********************************************************** 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://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** New media bends to old over paid-for access http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/new-media-bends-to-old-over-paidfor-access-1832758.html We're no thieves - despite what Rupert Murdoch claims, says Google http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/03/were-no-thieves-murdoch-google German Publisher Lays Out Plan to Save Newspapers http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/business/media/07iht-springer07.html Teen Internet addicts more likely to self harm - study http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44455020091204 Facebook now has 350m users - and there's no point in advertising to them http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/06/facebook-350m-users-advertising How Europe's Discarded Computers Are Poisoning Africa's Kids http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,665061,00.html Survey: One-Third of Youths Engage in Sexting http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/sexting-survey Internet TV the next challenge for viewers http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/internet-tv-the-next-challenge-for-viewers/story-e6frg996-1225807593109 Spanish Anti-Piracy Measure Under Fire http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/technology/internet/04piracy.html Mobile phones 'have not increased brain cancers' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8393884.stm Cyber spies are costing Australian's billions http://www.theage.com.au/technology/cyber-spies-are-costing-us-billions-20091203-k8vd.html Australian government off pace in cyber-crime fight http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/04/2761809.htm Police shut 1,200 UK scam shopping websites http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/03/police-shut-scam-shopping-websites DHS completes draft of plan on how to respond to a national cyberattack http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091203_2020.php New study calls for cybersecurity overhaul in U.S. [IDG] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120309-new-study-calls-for-cybersecurity.html CDT’s ‘Take Back Your Privacy’ Campaign Will Put Privacy Front and Center [news release] http://www.cdt.org/pr_statement/cdt’s-‘take-back-your-privacy’-campaign-will-put-privacy-front-and-center The Digital Economy Bill - a first critical look http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ourwork/reports/deb-first-look EU court 'sets precedent' in Germany telecoms ruling http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=665 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Is Internet Censorship Compatible with Democracy?: Legal Restrictions of Online Speech in South Korea by Eric S. Fish [Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law] Abstract: This paper examines the history and causes of Internet censorship in South Korea, with special focus on the tension between South Korea's democratic political identity and its willingness to tolerate significant censorship of online political speech. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1489621 Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth by Nina Czernich, Oliver Falck, Tobias Kretschmer & Ludger Woessmann [CESifo Working Paper] Abstract: We estimate the effect of broadband infrastructure, which enables high-speed internet, on economic growth in the panel of OECD countries in 1996-2007. Our instrumental-variable model derives its non-linear first stage from a logistic diffusion model where pre-existing voice-telephony and cable-TV networks predict maximum broadband penetration. We find that a 10 percentage-point increase in broadband penetration raises annual per-capita growth by 0.9-1.5 percentage points. Results are robust to country and year fixed effects and controlling for linear second-stage effects of our instruments. We verify that our instruments predict broadband penetration but not diffusion of contemporaneous technologies like mobile telephony and computers. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1516232 The Never-Ending Limits of § 230: Extending ISP Immunity to the Sexual Exploitation of Children by Katy Noeth In 2006, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas extended civil liability to Yahoo! under § 230 of the Communications Decency Act so that it could not be sued for knowingly profiting from a Web site where members exchanged sexually explicit pictures of minors. The court found that the reasoning of the seminal § 230 case, Zeran v. AOL, was analogous and that policy considerations mandated its holding. http://www.law.indiana.edu/fclj/pubs/v61/no3/14-NOETHFINAL.pdf Privacy in the digital world: Towards international legislation by Nour S. Al-Shakhouri, A. Mahmood Abstract: In today’s digital world, personal privacy has become the number one issue for consumers [9]. Consumers' confidence in personal privacy is directly affecting and limiting the growth of the Internet commercial development. Therefore, it has become a necessity to address the consumers privacy concerns for the interests of the parties involved. Examples of the different ways of penetrating the consumers' privacy are reviewed. The national and international efforts to formulate regulatory and self-regulatory programs to protect the consumers' privacy are demonstrated. The different privacy enhancing technologies are presented. The problems and shortages of the current national and international consumers' privacy protection regulatory effort including privacy enhancing technologies are addressed. The argument of the need for an international efforts and the proposed role of the United Nations (UN) towards enforced international privacy legislation is established. The complexity and the multi dimensional factors that affect the proposed international legislation are discussed. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2146 Beyond Google and evil: How policy makers, journalists and consumers should talk differently about Google and privacy by Chris Jay Hoofnagle Abstract: Google has come to symbolize the tensions between the benefits of innovative, information-dependent new services and the desire of individuals to control the contexts in which personal information is used. This essay reviews hundreds of newspaper articles where Google speaks about privacy in an effort to characterize the company’s handling of these tensions, to provide context explaining the meaning of the company’s privacy rhetoric, and to advance the privacy dialogue among policy makers, journalists, and consumers. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2326 All Knowledge Is Not Equal: Facilitating Children's Access To Knowledge By Making The Internet Safer by Cheryl B. Preston Access to Internet knowledge is a worthy goal, especially for the children who will populate the information society; however, access must be considered in the context of imposing Western pornography on every culture and family. This Article suggests an Internet port zoning approach to segregating Internet content. Zoning with the Ports Concept is practical, technologically feasible, and conducive to appropriate legal formulations. The Ports Concept accommodates those who want to speak and hear adult speech, while recognizing the equally legitimate interests of those who do not want pornography in their homes and businesses, eroding their cultural values. http://ijclp.net/files/ijclp_web-doc_6-13-2009.pdf http://ijclp.net/issue_13.html The Networked Electorate: The Internet and the Quiet Democratic Revolution in Malaysia and Singapore by Tang Hang Wu, National University of Singapore Abstract: This paper is intended to be a contribution to the literature on claims of the democratising effect of the Internet. The paper begins by setting out the arguments and also critiques of claims of the democratising power of the Internet. In order to test the validity of these arguments, the author will undertake a comparative study of the impact of the Internet on recent general elections in Malaysia and Singapore. The study will demonstrate that in the case of Singapore, the Internet has merely exerted some pressure on the pre-existing laws and state-imposed norms governing free speech; in contrast, in Malaysia, the Internet was a major contributory factor to what has been described as a ‘political tsunami’ during the recent general election. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2009_2/tang When Rights Clash Online: The Tracking of P2p Copyright Infringements Vs. the EC Personal Data Directive by Okechukwu Benjamin Vincents [International Journal of Law and Information Technology] Introduction: ‘Anti-piracy Group Broke Swedish Data Laws’. This was the headline to a news story published on the 10 th of June 2005 by The Local, a Swedish online news publication. As it turns out, one of Sweden’s anti-piracy groups, Antipiratbyrån (APB), in its bid to track copyright infringers, allegedly processed the personal data of Swedish peer to peer (p2p) file sharers in contravention of the Swedish Personal Data Act. This story is representative of the divergent perspectives that have been adopted by copyright owners and p2p fi le sharers. On one hand, a review of postings in some of the forums frequented by p2p participants indicates that some fi le sharers assume that there should be a legal rule by which copyright holders are prevented from invading their privacy. On the other hand, developments in the US go to show that the copyright holders seem to have taken the view that the fight against online copyright infringements should supersede all privacy considerations. There is therefore an apparent clash between two well-recognised rights, copyrights and data protection/informational privacy. The need to carefully consider this clash with a view to a possible resolution has now inspired this paper. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/16/3/270.pdf ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** New media bends to old over paid-for access Rupert Murdoch and his henchmen have repeatedly bad-mouthed Google as a “tech tapeworm” and a “parasite”, guilty of “false gospel” and, according to the media mogul himself this week, “theft”. That war of attrition is starting to have an effect. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/new-media-bends-to-old-over-paidfor-access-1832758.html We're no thieves - despite what Rupert Murdoch claims, says Google Google defended its treatment of news organisation today, as its UK head rejected Rupert Murdoch's charge that it is guilty of "theft". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/03/were-no-thieves-murdoch-google German Publisher Lays Out Plan to Save Newspapers When Axel Springer, the founder of the German newspaper publishing business bearing his name, laid the cornerstone in 1959 for a high-rise headquarters in Berlin only steps away from the tense line separating East from West, people called him crazy, arrogant or both. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/business/media/07iht-springer07.html Google being made newspaper scapegoat: CEO [AFP] Google is being unfairly scapegoated by newspaper publishers, and wants to help the troubled industry build online revenue, the chief executive of the internet giant said. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/google-being-made-newspaper-scapegoat-ceo-20091204-k9ms.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/google-being-made-newspaper-scapegoat-ceo-20091204-k9ms.html UK internet shoppers to spend £4,000 a second The internet will be jammed with traffic tomorrow lunchtime as millions of shoppers log on to do their Christmas shopping, making it the biggest spending day ever in the cyber market. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2009/dec/06/british-internet-record-christmas-shopping ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Websites sign up to new internet standards code Facebook and other social networking websites are to install "panic buttons" so children can alert the sites' operators if obscene or inappropriate material is posted. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6946162.ece Facebook now has 350m users - and there's no point in advertising to them It was announced last week that the population of Facebook now exceeds that of America. Since mid-September the social networking service has added 50 million users, which means it now finds itself with 350 million of them. I am sure that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, takes the same view of his subscribers as PG Wodehouse attributed to the male codfish – "which, suddenly finding itself the parent of three million five hundred thousand little codfish, cheerfully resolves to love them all". But even Zuckerberg must be wondering how he can monetise the little darlings. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/06/facebook-350m-users-advertising Twitter breaks privacy law, says Norwegian consumer group The Norwegian consumer group that says that Facebook's terms and conditions break the law has pledged also to take action against Twitter and LinkedIn. http://www.out-law.com/page-10580 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** How Europe's Discarded Computers Are Poisoning Africa's Kids People in the West throw away millions of old computers every year. Hundreds of thousands of them end up in Africa, where children try to eke out a living by selling the scrap. But the toxic elements in the waste are slowly poisoning them. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,665061,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Survey: One-Third of Youths Engage in Sexting If you think the sexting phenomenon is growing, you’re not imagining it. According to a new survey, almost one-third of youths admit they’ve engaged in sexting-related activities that involved either e-mailing a photo or video of themselves in the nude or being the recipient of such images. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/sexting-survey Study: 30 Percent of Youths Report Sexting, Half Report Digital Abuse, AP/MTV Survey Finds A study conducted by the Associated Press and MTV found that 50% of 14 to 24 year-olds have experienced some type of digital abuse. The study, released on Thursday, also found that 30% had either sent or received nude photos on their cell phones or online. But when you break down the numbers, 10% actually sent such messages, which is in line with a previous study done by Cox Communications that found that 9% had sent a "sext." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/03/scitech/pcanswer/main5873653.shtml http://cbs2.com/national/sexting.teens.bullying.2.1347121.html Study: 'Digital abuse' hits half of youth A study conducted by the Associated Press and MTV pretty much confirms what many Internet safety experts have been saying for the past several months: Young people are far more likely to experience problems online from their peers or from their own indiscretions than from adult predators. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10408453-238.html Youth using phones to harass and spy on partners Cell phones and the Internet are great ways for romantic partners to stay in touch, but based on a recent survey of 14- to 24-year-olds, they're also being used to spy and harass significant others. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10410095-238.html FTC: Children still marketed violent content [AP] The video game industry is doing a better job at keeping young kids away from violent and other inappropriate content than the music and movie businesses, according to a new report by the Federal Trade Commission. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/ftc-children-still-marketed-violent-content-20091204-k94x.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/ftc-children-still-marketed-violent-content-20091204-k94x.html Internet addiction linked to self-harming among teens Internet addiction has been linked to double the normal levels of self harm among high school students, in a new study published this morning. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-addiction-linked-to-selfharming-among-teens-20091203-k7a5.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-addiction-linked-to-selfharming-among-teens-20091203-k7a5.html Teen Internet addicts more likely to self harm - study Teenagers who are addicted to the Internet are more likely to engage in self-harm behaviour, according to an Australian-Chinese study. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44455020091204 NY sex offenders purged from Facebook, MySpace [AP] New laws passed in 25 states are making it easier for social networking giants Facebook and MySpace to purge their membership lists of convicted rapists, gropers and child molesters. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120103276.html Internet-addicted youth engage in other forms of self-injury The potential for some users to go overboard when it comes to being online has been obvious since the days when being online meant dialing in to a BBS. In more recent years, however, widespread 'Net access has allowed psychologists to document this obsession on a population level and begin to characterize Internet addiction as a distinct set of behaviors, and relate them to other forms of addiction. A recently published survey of Chinese adolescents from Guangzhou has found that signs of Internet addiction strongly correlate with various forms of self-injury, a finding that may place the addiction squarely within the spectrum of impulse control disorders. http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/12/internet-addicted-youth-engage-in-other-forms-of-self-injury.ars us: MySpace, Facebook Unfriend 3,500 Sex Offenders As long as there have been screennames, there have been perverts with screennames. If you happen to be a registered sex offender in New York State, you can bet the Attorney General's office is watching yours like a hawk. http://motherjones.com/riff/2009/12/myspace-facebook-unfriend-3500-sex-offenders au: AFP to lead International Taskforce against Child Sex Abuse [news release] The Australian Federal Police (AFP) today was handed responsibility for the international alliance of law enforcement agencies dedicated to combating child sexual abuse. http://www.ceop.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/ceop_03122009.asp us: Lack of computer access hampers some students Julija Pivoriunaite's heart sinks when one of her teachers at Glasgow Middle School announces that students must go online to do a homework assignment. It happens almost every school day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/05/AR2009120501746.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Internet TV the next challenge for viewers Online video viewing and social networking are set to dominate internet use over the coming year, according to two studies into new media and technology. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/internet-tv-the-next-challenge-for-viewers/story-e6frg996-1225807593109 Spanish Anti-Piracy Measure Under Fire The government of Spain has proposed new measures to curb the digital piracy of music and movies, but the bill has upset people on both sides of the debate over file-sharing, with copyright owners calling it insufficient and Internet companies denouncing it as heavy-handed. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/technology/internet/04piracy.html Proposal of Web shutdown power angers Spanish Internet users [AP] Many Spanish Internet users are furious over a government proposal that could lead to the shutting down of Web sites offering peer-to-peer file sharing of music and films without a court order. A meeting Thursday between their representatives and the culture minister failed to calm them down. http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_13918879 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Mobile phones 'have not increased brain cancers' There has been no substantial change in the number of adult brain tumours since mobile phone usage sharply increased in the mid-1990s, Danish scientists say. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8393884.stm No rise in cancer from mobile phones Using a mobile phone for more than 10 years does not appear to raise the risk of brain tumours, according a new study that re-opens the debate on the safety of the devices. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/6719218/No-rise-in-cancer-from-mobile-phones.html Study finds no brain tumor link with mobile phones A very large, 30-year study of just about everyone in Scandinavia shows no link between cellphone use and brain tumors, researchers reported on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B25K020091204 http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/3127549/ http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/no-tumour-link-to-mobile-phones-says-study-20091204-kaqs.html http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/no-tumour-link-to-mobile-phones-says-study-20091204-kaqs.html Study eases mobile phone cancer fears The increased use of mobile phones since the late 1990s is not causing an increase in brain tumours, the world's largest study into the subject has found. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/study-eases-mobile-phone-cancer-fears-20091205-kbzr.html Apple's Game Changer, Downloading Now ... As the App Store evolves from a kitschy catalog of novelty applications into what analysts and aficionados describe as a platform that is rapidly transforming mobile computing and telephony, it is changing the goals and testing the patience of developers, bolstering sales of the Apple motherships the applications ride upon — the iPhone and iPod Touch — and causing Apple’s competitors to overhaul their product lines and business models. It even threatens to open chinks in Apple’s own corporate armor. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/technology/06apps.html US Bill Targets Cell Phone Termination Fees Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced legislation Thursday that would set limits on the termination fees that wireless providers can charge their customers for cancelling their wireless contracts early. "Forcing consumers to pay outrageous fees bearing little to no relation to the cost of their handset devices is anti-consumer and anti-competitive," Klobuchar, a Senate Commerce Committee member, said in a statement. She introduced the bill with Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., Jim Webb, D-Va., and Mark Begich, D-Alaska. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/bill-targets-cell-phone-termin.php Mobile WiMAX starting to bloom Over the past few years mobile WiMAX has moved through standardization, productization, and interoperability testing and certification. Larger-scale network deployments are finally becoming a reality. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3208097 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120409-mobile-wimax-starting-to.html Time to terminate the NZ mobile debate? [The Dominion Post] OPINION: Should mobile phone users care whether Vodafone, Telecom and the Commerce Commission strike a voluntary deal to reduce mobile termination rates, or regulation ensues? http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3133277/ Just 9 days remain in which New Zealand's telecommunications companies can resolve their termination charges Telecommunications companies have nine days to make a submission on why the Commerce Commission should not regulate termination charges. http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=108170 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Cyber spies are costing Australian's billions An internet crime centre should be set up by the Rudd Government so people can report spam, data loss, online scams and web fraud, a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/cyber-spies-are-costing-us-billions-20091203-k8vd.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/cyber-spies-are-costing-us-billions-20091203-k8vd.html http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/cyber-spies-are-costing-us-billions-20091203-k8vd.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/cyber-spies-are-costing-us-billions-20091203-k8vd.html Australian government off pace in cyber-crime fight The founding director of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre says the pace with which cyber-criminals adapt their techniques to changing technologies has made the Federal Government's cyber security strategy out of date within a month of its release. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/04/2761809.htm Police shut 1,200 UK scam shopping websites UK police this week shut down more than 1,200 scam websites that claimed to be selling designer clothes and jewellery, in what is thought to be the biggest single swoop of its kind in the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/03/police-shut-scam-shopping-websites More than 1,200 UK shopping websites shut down More than 1,200 illegal internet shopping websites that have made millions of pounds for criminals have been shut down by Scotland Yard in the biggest operation of its kind in Britain. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6942583.ece Fake UK websites shut down by police More than 1,200 websites that claim to sell cut-price designer goods have been shut down in the biggest police operation of its kind in the UK. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8392600.stm Police shut 1,000 bogus shopping websites More than 1,000 fake shopping websites have been shut down by Scotland Yard ahead of the Christmas period as part of a large-scale operation to tackle cybergangs based in Asia. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5a5e7830-e00b-11de-9d40-00144feab49a.html Coders, exploits, nics and drops – welcome to the world of web crime The image of online criminals as amateur hackers, breaking into computer systems for kicks, has been out of date for some time. Online crime is dominated by professional criminals and has even given rise to distinct career paths that would-be criminals can choose to pursue from the outset. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6941443.ece DHS completes draft of plan on how to respond to a national cyberattack The Homeland Security Department, working with other federal agencies, has completed a draft of how governments and businesses should respond to a widespread cyberattack, establishing their roles and responsibilities. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091203_2020.php New study calls for cybersecurity overhaul in U.S. [IDG] The U.S. government and private businesses need to overhaul the way they look at cybersecurity, with the government offering businesses new incentives to fix security problems, the Internet Security Alliance said. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120309-new-study-calls-for-cybersecurity.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141762/New_study_calls_for_cybersecurity_overhaul_in_U.S. S'pore Wi-Fi hotspots protected from lawsuits Service providers that offer public Internet access, including retail outlets such as Starbucks or McDonald's, will not be legally liable if malicious hackers ride on their Wi-Fi hotspot to download illegal content or conduct other cybercrimes, according to a lawyer specializing in intellectual property (IP). http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62059807,00.htm ************************** PRIVACY ************************** us: CDT launches campaign to help consumers demand privacy [IDG] The Center for Democracy and Technology has launched a new consumer privacy campaign with the goal of empowering Internet users to take control of their privacy. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141758/CDT_launches_campaign_to_help_consumers_demand_privacy http://www.pcworld.com/article/183647/.html us: CDT Launches New Privacy Effort The Center for Democracy and Technology Thursday launched a new campaign to push Congress to pass privacy legislation and to give consumers new tools to take steps on their own to protect their personal data online. CDT's "Take Back Your Privacy" campaign includes information about the latest privacy controls and provides tools such as a privacy complaint mechanism to allow people to register privacy concerns online with the FTC and share those concerns with their social media contacts and a form to allow consumers to send letters to lawmakers about privacy legislation. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/cdt-launches-new-privacy-effor.php CDT’s ‘Take Back Your Privacy’ Campaign Will Put Privacy Front and Center [news release] The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) today launched its Take Back Your Privacy campaign designed around the twin goals of: http://www.cdt.org/pr_statement/cdt’s-‘take-back-your-privacy’-campaign-will-put-privacy-front-and-center ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Web under threat from 'snooping' authorities Governments and companies pushing for greater monitoring of Internet activity pose a major threat to freedom and democracy, according to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/web-threat-snooping-authorities/article-187986 China pays web surfers to find porn: report [AFP] Chinese authorities have offered rewards of up to 10,000 yuan (1,465 US dollars) to Internet users who report websites that feature pornography, state media reported Sunday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-pays-web-surfers-to-find-porn-report-20091206-kcot.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-pays-web-surfers-to-find-porn-report-20091206-kcot.html Internet down in Iran ahead of planned protests [AFP] Most of the Iranian capital's Internet links with the outside world were down on Saturday, two days ahead of planned demonstrations by opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-down-in-iran-ahead-of-planned-protests-20091206-kca6.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-down-in-iran-ahead-of-planned-protests-20091206-kca6.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** The Digital Economy Bill - a first critical look This is an explanation and analysis of the "copyright infringement provisions" the Digital Economy Bill -- strictly speaking this means clauses 4 to 15 which amend the Communications Act 2003 to add new sections 124A to 124L, but I am also considering clauses 16 (definitions) and 17 (amendments to copyright law) as well. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/ourwork/reports/deb-first-look FCC Announces Initial Public Workshops for Open Internet Proceeding The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today announced that Commission staff will hold an initial round of public workshops in December and January as part of the open Internet Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). These workshops will explore issues raised in the proceeding, including the technical realities of broadband networks and the impact of the Internet’s openness on various interests, including speech, democratic engagement, consumers, innovation, and investment. The dates, locations, and topics for additional spring workshops on the open Internet rulemaking will be announced in early 2010. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-294996A1.pdf nz: Doubts raised over rural broadband The telco sector and rural lobby groups doubt the government has earmarked enough investment to build critical rural broadband infrastructure. The government received 67 submissions on its rural broadband initiative, and many of the submissions from key stakeholders were critical about the government's plan. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/ED706A41E79C6872CC2576810078C3CD us: Panel Explores Legalizing Net Gambling The House Financial Services Committee Thursday held a hearing that was generally friendly toward Chairman Barney Frank's efforts to pass legislation that would regulate Internet gambling rather than banning it entirely. A 2006 law banned Internet gambling and also barred financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online gambling bets. Many of the witnesses testified that the best way to control Internet gambling is to legalize it, which will allow officials to license, regulate and tax online gaming. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/panel-explores-legalizing-net.php ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Microsoft, Yahoo take next step in search alliance [AP] Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have signed off on their plan to team up against Google Inc. in the lucrative Internet search market. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9CCQ1V82.htm ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** EU court 'sets precedent' in Germany telecoms ruling Germany's laws give preferential treatment to the country's main telecoms company Deutsche Telekom, according to a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) yesterday (3 December), dealing a blow to dominant operators across Europe. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=665 nz: CommComm pushes ahead on mobile termination rates [NZPA] The Commerce Commission is looking to push ahead on recommendations for mobile termination rates, after an attempt to get Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees to reach an acceptable agreement among themselves failed. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10613473 http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3128266/ NZ Telecom fined $500,000 Telecom has been fined $500,000 for Fair Trading Act breaches in the Auckland District Court today. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3134284/ Maori bid for deal on spectrum [The Dominion Post] A Maori delegation has met Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples to put the case for Maori to be given preferential rights to radio spectrum released by the Government. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3130817/ au: Broadband network rollout 18 months away The Federal Government has announced the rollout of new high-speed broadband infrastructure covering blackspots in regional Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/04/2762229.htm ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Cemetery sex attacker jailed A socially inept internet user who groomed young girls for sex in a Sydney cemetery, molesting one in a tomb, has been jailed for at least six years. http://www.smh.com.au/national/cemetery-sex-attacker-jailed-20091204-ka81.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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://GoldsteinReport.com/ for recent updates. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- David Goldstein email: [email protected] web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/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 __________________________________________________________________________________ Win 1 of 4 Sony home entertainment packs thanks to Yahoo!7. Enter now: http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/ _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
