is not the only controversial part of its business plan. Just as contentious is its intention to filter the content delivered over that network to block any material deemed inappropriate for children. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401354.html Why the IWF was wrong to lift its ban on a Wikipedia page EDITORIAL: The Internet Watch Foundation faced a storm of criticism this week over its decision to add a Wikipedia entry to a blacklist of pages that ISPs block. Under pressure, the IWF removed the image from its blacklist. That decision was a mistake. http://out-law.com/page-9653 Wikipedia censorship highlights a lingering sting in the tail 'Scorpions', says Wikipedia, 'are eight-legged venomous arachnids. They have a long body with an extended tail with a sting.' Staff of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the self-appointed monitor of 'child sexual abuse content hosted worldwide' and of 'criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK', may well find themselves in rueful agreement about the sting. Except that what they've discovered is that Wikipedia also has one. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/14/wikipedia-censorship-scorpions-virgin-killer IWF rethinks its role Anger at aborted attempts by net censor, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to block material hosted on Wikipedia earlier this week may lead to radical changes in the way the organisation works - it has already changed the way the organisation is perceived. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/12/iwf_investigates_itself/ UK Wikipedia censorship 'easy to evade' Cambridge University security expert describes the blocking mechanism used to censor Wikipedia in the United Kingdom as "fragile". http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39575931,00.htm http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62049243,00.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/UK-Wikipedia-censorship-easy-to-evade-/0,130061791,339293781,00.htm New hurdle for Australian net censorship The ultra-conservative politician known for his attempts to censor television has strongly opposed the Government's plans to introduce mandatory internet censorship, highlighting the policy's lack of support across the political spectrum. ... In a post on his blog, South Australian Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi expressed concern that the filters would inadvertently block legitimate content and be expanded to cover other controversial material opposed by the Government of the day, such as regular pornography. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585100603.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/12/1228585100603.html The Great Firewall of Australia An in-depth look at the government’s controversial proposal for mandatory ISP-level content filtering http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/270780/ Nationwide Internet censorship protests planned for weekend A group called the Digital Liberty Coalition (DLC) has called on Australians to take part in demonstrations this weekend to oppose the Federal Government's planned Internet content filter. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270637/ Proposed Web Filter Criticized in Australia The Australian government plans to test a nationwide Web filtering system that would force Internet service providers to block access to thousands of sites containing questionable or illegal content, prompting cries of censorship from advocacy groups. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/12/technology/internet/12cyber.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/10/technology/cyber.php Hands off our internet, say free-speech protesters Hundreds of free-speech advocates and internet aficionados turned out at Reddacliff Place in Brisbane's CBD today to protest the Rudd government's proposed mandatory internet filter. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/12/13/1228585168416.html MPs: live, uncensored A PLAN to censor the internet is in tatters. With Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull becoming increasingly tech-savvy as they bid to win the hearts and minds of Australians, computer experts say there is no way any filter could be efficient enough to keep politicians off the web. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/13/1228585174987.html IN PICTURES: hundreds protest govt net censorship Protest marches were held around Australia today against the Australian government's internet censorship plans. APC was at the Sydney march, armed with a camera. http://apcmag.com/Content.aspx?id=3294 Australia to Test Web Filter to Block Banned Content The Australian government plans to test a nationwide Web filter that would require Internet service providers to block access to thousands of sites containing illegal content, officials say. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/14/world/asia/14australia.html YouTube launches 'safety center' From a MySpace-related suicide to hate speech on YouTube, the world of user-generated content has been plagued by plain, old nastiness since its early days. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10121035-93.html Protests make clean-feed Internet a mess for govt Protests erupted across Australian capital cities today in opposition the government's $70 million national clean feed Internet scheme, which will impose blanket content filtering for all web connections. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/270898/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270898/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270897/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/270898/ http://techworld.com.au/article/270898/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/270902/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270902/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270902/ Protesters say govt internet filter won't work A Brisbane IT worker says the Federal Government's plans to filter the internet will not stop people viewing black-listed websites. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/13/2445732.htm Brisbane protesters rally against web filter plans A rally to protest against the Federal Government's plans to filter the internet is underway in Brisbane. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/13/2445691.htm Photos: Sydneysiders protest internet filtering Protesters came together in every major city around the country on Saturday to demonstrate against the Labor Governments' proposed internet filtering scheme. We went to the Sydney protest and spoke to some of the protesters. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/Photos-Sydneysiders-protest-internet-filtering/0,130061702,339293796,00.htm Net firms rebuff filtering plan Australian government plans to filter net use have been rebuffed by local ISPs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7779547.stm http://www.heralddeparis.com/net-firms-rebuff-filtering-plan/14683 Industry baffled over clean-feed internet pilot Internet Service Providers (ISPs) participating in live trials of the national Internet content filtering scheme say the tests will be undermined by a government decision to test the “clean-feed” blacklist under watered-down conditions. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/270791/ http://computerworld.com.au/article/270791/ http://techworld.com.au/article/270791/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/270791/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/270791/ Net filter tipped to spark sex shop boom Sex shops will inundate Queensland if the Australian Federal Government filters internet pornography, an industry expert has warned. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/12/15/1229189476125.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4793612a4560.html Aussie ISPs refuse to join government's filtering test The Australian government's plan to censor the entire Internet hit another major snag this week after two of the country's largest ISPs, Telstra and InterNode, announced they would not participate in the government's proposed filtering tests. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081211-aussie-isps-refuse-to-join-governments-filtering-test.html Australian censorship plan 'in tatters' The Australian Government's plan to censor the Internet is in tatters, with Australia's largest ISP saying it will not take part in live trials of the system and the second largest committing only to a scaled-back trial. http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=2008121207321510 Net filtration 101 - and why it can't protect Australia I have stayed away from the politics of Internet filtering because it's such a fraught subject. But just as individual owners need to understand filtering, so do SMEs and network owners, because the impact of filtering goes beyond the headline that filtering will slow down your broadband access speeds. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com.au/articles/28054 Australian ISPs Fight Back Against 'Net Filters Telstra and Internode, two of Australia's largest ISPs, now say they won't participate in tests of a massive new filtering plan by the Australian Government. http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Australian-ISPs-Fight-Back-Against-Net-Filters-99622 Are Rudd and Conroy planning to create a new crime of "accessing unwanted content". Child exploitation of any kind is an offence. The act of exploitation and the broadcast of exploitation material on the internet are prohibited and rigidly enforced by the AFP with the courts applying the law with severe penalties for all involved. http://australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2089:are-rudd-and-conroy-planning-to-create-a-new-crime-of-qaccessing-unwanted-contentq&catid=1:latest ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Telstra excluded from Australian national broadband bid Telstra said it had been excluded from the bidding process because its proposal submitted on November 26 did not include a plan on how to involve small and medium-sized enterprises in the building of the high-speed broadband network. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24800932-5018020,00.html Telstra broadband bid knocked back Telstra says it has been excluded from the tender process to build a national broadband network, reports ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/15/2446285.htm Telstra out of broadband plan [AAP] Telstra says it has been excluded from the bidding process for the construction of a national broadband network by the Federal Government for "trivial" reasons, reports AAP. http://business.theage.com.au/business/markets/telstra-out-of-broadband-plan-20081215-6yi9.html http://news.smh.com.au/national/telstra-excluded-from-broadband-project-20081215-6yi1.html Telstra banned from NBN Telstra’s broadband hopes have been shot to pieces following a government decision to exclude it from the National Broadband Network (NBN) tender. http://computerworld.com.au/article/270911/ au: What is the NBN good for? Despite Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's assurances to the contrary, in my crystal ball I'm seeing a broadband price rise coming to millions of Australians once the National Broadband Network has been built. http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/communications/soa/What-is-the-NBN-good-for-/0,139023754,339293767,00.htm NZ Communications Minister starts fibre talks Communications Minister Steven Joyce expects to set out by the end of next month how the Government will engage with industry players to build an ultra-fast fibre access network. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4793462a28.html nz: Report proposes utility expansion for broadband future [news release] Groundbreaking research released today by InternetNZ concludes that utility expansion provides the best opportunity for dramatic improvement of New Zealand's broadband infrastructure. The final report Broadband Strategy Options for New Zealand has been prepared by independent consultancy Network Strategies as the second part of a research project initiated in June. It investigates the investment required under differing scenarios to introduce real high-speed broadband with at least 100Mbit/s for domestic users and 1Gbit/s for commercial users for 75% of the population within 10 years. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/report-proposes-utility-expansion-for-broadband-future ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** NZ mobile plans still among world's most expensive The Commerce Commission’s latest quarterly telco review finds mobile plans have not got any cheaper over the past 18 months. New Zealand remains near the bottom of the OECD heap. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-mobile-plans-still-among-worlds-most-expensive-38964 Commerce Commission releases September quarterly report on telecommunications markets [news release] The Commerce Commission has released its September quarterly monitoring report containing key statistics about telecommunications markets in New Zealand. http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200809/commercecommissionreleasesseptembe.aspx au: Broadband, 3G see popularity jump A new report has revealed a big increase in the number of broadband users in Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/12/2445109.htm Wireless broadband aids broadband growth The number of broadband subscribers in Australia increased by 1.1 million in the 12 months to June this year, according to a new report. http://www.bandt.com.au/news/50/0C05C550.asp ACMA and ACCC release joint report on communications infrastructure and services [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today released a joint report titled Communications Infrastructure and Services Availability in Australia 2008. The report, developed using the expertise of both agencies, discusses the availability of broadband, fixed voice, mobile voice and mobile data in the community. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311566 ACCC publishes data on take-up of broadband access services [news release] The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today published information concerning the number and distribution of services supplied over Telstra's customer access network. The data is being released in conjunction with the joint report titled Communications Infrastructure and Services Availability in Australia 2008 published today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the ACCC. http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/853327/fromItemId/142 Verizon Expects 4G Wireless In A Year Verizon Wireless expects to begin a launch of its 4G LTE technology by the end of next year, a company executive said Wednesday in an indication that the pieces of the super-high-speed wireless technology are falling into place in an orderly manner. http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/3G/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212400470 White House opposes FCC's free Internet plan The Bush administration opposes a Federal Communications Commission plan for free, nationwide wireless Internet access, according to a report Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10120842-94.html China Gets 3G Ball Rolling [AP] China has set an economic stimulus of sorts in motion, with the announcement that it will soon issue licenses to build out 3G networks for the world's largest mobile phone population. The massive infrastructure is likely to cost in the neighborhood of $30 billion. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65482.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Brazil police uncovered global child porn network [AP] In late 2007, Carlos Miguel Sobral and 14 other Brazilian police investigators were getting ready for another day of fighting Internet crime when one of them suggested looking into peer-to-peer file sharing networks. http://www.thestate.com/world/story/619976.html http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/dec/12/brazil-police-uncovered-global-child-porn-network/ http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-childporn14-2008dec14,0,755544.story QC arrested in child porn swoop Police say a retired Victorian QC was among 19 men arrested during the global bust of a child pornography network that allegedly shared "among the worst" abuse images ever seen by investigators. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/11/1228584991207.html Victorian QC arrested in child porn swoop: police A retired Victorian Queen's Counsel and a childcare worker were among 19 men arrested as police cracked a global child porn network that allegedly shared images of abuse "among the worst" seen by investigators. http://www.theage.com.au/national/victorian-qc-arrested-in-child-porn-swoop-police-20081211-6w48.html au: Men charged for global porn links Australian police have charged 19 men with being part of a global child pornography network involving people in 70 countries. The investigation was prompted by a tip-off from Brazilian police. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7776692.stm Man arrested in child porn sweep faces child sex charges One of 22 men accused of downloading videos of child abuse in Australia as part of an international crackdown on online child pornography will also face multiple charges of child sex. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24785125-2702,00.html Child pornography charges for 22 men in global network A senior lawyer, a policeman and at least one childcare worker are among 22 men who have been charged in Australia over an alleged international child pornography ring. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/dec/11/child-pornography-australia-police Second St George Man in Court Over Child Pornography A Blakehurst man, 24, is the second person from the St George area to face court in relation to an online child abuse image and video-sharing network. http://stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/second-st-george-man-in-court-over-child-pornography/1384185.aspx 60 Americans arrested in child-porn swoop [AP] US government authorities acting on a lead from Australian police have arrested 60 people in the United States on charges they were part of a global network of child pornographers. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/13/1228585166678.html Global Child Porn Ring Taken Down U.S. law enforcement agencies have arrested 61 people and rescued 11 children as part of the larger takedown of a far-reaching global child pornography ring, Attorney General Michael Mukasey announced Friday. http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6452112 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The domain name news is supported by auDA For information on subscriptions to the domain name and/or general internet news please contact me. For archives of postings to the list, see http://lists.technewsreview.com.au/pipermail/technewsreview/. Also see http://technewsreview.com.au/ for recent updates. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Start your day with Yahoo!7 and win a Sony Bravia TV. Enter now http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/?p1=other&p2=au&p3=tagline _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
