********************************************************** 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 *************************************************** Internet companies - The end of the free lunch-again: The demise of a popular but unsustainable business model now seems inevitable http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13326158 au: iiNet pulls out of internet filter trials http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25228031-15306,00.html Leaked blacklist irresponsible, inaccurate: Conroy http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/19/2520929.htm ACMA blacklist leaked on the internet http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25210333-15306,00.html Leaked Australian blacklist reveals banned sites http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/19/1237054961100.html North Korea allows cellphone network http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fg-nkorea-cellphone22-2009mar22,0,5038328.story uk: Credit and debit card fraud jumps as criminals beat chip and pin http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/creditcards/5016593/Credit-and-debit-card-fraud-jumps-as-criminals-beat-chip-and-pin.html EBay Yanked Millions of Scam Items in 2008 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/03/19/are-rights-owners-too-demanding-online-sellers Computer Experts Unite to Hunt Conficker Worm http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/technology/19worm.php The Conficker Worm: April Fool’s Joke or Unthinkable Disaster? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/the-conficker-worm-april-fools-joke-or-unthinkable-disaster/ US Power grid is found susceptible to cyberattack [IDG] http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130178 A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10200710-38.html InternetNZ welcomes Government decision to abandon Copyright Act clause [news release] http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/internetnz-welcomes-government-decision-to-abandon-copyright-act-clause nz: ISPs under pressure to produce code http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/features/technology/2280996/ISPs-under-pressure-to-produce-code http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2280996/ISPs-under-pressure-to-produce-code ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Ascertaining Cyber Jurisdiction in Cyber Space: Jurisprudential Understanding and a Comparative Analysis by Anand Singh Abstract: The term jurisdiction refers to the court's authority to hear a particular dispute. The determinants of jurisdiction are generally territory and subject matter. However these traditional jurisdictional factors do not fit into the cyberspace scenario because the limits of cyberspace are not determined by any physical boundary. The developing law of jurisdiction must address whether a particular event in cyber space is controlled by the laws of the state or country where the website is located, by the laws of the state or country where the internet service provider is located, by the laws of the state or country where the user is located, or perhaps by all of these laws. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1366018 Sex, Kids, and Crime in Cyberspace: Some Reflections on Crossing Boundaries by Bert-Jaap Koops Abstract: This contribution sketches some contours of the landscape of sex, minors, and crime in cyberspace, illustrated by a varied casuistry of case-law emerging in the Netherlands. It discusses exposure to indecency, self-representation, viewing child porn online, grooming, and webcam sex abuse. It also highlights four types of boundaries - of nations, age, consent, and decency - in this landscape, that pose challenges to regulators, because in cyberspace, borders have a tendency to shift and blur. This implies that a debate is needed on the regulatory tilt of cybersex policy, which needs to take into account the co-evolution of technology, society, and regulation, and the need for empirical research and theoretical reflection. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1365986 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Microsoft launches IE8 as a faster, safer browser Microsoft has now released Internet Explorer 8 in advance of the version that will appear in Windows 7. It's already in use, because people have been able to download the RC1 release candidate version, but it should achieve rapid adoption. Whether it will be good enough to reverse IE's decline in market share -- roughly, from 85% to 70% -- remains to be seen. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/mar/19/microsoft-ie8-launched Microsoft set to unleash Internet Explorer 8 Aiming to better compete against a growing list of rivals, Microsoft on Thursday is launching Internet Explorer 8, the latest version of its Web browser. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10199582-56.html Microsoft Announces Availability of Internet Explorer 8 Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8, the new Web browser that offers the best solution for how people use the Web today. It can be downloaded in 25 languages at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8 starting at noon EDT on March 19. Internet Explorer 8 is easier to use, faster and offers leading-edge security features in direct response to people’s increasing concerns about online safety. A new study commissioned by Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Alliance and conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. shows that 91 percent of adults in the U.S. are concerned about online threats in the current economic climate, and 78 percent are more likely to choose a Web browser with built-in security than they were two years ago. http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2009/mar09/03-18IE8AvailablePR.mspx Availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8 Brings New Opportunities for Web Developers At MIX09, Microsoft Corp.’s Web designer and developer conference, Microsoft announced the global availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8, providing better performance, easier Web development tools for enhanced browser experiences and improved security and reliability. In Thursday’s keynote address, Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft, showcased solutions from industry partners such as ESPN, eBay Inc., Digg Inc., Facebook and OneRiot that create new value for their customers. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/mar09/03-19IEDevelopersPR.mspx Microsoft Drives Greater Openness to Fuel Innovation, Efficiency and Growth Businesses everywhere are dealing with the challenges of economic uncertainty and financial pressures, alongside higher customer expectations. In a world of change, businesses must adapt, be able to innovate, and find new ways of doing business. Technology creates opportunities for businesses to innovate. As such, many companies have assembled a diverse mix of applications and technologies from a variety of vendors. Because mixed IT environments are so pervasive, customers are demanding – now more than ever – that software vendors do a better job of making their products work together. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/mar09/03-19InteroperabilityQA.mspx Browser Showdown: IE 8 vs. Firefox Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 is here at last--the newest entry into the ongoing browser wars. Microsoft packed a healthy number of new features into IE 8, and made security a top priority in its newest version of this venerable Web browser. http://www.pcworld.com/article/161616/.html Google launches Street View despite privacy concerns In the face of fierce opposition from privacy campaigners, Google on Thursday launched its controversial mapping service Street View, which offers users 360-degree views of selected cities across Britain. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5939562.ece Google hit by privacy protests over its tour of British cities For 24 hours, Google's new Street View brought a vision of British cities to the web that included such memorable sights as a man throwing up between his knees outside a London bar and youths with traffic cones on their heads in Edinburgh. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/21/google-street-view-privacy-images Embracing edemocracy: the UK votes Yes to online communications [news release] Almost half of the UK population has used the internet in the last year to access information about government or local council services or completed a government form or process online, according to Ofcom research. http://ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2009/03/nr_20090320 Broadband access 'helps improve education for children' An expert has highlighted the important role of broadband in helping to improve children's education and increase their "life chances". Niel McLean, executive director of Becta, said having access to the internet opens up a whole range of "fantastic resources" for children and could help improve their performance in school. The company, which is leading the national drive to improve learning through technology, is currently giving away free computers to families as part of the Home Access Programme. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=505 Internet companies - The end of the free lunch-again: The demise of a popular but unsustainable business model now seems inevitable “In recent years, consumers have become used to feasting on online freebies of all sorts: news, share quotes, music, e-mail and even speedy internet access. These days, however, dotcoms are not making news with yet more free offerings, but with lay-offs—and with announcements that they are to start charging for their services.” These words appeared in The Economist in April 2001, but they’re just as applicable today. During the dotcom boom, the idea got about that there could be such a thing as a free lunch, or at least free internet services. Firms sprang up to offer content and services online, in the hope that they would eventually be able to “monetise” the resulting millions of “eyeballs” by selling advertising. Things did not work out that way, though, and the result was the dotcom crash. Companies tried other business models, such as charging customers for access, but very few succeeded in getting people to pay up. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13326158 The Daily Me by Nicholas Kristof Some of the obituaries these days aren’t in the newspapers but are for the newspapers. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is the latest to pass away, save for a remnant that will exist only in cyberspace, and the public is increasingly seeking its news not from mainstream television networks or ink-on-dead-trees but from grazing online. http://nytimes.com/2009/03/19/opinion/19kristof.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Cyber-safety, or global censorship? by Milton Mueller ICANN has encouraged new constituencies to get involved in the GNSO. Now it has got what it asked for. This month, Cheryl Preston filed a petition with ICANN to form a new “Cyber-safety Constituency.” It turns out that this constituency is nothing more than an extension of the CP80 Foundation. CP80 is devoted to systematic, global censorship of internet content in order to eradicate pornography. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/3/17/4125801.html Save the children? ICANN opens debate on CyberSafety charter The group behind the campaign to take porn off of port 80 is now lobbying ICANN to create a new "Cybersafety Constituency" to assist in the formulation of domain name system policy. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/save-the-children-icann-opens-debate-on-cybersafety-charter.ars Internet predators continue to multiply [AP] Eric Szatkowski is a Wisconsin Justice Department special agent, but on that Sunday afternoon he entered an online chat room as a 14-year-old boy. He claimed he was into weightlifting, AC/DC and muscle magazines. Then he waited. Within hours, screen name Paul2u sent a message: "Hi. u realy 14?" http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29793814/ http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/41610607.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/more-internet-predators-are-challenging-agents-20090323-96e7.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/more-internet-predators-are-challenging-agents-20090323-96e7.html Joyce: Internet filtering off the agenda in NZ Those nervously watching the chaos across the Tasman can breathe a sigh of relief. "We have been following the internet filtering debate in Australia but have no plans to introduce something similar here," says Communications and IT minister Steven Joyce. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/joyce-internet-filtering-agenda-nz-87186 nz: Online model contest warning to parents Parents urged to be cautious about an internet modelling competition aimed at school kids. Netsafe executive director Martin Cocker says an online talent agency - School Model Search - has all the signs of a "phishing" site. These sites are often used to trick people into giving information which is then exploited. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/features/technology/2282939/Online-model-contest-warning-to-parents http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2282939/Online-model-contest-warning-to-parents/ uk: Generation sexting: What teenage girls really get up to on the internet should chill every parent Like a real porn star, Becky is heavily made up and lying naked on the bed as the camera flashes. She could be just another glamorous model as she poses provocatively with practised moves. But she isn't. Shockingly, Becky is just 17 and still at school. She's filming herself in a friend's bedroom in a large, detached house in leafy suburbia as her schoolfriends party downstairs. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1162777/Generation-sexting-What-teenage-girls-really-internet-chill-parent.html au: iiNet pulls out of internet filter trials IINET has pulled out of the federal Government's internet filtering trials. iiNet only agreed to participate in the trial to demonstrate that the filter was flawed and a waste of taxpayers’ money, iiNet managing director Michael Malone said. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25228031-15306,00.html iiNet quits Conroy's filter trial iiNet's managing director Michael Malone said that despite drawn-out negotiations with the department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, it was obvious no agreement could be reached. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/iiNet-quits-Conroy-s-filter-trial/0,130061791,339295589,00.htm Leaked blacklist irresponsible, inaccurate: Conroy Broadband and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says a list claiming to be the communication regulator's blacklist for a proposed internet filtering system is not the real blacklist. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/19/2520929.htm ACMA list of prohibited and potentially prohibited overseas hosted content [news release] The ACMA is aware that a list purporting to be the ‘ACMA blacklist’ has been posted on an overseas website. ACMA does not consider that the release and promotion of URLs relating to illegal and highly offensive material is responsible. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311669 Internet list publication grossly irresponsible [news release] The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/014 IIA condemns ACMA blacklist leak [news release] IIA chief executive, Peter Coroneos said the Association did not condone the leaking of a list that purports to include links to many sites prohibited by ACMA. http://iia.net.au/index.php/component/content/article/80/705-iia-condemns-leak-of-acma-black-list.html ACMA blacklist leaked on the internet A top-secret list of banned internet web pages that is being used as the basis for the federal Government's internet filtering trials has been leaked on to the web. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25210333-15306,00.html Wikileaks taken offline after publishing Australia's banned websites Whistleblowing website Wikileaks has gone offline just hours after publishing what appeared to be a complete list of the websites banned by the ACMA. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/mar/19/wikileaks-banned-australian-websites List leak casts doubt on net censorship plan Doubt has been cast on the Federal Government's proposed internet censorship regime after a blacklist of banned websites was leaked online. The list included such innocent sites as a dentist and tuckshop consultant. http://www.theage.com.au/national/list-leak-casts-doubt-on-net-censorship-plan-20090319-93fi.html http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/blacklist-leak-sets-back-internet-plan/1464646.aspx Internet filter blacklist leaked on web The communication regulator's blacklist of banned internet sites has apparently been leaked, prompting an internet advocacy group to accuse the Government of making it easy to access child pornography. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/19/2520591.htm Campaign against net censorship [AAP] Activist group GetUp is set to launch a television advertising campaign against the government's proposed internet censorship regime after a blacklist of banned websites was leaked online. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2009/03/21/1237526374996.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/21/1237526374996.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/21/1237526374996.html Leaked Australian blacklist reveals banned sites The Australian communications regulator's top-secret blacklist of banned websites has been leaked on to the web and paints a harrowing picture of Australia's forthcoming internet censorship regime. Wikileaks, an anonymous document repository for whistleblowers, obtained the list, which has been seen by this website, and plans to publish it for public consumption on its website imminently. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/19/1237054961100.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/19/1237054961100.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2277678/Australias-banned-websites-list-leaked http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/leaked-australian-blacklist-reveals-banned-sites-20090319-92qy.html ACMA's website blacklist leaking seen as a disappointing move The reputed leaking of a secretive Internet filter blacklist held by the communications watchdog ACMA to Wikileaks has been seen as both disappointing and inevitable by industry. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/296191/ http://computerworld.com.au/article/296191/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296191/ Australische Internet-Sperrliste in der Debatte Eine von Wikileaks veröffentlichte australische Blacklist mit rund 2400 aufgeführten Webseiten hat die Debatte über Sinn und Unsinn der Sperrtechnik neu entfacht. Gegner der hierzulande unter anderem von Bundesfamilienministerin Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) befürworteten Sperre problematischer Inhalte sehen sich darin bestätigt, dass eine solche Liste unbescholtene Angebote treffen kann. Befürworter der Sperrlistentechnik bewerten die veröffentlichte Sperrliste hingegen als Teil einer gezielten Desinformationskampagne. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Australische-Internet-Sperrliste-in-der-Debatte--/meldung/134943 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Surge in demand for online video British demand for online video sites has shot up over the past year, according to a new report. Written by research firm Hitwise it found that UK internet traffic to video websites was up 40.7%. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7954941.stm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** European mobile rates to fall again European lawmakers are set this week to approve plans to cut the cost of calling a mobile phone, as well as the first price limits on the cost of text messaging and mobile Internet surfing while abroad. http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/22/technology/mobile23.php For Palm, Some Tough Acts to Follow Comeback stories are irresistibly appealing, in business as well as in sports. But recovering from some strategic mistakes is awfully hard. A case in point is Palm’s failure to anticipate the threat that Apple posed to its core business. http://nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22digi.html North Korea allows cellphone network But at $300 a phone, and monthly costs, only elites can afford the Koryolink service from an Egyptian telecom firm. Many wonder what the regime's motives are: to monitor citizens, or finally open up? http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fg-nkorea-cellphone22-2009mar22,0,5038328.story Australian mobile phone code inadequate: ACCC A new industry code that aims to protect Australian mobile phone users from scams is deficient, according to the ACCC. Graeme Samuel, chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has threatened to impose stricter regulation if the code is not upgraded. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/21/1237656745665.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/21/1237656745665.html Phone plan answers call to save gorillas The solution to saving the world's dwindling number of gorillas is in our hands. Literally. Mobile phones are useful to humans but, sadly, they are deadly for our close animal relative. They contain a mineral called coltan, essential for producing electric capacitors. Most of the world's coltan is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a major habitat for primates. Unfortunately, coltan mining has opened the way for deforestation and gorilla poaching. http://www.theage.com.au/national/phone-plan-answers-call-to-save-gorillas-20090321-951m.html http://www.smh.com.au/national/phone-plan-answers-call-to-save-gorillas-20090321-951m.html Aust govt called to regulate mobile roaming A parliamentary standing committee on communications has called on the federal Government to regulate wholesale mobile roaming charges to get a better deal for Australians using their phones overseas. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25210738-15306,00.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** UK Home Office fails to shut down a single extremist website in two years The Home Office has failed to shut down a single terrorist website despite a pledge to do so from Tony Blair four years ago. Stopping extremist websites operating was one of the measures unveiled by Mr Blair in the aftermath of the 7 July suicide bombings in London in 2005. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5017764/Home-Office-fails-to-shut-down-a-single-extremist-website-in-two-years.html Big jump in UK online banking fraud Software allowing fraudsters to track what you type led to the level of online banking fraud more than doubling in 2008, according to a banking body. Fraudsters use a device called keylogging - when keystrokes on a computer are tracked to gather passwords and credit card numbers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7952598.stm uk: Credit and debit card fraud jumps as criminals beat chip and pin Credit and debit card fraud increased by 14 per cent last year as criminals beat the chip and pin system by preying on shoppers on the internet, official figures indicate. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/creditcards/5016593/Credit-and-debit-card-fraud-jumps-as-criminals-beat-chip-and-pin.html EBay Yanked Millions of Scam Items in 2008 Internet auction site eBay has defended the way in which it handles reports of counterfeit goods, saying that it has delisted millions of items and suspended tens of thousands of seller accounts last year. However, its actions may not be enough to stop a lawsuit brought by a luxury goods retailer, which maintains that eBay needs to do more to stop online auctions of counterfeit products. http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/03/19/are-rights-owners-too-demanding-online-sellers http://www.pcworld.com/article/161713/.html A Twisted Case of Cyberharassment First came the phone calls: men, strangers, telling Barbara Goddard they'd seen her ad on Craigslist and were eager to come over for her promised "casual encounter." Later that week, men started showing up at Goddard's door in Reston, ready for an evening of random sex. "I'm here from Craigslist," they'd say. "You've been set up," Goddard would tell them. By that time, she'd figured out what was happening: Someone was posting offers in her name on online message boards, with her home address. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102105.html Computer Experts Unite to Hunt Conficker Worm An extraordinary behind-the-scenes struggle is taking place between computer security groups around the world and the brazen author of a malicious software program called Conficker. http://nytimes.com/2009/03/19/technology/19worm.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/technology/19worm.php The Conficker Worm: April Fool’s Joke or Unthinkable Disaster? The Conficker worm is scheduled to activate on April 1, and the unanswered question is: Will it prove to be the world’s biggest April Fool’s joke or is it the Information Age equivalent of Herman Kahn’s legendary 1962 treatise about nuclear war, “Thinking About the Unthinkable”? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/the-conficker-worm-april-fools-joke-or-unthinkable-disaster/ Worming Our Way Out of Trouble by Bill Thompson The Conficker worm will be active again on April 1st, according to an analysis of its most recent variant, Conficker.C, by the net security firm CA. This malicious piece of software, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, spreads among computers running most variants of the Windows operating system and turns them into nodes on a multi-million member 'botnet' of zombie computers that can be controlled remotely by the worm's as yet unidentified authors. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090320_worming_our_way_out_of_trouble/ US Power grid is found susceptible to cyberattack [IDG] An emerging network of intelligent power switches, called the Smart Grid, could be taken down by a cyberattack, according to researchers with IOActive, a Seattle security consultancy. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130178 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032109-power-grid-is-found-susceptible.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/161727/.html A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House Forthcoming legislation would wrest cybersecurity responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and transfer them to the White House, a proposed move that likely will draw objections from industry groups and some conservatives. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10200710-38.html us: Rockefeller promises to address threats to cybersecurity Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller will make cybersecurity a committee priority this year because he regards threats to the government's networks and infrastructure as "a profoundly and deeply troubling problem to which we are not paying much attention." http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090320_3129.php AT&T Talks Cybersecurity With Congress Congress is a tech-savvier place today than it was when Edward Amoroso, AT&T’s chief security officer, started making trips to Washington more than 20 years ago. Back then, he says, he would discuss virus threats at length before a lawmaker would raise his hand. “You’re expecting some question that might impress you, and they’d ask, ‘Can you tell me what a virus is?’” http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/03/20/att-talks-cybersecurity-with-congress/ US Senator plans to promote cybersecurity education The U.S. economy is suffering massive losses every year due to cyberattacks, yet most Americans are not aware of the gravity of the problem, cyber experts told Congress Thursday. Without more federal funding for educational reforms and basic research to promote cybersecurity, the nation will regularly suffer from attacks of serious consequence, they said. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10200280-38.html Report: Cybercriminals Working Faster Than Ever Malware exploits moved at unprecedented speed and volume this past year but 2009 may bring increasing cooperation among security vendors and law enforcement agencies to bring down criminal enterprises, according to the annual Trend Micro Threat Roundup & 2009 Forecast. http://www.mitechnews.com/articles.asp?id=10135 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Canadian Privacy Rights Buried in the Fine Print by Michael Geist Scott McNealy, the former CEO of Sun Microsystems, has achieved considerable notoriety for having warned Internet users ten years ago that "you have no privacy, get over it." Recent headlines suggest that the Ontario courts have adopted those sentiments, as two recent decisions involving the disclosure of subscriber information by Internet service providers confirmed that revealing personal information to law enforcement without a warrant is permitted under Canadian privacy law. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3757/135/ ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Amnesty slams M'sia Internet censorship Malaysia's move to charge eight people for criticizing a state ruler online has drawn the ire of Amnesty International and local media watchdogs. Ironically, the charge is under a multimedia law which guards against Internet censorship. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62052351,00.htm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** InternetNZ welcomes Government decision to abandon Copyright Act clause [news release] InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc.) welcomes the decision by Government today to amend Section 92A of the Copyright Act through starting a process to create a more workable law. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/internetnz-welcomes-government-decision-to-abandon-copyright-act-clause nz: ISPs under pressure to produce code The pressure is on to get a code drawn up in time for a new internet copyright law. The Government delayed the enforcement of Section 92a of the Copyright Act until March 27 to give internet service providers (ISPs) time to draw up a code. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/features/technology/2280996/ISPs-under-pressure-to-produce-code http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2280996/ISPs-under-pressure-to-produce-code Copyright Code submissions back repeal of 92A [news release] InternetNZ has reviewed the 50-odd submissions on the Telecommunications Carriers’ Forum ISP Copyright Code of Practice and finds overwhelming support for repeal of Section 92A of the Copyright Act. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009 http://www.tone.co.nz/news/4900/copyright-code-submissions-back-repeal-of-92a uk: UKIPO: Copyright Owners And Internet Providers, Please Regulate Yourselves! The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office on Monday published a proposal for a “rights agency” that would tackle problems related to digital copyright. The envisioned agency that would be managed and funded by rights owners and take up a two-fold task by facilitating the creation of a digital market and preventing and reducing online piracy. http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/03/18/ukipo-copyright-owners-and-internet-providers-please-regulate-yourselves/ ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Why Microsoft Continues to Chases Internet Search If you are making something that is growing and profitable, why throw billions at something else that has kept losing money and market share? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/why-microsoft-continues-to-chases-internet-search/ Information technology - Gathering clouds: The takeover talks between IBM and Sun highlight a shift in the industry It was the day Sun Microsystems was supposed to rise again. On March 18th the Silicon Valley computer-maker had planned to unveil a new online service to allow start-ups to manage with much less hardware, by buying computing capacity from a “cloud”, rather like electricity from the grid. But the event was overshadowed by the news, hours earlier, that IBM was in talks to buy Sun for at least $6.5 billion in cash, which would translate into a near-100% premium over the firm’s depressed share price in recent weeks. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13331334 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Comms Alliance submits Mobile Premium Services Code Under increasing pressure from the ACCC and ACMA, industry self-regulator Communications Alliance has finally released a code of conduct around the provision of Mobile Premium Services. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/99056,comms-alliance-submits-mobile-premium-services-code.aspx Telecoms: Don't Tie Stimulus Funds To Internet Speeds [Reuters] Telecom companies vying for $7.2 billion in broadband funds included in President Obama's economic stimulus plan urged regulators not to mandate a super-fast Internet speed as a criterion for winning the money. http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215901385 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Man arrested following interstate online child exploitation investigation – Sex Crimes Squad Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad have arrested a man following an interstate investigation into alleged internet child exploitation offences. http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjU1NTMuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 2009 --------- 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 Stay connected to the people that matter most with a smarter inbox. Take a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinbox _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
