Hi all, This will be the final domain name news for 2007. The news will be back as usual in the week commencing 7 January. So till then, keep checking out my website for updates - http://technewsreview.com.au/, or you can wait until January. But I will post any significant stories in the interim.
Have a wonderful christmas and new year, and see you all soon! Cheers David *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** .Mobi: A Safe Real Estate Bet http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60741.html?welcome=1198068157 NZ police, FBI continue international cyber crime operation http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10483271 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** us: Homeland Security Department Was Warned About DNSSEC Key Ownership and Trust Issues by Milton Mueller The Internet Governance Project has unearthed a consultancy report to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that makes it clear that the issue of root signing and DNSSEC key management has been recognized as a political issue within the US government for long time. http://www.circleid.com/posts/homeland_security_warned_about_dnssec/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Notice of Implementation Date for WHOIS National Laws Procedure ICANN is publishing a notice of implementation of the ICANN Procedure for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law. The procedure will be posted for 30 days, and implemented on 17 January 2008. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-18dec07.htm ICANN: Request to Provide Input to Issue Report on Introduction of IDN ccTLDs At its meeting on 2 October 2007, the ccNSO Council resolved to call for an Issue Report to examine the need for a Policy Development Process (ccPDP) to consider: 1. Whether Article IX of the ICANN bylaws applies to IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two letter codes, and if it does not then to establish if Article IX should apply; 2. Whether the ccNSO should launch a PDP to develop the policy for the selection and delegation of IDN ccTLDs associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-19dec07.htm ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** Nic.at records 700,000 .at domain registrations [reg req'd] http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?id=196852 .Mobi: A Safe Real Estate Bet Why should you consider using .mobi for your mobile domain extension? For starters, although growing fast, the mobile Internet is still relatively early in its development: Only one-quarter of mobile subscribers have a mobile Internet plan. That means that mobile browsing habits are not fixed on using a particular domain extension. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60741.html?welcome=1198068157 http://www.technewsworld.com/story/60741.html?welcome=1198110315 Most .mobi Domains Won at Sedo Auctions are Out of Compliance A review of auctions won at first .mobi domain auction shows most are out of compliance. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/12/19/most-mobi-domains-won-at-sedo-auctions-are-out-of-compliance/ Dot-travel registrar reports surge in new domain name registrations [news release] Dot-travel registrar EnCirca announces a surge in new .travel domain name registrations ahead of the travel registry rule changes scheduled to take effect on Friday, December 21 at 18:00 EST. http://www.domainpulse.com/2007/12/20/dot-travel-registrar-reports-surge-in-new-domain-name-registrations/ http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2007122014/dot-travel-registrar-reports-surge-in-new-domain-name-registrations/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** NZ police, FBI continue international cyber crime operation New Zealand police are still working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an international investigation over a multi-million dollar cyber crime ring alleged to involve a Whitianga teenager. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10483271 Hacking a New DNS Attack New findings by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Google on a malicious DNS-related attack have stirred some debate over whether open recursive DNS servers are inherently insecure. (See DNS Servers in Harm's Way.) DNS servers basically translate domain names, like darkreading.com, into IP addresses so that computers can find one another. Recursive DNS servers respond to DNS lookup requests from any machine on the Internet. The researchers found an increase in corrupted DNS servers that send clients to malicious sites, and concluded that the large number of open recursive DNS servers on the Net could ultimately be compromised and used as part of a malicious DNS infrastructure that routes users to phishing sites and other bad places. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=141652 OpenDNS provides added safety for free OpenDNS is a free online service that offers an extra layer of safety on the Internet. Technically, the service is DNS resolution, which I'll explain below. The main defensive computing advantage it provides is protection from bad Web sites, most importantly from phishing scams. ID theft is, to me at least, the worst thing that can happen to a computer user, so any extra protection helps. You also get some flexibility in deciding which other types of Web sites should be restricted. http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9834579-33.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** How Rampant is Cyber & Typo Squatting? Just Ask WIPO After Reviewing Wipo.com! By Enrico Schaefer How prevalent is cybersquatting and typosquatting? Take a look at www.wipo.com, and then compare it with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s web site www.wipo.org. Ironically, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center handles a majority of the UDRP domain dispute arbitrations internationally. The very organization which is invested with the authority by ICANN to resolve cybersquatting and typosquatting disputes internationally under the UDRP is, by all appearances, being squatted. http://www.circleid.com/posts/712177_cyber_typo_squatting_wipo_domain/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** The Internet Running Out of Everything? By Yves Poppe We know that the Internet is running out of IPv4 addresses and that some in our community check twice a day Mat Ford’s doomsday clock or spend an hour once a week reading the tea leaves based on Geoff Huston‘s exhaustive data compiled at Potaroo. Like with global warming, there is still a school of thought out there arguing that this running out of IP addresses is just fear mongering and that we are not really running out of IPv4 addresses as a NATted world is more than adequate to run the Internet for the foreseeable future. http://www.circleid.com/posts/712178_internet_running_out_of_everything/ us: Feds readying for 2008 IPv6 deadline, but not for actual use The US government is facing a June 2008 deadline to comply with an Office of Management and Budget requirement to turn IPv6 on in its networks. However, the directive only specifies that IPv6 has to be available on routers. It doesn't say anything about actually using the new protocol. And apparently, this is exactly what the various agencies are now doing: they're upgrading their routers to support the new protocol, ping their ISP's router over IPv6, and calling it a day. Actual network usage is firmly sticking to IPv4. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071219-feds-readying-for-2008-ipv6-deadline-but-not-for-actual-use.html ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Antivirus firm says detects Google text ad trojan [Reuters] Advertisements placed by Google in Web pages are being hijacked by so-called trojan software that replaces the intended text with ads from a different provider, Romanian antivirus company BitDefender says. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL191003420071219 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Digital Footprints: Online identity management and search in the age of transparency Internet users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint; 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago. However, few monitor their online presence with great regularity. Just 3% of self-searchers report that they make a regular habit of it and 74% have checked up on their digital footprints only once or twice. Indeed, most internet users are not concerned about the amount of information available about them online, and most do not take steps to limit that information. Fully 60% of internet users say they are not worried about how much information is available about them online. Similarly, the majority of online adults (61%) do not feel compelled to limit the amount of information that can be found about them online. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/229/report_display.asp Teens and Social Media: The use of social media gains a greater foothold in teen life as they embrace the conversational nature of interactive online media Content creation by teenagers continues to grow, with 64% of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engaging in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004. Girls continue to dominate most elements of content creation. Some 35% of all teen girls blog, compared with 20% of online boys, and 54% of wired girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. Boys, however, do dominate one area - posting of video content online. Online teen boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls (19% vs. 10%) to have posted a video online somewhere where someone else could see it. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/230/report_display.asp ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Is The Internet Killing Newspapers? Something Else To Thank Al Gore For? If there is any one politician the world can thank for ensuring that America embraced the Internet it is probably Al Gore. During his political life, and especially as vice-president in the Clinton administration, he moved Congress, and the federal government, to adopt and accept the infant that he called the information highway. Al GoreAs he said some eight years ago in a Larry King interview, “During my service in the United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.” http://followthemedia.com/alldigital/thanksal19122007.htm Kiwi internet habits go under the microscope The internet is considered a more important source of information than newspapers, television, radio and even friends and family, a new survey shows. AUT University today released the findings of a benchmark survey looking at how New Zealanders use the internet. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10483534 http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071219/3/3csz.html Pew: Phones, In-Person Strong With Teens [AP] Teenagers still value phone calls and face-to-face meetings with friends even as they frequent online hangouts like Facebook and MySpace, a new study finds. Nearly 40 percent of teens say they talk to friends on a traditional wired phone every day, and 35 percent say they do so on cell phones, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said Wednesday, analyzing its phone surveys from late 2006. Thirty-one percent of teens say they spend time in person with friends every day. http://news.smh.com.au/pew-phones-inperson-strong-with-teens/20071025-163r.html http://news.theage.com.au/pew-phones-inperson-strong-with-teens/20071025-163r.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEENS_ONLINE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-19-17-35-52 More TV viewers turn to Web for entertainment: poll [Reuters] More television viewers are turning to the Internet to watch videos, films and TV episodes, according to a new survey. In the past year, YouTube has widened its lead as the top destination for online videos, while search engines and television networks have gained ground. Approximately 65 percent of the 2,455 U.S. adults surveyed by Harris Interactive said they have watched a video on YouTube, compared to 42 percent during the same time last year. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1961913620071219 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6223572.html uk: Action urged on broadband speeds Action should be taken over consumers' concerns about broadband connection speeds, a watchdog has said. The Ofcom Consumer Panel said speeds advertised as "up to" a certain level end up being much slower in reality. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7151132.stm Nine in 10 Australian families online THE family home is increasingly a media-saturated home. A new study has found most Australian families with children older than eight now have three televisions, three mobile phones, a gaming console and internet access. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22941900-15318,00.html What the kids are doing on the computer If you think the kids are spending more and more time in front of a computer these days - you're right. A survey released in Australia today tells a story of the 21st century nuclear family as one whose children are media-rich; who have multiple communications devices in the home; who value the internet and are striking a comfortable balance in their children's use of media. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10483083 More girls than boys using internet: study A report on young people's use of media has found that the amount of time they spend using technology has not increased in the last 12 years despite the rise in the use of the internet and mobile phones. http://www.net4now.com/isp_news/news_article.asp?News_ID=5940 Nine in 10 Australian families online THE family home is increasingly a media-saturated home. A new study has found most Australian families with children older than eight now have three televisions, three mobile phones, a gaming console and internet access. http://www.net4now.com/isp_news/news_article.asp?News_ID=5926 Kids glued to screens These days kids are getting their “square eyes” in front of computer screens as well as TV. http://www.smartcompany.com.au/Free-Articles/Trends/20071218-Kids-online.html Almost half of U.S. Internet users 'Google' themselves As users post more information about themselves on social networking sites and elsewhere, they are also conducting more online searches about themselves, according to a new study. Almost half of all U.S. Internet users (47%) have searched for information about themselves online, up from 22% in 2002, according to a report released yesterday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9053304 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** How To Make Friends, Japanese-Style Social networking is so popular in Japan in that one standing joke says that a Japanese salary man has three online profiles: one that's real, a second that's edgier so he can venture into pages that detail his private obsessions, and a third that is completely anonymous so his wife or girlfriend or boss will not track him down. And that's been great business for Mixi, Japan's leading personal portal and social-networking destination. "In Japan, there's really only one significant network," says Gen Kanai, director of marketing for Mozilla Japan. That's Mixi. Even so, as social networking sites move to mobile phones, Mixi is going to have to run hard to keep its lead. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/12/18/mixi-japan-mobile-tech-cz_cs_1218mixi.html us: Facebook Puts a Face on Defendants in Hacker Suit Facebook has named three individuals and a Canadian porn company as defendants in a federal lawsuit it filed earlier this year in the Northern District of California, which accused unnamed people and companies of unlawfully accessing its servers. After two Canadian Internet service providers provided information in response to subpoenas, the social networking site named Brian Fabian, Josh Raskin, Ming Wu and Slickcash.com as defendants in the case. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Facebook-Puts-a-Face-on-Defendants-in-Hacker-Suit-60837.html Facebook alleges porn company tried to filch users’ details Facebook is suing an online pornography business that allegedly hacked into the social network’s computer system to steal its users’ personal details. Court documents filed by Facebook in San Jose, California, claim that its servers were targeted 200,000 times during a two-week period in June. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3065339.ece Facebook settles text-message suit Pressured by a lawsuit, Internet social network Facebook Inc. will adopt measures to prevent its 58 million members from sending text messages to recycled cellphone numbers. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-facebook19dec19,1,2227169.story http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Facebook-Settlement.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** French e-voting study highlights hidden costs [IDG] Electoral districts opting to use electronic voting machines face significant costs, some hidden, according to a new report from the French Internet Rights Forum. The machines cost an average of $6,300 each for a voting station serving 800 to 1000 electors, but electoral districts faced many other costs associated with their use, according to the Forum. Some districts had difficulty evaluating those costs, the French IT lobbying group wrote in "An interim report on the use of voting machines for electronic voting in the political elections of 2007." http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9053644 http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/19/French-e-voting-study_1.html ********************** SPAM ********************** InternetNZ congratulates DIA on spam raid [news release] InternetNZ (the Internet Society of New Zealand Inc) congratulates the Department of Internal Affairs on raiding a group of suspected spammers today. Executive Director Keith Davidson says this morning’s Christchurch raid illustrates the importance of the recently-passed Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act, which prohibits sending unsolicited, commercial, electronic messages with a New Zealand link. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/mediareleases/spamraid First raid under new NZ anti-spam law A Christchurch man has become the first person in New Zealand to be raided under the new anti-spam act, more formally known as the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act, that came into force in September. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/A6804FC956D9809FCC2573B6007902D4 High praise for internet anti-spam crackdown The internet Society of New Zealand has applauded an anti-spam crackdown by the Department of Internal Affairs yesterday. The department carried out anti-spam raids in Christchurch in an effort to stem the tide of illegal electronic mail flooding in-boxes. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10483433 http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071219/3/3cr5.html http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Internetsocietyapplaudsraidonspam/tabid/184/articleID/42112/cat/64/Default.aspx Alleged spam man exposed A Christchurch businessman alleged to be the source of millions of emails offering sexual enhancement pills has become the first person in New Zealand to be raided under tough new anti-spam laws. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4330134a28.html UK journalist beat NZ authorities to alleged spammers - BBC A British radio journalist and a Danish geek beat professional investigators in New Zealand to the home of an alleged "spammer" in Christchurch. Radio 4 journalist Simon Cox, in Britain, was investigating the source of spam promoting penis enlargement pills being sold for US$70, when he tracked down the New Zealander involved, the BBC reported. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10483317 au: Optus caught in spam trap OPTUS email servers have been placed on anti-spam lists, creating havoc for the carrier's internet customers. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22948910-15306,00.html Dutch regulator slaps spyware purveyors with €1m fine Telecoms watchdog OPTA has fined three Dutch firms and their two directors a total of €1m for the illegal distribution of spyware. It is the first time OPTA has imposed fines for spreading malicious Trojans, and has been called "one of the biggest cases of illegal software crime", by the regulator. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/18/duch/ ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Internet Boom for Kenyan Homes Kenya set the stage for a massive reduction in the cost of Internet use for households and rural areas last week after signing a deal to facilitate the construction of an undersea telecommunication cable. Information and communication permanent secretary, Dr Bitange Ndemo said construction of the 5,000 km East African Sub-Marine Cable (TEAMs) would drastically lower the cost of internet to home users in both rural and urban areas. http://www.busiweek.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4557&Itemid=39 http://allafrica.com/stories/200712171152.html Internet driven knowledge for a world of equal opportunities The Internet is set to play a critical role in world poverty eradication efforts by providing unprecedented access to knowledge to the poor billions, according to experts at a global ICT4D summit. “We are witnessing the emergence of people, markets and technologies that transcend geographies, converge and intertwine and, most importantly, will alter and shape the future,” said Walter Fust at the opening ceremony of GK3, the third Global Knowledge Conference hosted by the Global Knowledge Partnership from December 11-13, 2007. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/156296/1/1138 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Swiss Police Shut Down eBay Sale of Ancient Iraqi Stone Tablet A 4,000-year-old clay tablet authorities suspect was smuggled illegally from Iraq was pulled from eBay just minutes before the close of the online auction, authorities said Tuesday. Criminal proceedings have been launched against the seller, identified only as a resident of Zurich, Switzerland, officials said. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Swiss-Police-Shut-Down-eBay-Sale-of-Ancient-Iraqi-Stone-Tablet-60825.html EBay stops auction of 4,000-year-old artifact [AP] A 4,000-year-old clay tablet that was "with great probability" illegally smuggled out of Iraq was pulled from eBay minutes before the close of the online auction, the authorities said Tuesday. Criminal proceedings had started against the seller, identified only as a resident of Zurich, the officials said. http://iht.com/articles/2007/12/18/technology/ebay.php us: Microsoft, Google, Yahoo settle gambling charges Microsoft will pay $21 million, Google will pay $3 million, and Yahoo will pay $7.5 million, the DOJ said in a news release. The three companies neither contest nor admit that they promoted illegal online gambling by running advertisements for gambling Web sites between 1997 and this year. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/19/Microsoft-Google-Yahoo-settle-gambling-charges_1.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9053642 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140678-c,companynews/article.html Internet Companies Agree to Gambling Settlement [AP] The three largest Internet companies have agreed to pay a combined $31.5 million to settle federal civil allegations they took ads for illegal gambling, the U.S. Attorney for eastern Missouri said Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Internet-Gambling-Settlement.html http://news.smh.com.au/microsoft-google-yahoo-to-pay-315-million-over-gambling-ads/20071220-1i5q.html http://news.theage.com.au/microsoft-google-yahoo-to-pay-315-million-over-gambling-ads/20071220-1i5q.html us: Internet giants settle gambling ad claims Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have paid $31.5m to settle with the US government over claims that they promoted illegal online gambling by allowing advertising on their sites. The world’s three biggest internet companies were accused of receiving money from online gambling businesses to advertise illegal betting between 1997 and June 2007. In addition to the cash settlement, the companies will spend millions on advertising campaigns warning young people of the dangers of gambling. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e7974616-ae83-11dc-97aa-0000779fd2ac,s01=1.html us: Privacy groups: FTC has obligation in Google deal [IDG] Two privacy groups are stepping up the pressure on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), saying the agency has an obligation to consider privacy concerns as it prepares to rule on the antitrust implications of Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick. The executive directors of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) repeated their call for the FTC to impose privacy conditions if it approves the merger. It appears that an FTC decision on the $3.1 billion acquisition is "imminent," said Jeffrey Chester, CDD's executive director. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/18/Privacy-groups-say-FTC-has-obligation-in-Google-deal_1.html Overview of E-commerce in South Africa Growth in e-commerce in South Africa is fuelled by the realisation that online procurement and supply-chain management can trim costs and improve customer relationships. Moreover, many of the largest companies in South Africa—financial institutions, mining, chemical and manufacturing businesses—conduct business globally and have thus kept pace with the demands of global customers. Procurement marketplaces continue to grow, enabling vendor sourcing, order and transaction processing, and system integration. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=sa&id=1098 Nearly half SKorean Internet users pirate movies: survey Nearly half the Internet users in South Korea -- one of the world's most wired nations -- illegally download a full-length movie a week, according to a survey released Tuesday. The poll of 2,358 people, aged from 15 to 49, showed 47.3 percent had downloaded feature films through file-sharing sites by paying nothing or less than 100 won (11 cents) per film during the past year. http://news.theage.com.au/nearly-half-skorean-internet-users-pirate-movies-survey/20071218-1hu2.html http://news.smh.com.au/nearly-half-skorean-internet-users-pirate-movies-survey/20071218-1hu2.html us: Tougher Internet harassment laws needed, mom of 13-year-old who killed self tells task force The mother of a teenage girl who committed suicide after being taunted online urged a Missouri task force on Internet harassment Tuesday to recommend criminalizing such behavior. Gov. Matt Blunt formed the task force in response to the death of Tina Meier's 13-year-old daughter, Megan, who killed herself last year after being teased on her MySpace page by a fictional teenage boy named "Josh." A neighborhood mother and two girls played a role in creating the hoax because they wanted to keep tabs on Megan's gossip. http://news.smh.com.au/tougher-internet-harassment-laws-needed-mom-of-13yearold-who-killed-self-tells-task-force/20071219-1hyi.html http://news.theage.com.au/tougher-internet-harassment-laws-needed-mom-of-13yearold-who-killed-self-tells-task-force/20071219-1hyi.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** U.S. Adults Too Busy Googling Each Other to Worry Much About Privacy The Pew survey found that 60% of Internet users say they are not worried about how much information about them is available online. While the media and lawmakers question future prospects for privacy if Google's planned acquisition of DoubleClick is allowed to proceed, the majority of U.S. adults appear to be unconcerned about the proliferation of personal information online. That may be because people like being able to find out about one another. Some 53% of adult Internet users have searched for information about friends, family, romantic interests, or business colleagues, according to a report released on Monday by the non-profit Pew Internet & American Life Project. And 47% of adult Internet users have used search engines to look up information about themselves. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204805459 Australian Privacy Commissioner warns of social networking site dangers Australian Federal Privacy Commissioner, Karen Curtis, today urged Internet users to safeguard their privacy when visiting social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo. Curtis said Internet users need to take a proactive role in protecting their personal information on these sites. "Many people are all too readily posting photos and personal details of themselves and their friends on social networking sites without necessarily thinking about who else may obtain access to the personal information," she said. http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1135158447;fp;2;fpid;1 Protect your privacy on social networking sites, says Australian Privacy Commissioner [news release] Recognising growing community concerns about the potential privacy risks associated with social networking websites, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has issued advice to Australians – especially teenagers – about protecting their personal information on these sites. "Many people are all too readily posting photos and personal details of themselves and their friends on social networking sites without necessarily thinking about who else may obtain access to the personal information," said Ms Karen Curtis, the Australian Privacy Commissioner. http://www.privacy.gov.au/news/media/2007_23.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Frustrated Saudi youth take a shine to YouTube [Reuters] Illegal stunts in cars, joyriding, bullying and political dissent -- video-sharing Web site YouTube has taken off in Saudi Arabia. The site owned by search engine giant Google Inc has seen tens of thousands in the conservative Saudi kingdom upload and download a broad range of thrill-seeking, political and just downright bizarre video clips in a surge of expression. Much of the material involves cars, an obsession among affluent youth who cannot go to cinemas, mix with unrelated women or even enter some shopping malls because of Islamic prohibitions by the authorities and religious scholars. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1738303520071217 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6223107.html Iran shuts down 24 cafes in Net crackdown [Reuters] Iranian police have closed down 24 Internet cafes and other coffee shops in as many hours, as part of a broad crackdown on "immoral" behavior in the Islamic state, official media said Sunday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKDAH64551120071216 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6223069.html UK censors battle for Manhunt 2 ban British censors seek a judicial review to block the sale of controversial video game Manhunt 2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7148636.stm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** EU agrees to overhaul VAT on digital services Downloads of software, ringtones, games, music and movies sold to consumers will be taxed where the consumer is located instead of where the supplier is based with effect from 2015 under changes to Europe's VAT regime agreed on Tuesday. The Council of Ministers of the EU reached political agreement on two draft Directives and a draft Regulation that reform Europe's regime for charging Value Added Tax on services, including electronic services. The changes are intended to prevent distortions of competition between member states that operate different VAT rates. http://www.out-law.com/page-8749 UK Government cracks broadband whip Broadband firms could face formal action if they fail to give consumers accurate information about the speed they will get when they sign up. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7151132.stm EU and U.S. make deal in WTO Internet gambling dispute The European Union and the United States agreed Monday on terms to compensate the Union for the loss of trade stemming from Washington's refusal to lift restrictions on Internet gambling. The accord provides EU service suppliers with new opportunities in the U.S. postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse markets. The United States also made concessions in the testing and analysis services industries. http://iht.com/articles/2007/12/17/technology/gamble.php US Throws EU a Bone Over Net Gambling Ban In a bid to settle a dispute arising from an aggressive effort to ban gambling by its residents, the U.S. has agreed to trade concessions meant to make it easier for some European companies to compete against domestic rivals. The U.S. has approved concessions dealing with easing trade restrictions on mail services and warehousing, the EU said. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/US-Throws-EU-a-Bone-Over-Net-Gambling-Ban-60806.html EU out of U.S. online gambling market [Reuters] The European Commission dealt a blow to European online gaming companies Monday when it accepted a U.S. offer of openings in other sectors as compensation for closing the U.S. gambling market to foreign firms. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-gambling18dec18,1,1501677.story U.S. reaches deal with EU, Japan, Canada on gambling [Reuters] The United States has reached a deal with the European Union, Japan and Canada to keep its Internet gambling market closed to foreign companies, but is continuing talks with India, Antigua and Barbuda, Macau and Costa Rica, U.S. trade officials said on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKWAT00858720071217 U.S., EU agree on compensation over online gambling ban [AP] The United States will provide the European Union with new trade concessions in mail services and warehousing as part of a compensation deal over Washington's refusal to lift restrictions on Internet gambling, the European Union said Monday. http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_7743402 US Telecom Industry Wins a Round on Eavesdropping Telecommunications companies won a skirmish in the Senate on Monday as a bill to protect them from lawsuits for cooperating with the Bush administration’s eavesdropping programs easily overcame a procedural hurdle. By 76 to 10, with Democrats divided, the Senate voted to advance the bill for consideration. A measure to block it, which was led by Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut fell short, as those who wanted the bill to reach the floor got 16 votes more than the 60 needed to achieve that goal. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/washington/17cnd-nsa.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** au: AFP raid Sydney Internet café A Sydney Internet café has been raided today by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), after the cafe allegedly provided extensive access to illegal downloads of movies and music. Interville, an Internet café in Sydney's World Square centre, was raided this morning by the AFP after having allegedly allowed large amounts of illegal downloads of music and films on its computers, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/AFP-raid-Sydney-Internet-caf-/0,139023166,339284632,00.htm us: MPAA wins copyright case against TorrentSpy The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has won a lawsuit against the operators of TorrentSpy.com, with the judge ruling in favor of the MPAA because the Web site operators tampered with evidence. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/12/18/MPAA-wins-copyright-case-against-TorrentSpy_1.html TorrentSpy operators held liable Online file-sharing service TorrentSpy.com is liable for extensive movie piracy because it destroyed evidence in a copyright case, a federal judge has ruled, handing a victory to Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and other studios. TorrentSpy operators Justin Bunnell, Forrest Parker and Wes Parker were held liable for infringement because they deleted important case files and gave false statements, said the ruling by U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper in Los Angeles. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-torrent19dec19,1,6025969.story ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** International Telecommunications Union announces global set of IPTV standards [news release] The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has announced what it claims to be the first set of global standards for IPTV, built with technical contributions from leading service providers and manufacturers from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. http://www.iptv-news.com/content/view/1544/64/ us: F.C.C. Reshapes Rules Limiting Media Industry The Federal Communications Commission approved two new rules on Tuesday that are likely to reshape the nation’s media landscape by setting new parameters for the size and scope of the largest news and cable companies. One rule would tighten the reins on the cable television industry. By stipulating that no one company can control more than 30 percent of the market, the rule introduces fresh regulation to an industry where there has been little of it, angering both the cable industry and Republican commissioners, who favor a free-market approach. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/business/media/19fcc.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/12/18/business/18cndfcc.php ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** eu: 3G still trapped at 2.1GHz European mobile operators will have to wait a while before they can deploy 3G technology into 900 and 1800 MHz, thanks to a power struggle between the EU Commission and its Parliament. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/19/low_frequency_3g_delayed/ ********************** VoIP ********************** Europe VoIP group resists emergency-call regulations A new lobby group has been set up in an attempt to influence the regulation of Internet telephony in Europe. Voice on the Net Coalition Europe, which includes large suppliers like Google, Intel, Microsoft, and Skype, was launched on Friday in response to regulatory proposals made by the European Commission a month ago. One of these proposals would require that voice over Internet Protocol providers enable calls to emergency services. The U.K.'s telecommunications regulator, the Office of Communications, has since mandated that such access must be made available by September 2008. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6223163.html http://www.news.com/2100-7352_3-6223163.html Major VoIP exploit predicted The threats against VoIP are numerous and seem to be growing, but in 2008 the technology probably won't suffer crippling attacks, analysts have said. The potential danger is very real. VoIP is susceptible to the many exploits that networks generally are heir to - denial of service, buffer overflows and more. VoIP PBXs are servers on corporate networks and are only as secure as the networks themselves. http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=10959 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Chilling' admission on pedophile notes A man accused of being part of a nationwide child pornography ring has admitted a "chilling" step-by-step guide on how to groom children for sex was in his handwriting, a court heard yesterday. Philip Allan Reid, 49, was arrested on Saturday as Australian Federal Police seized a laptop computer, floppy disks, books and handwritten notes from his Malvern unit, Melbourne Magistrates' Court was told. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22941310-421,00.html au: Regional arrests made over child pornography Three men from regional NSW have been charged in relation to an alleged child pornography ring which police claim had international links. http://wauchope.yourguide.com.au/articles/1144180.html au: Child porn raids net 31 men across Australia [AAP] THREE West Australians are among 31 men who have now been arrested on child pornography offences in a massive Australia-wide operation involving state and federal police. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,22952996-948,00.html http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22952900-3102,00.html http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22952979-5005941,00.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- 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 Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. www.yahoo7.com.au/worldsbestemail --------------------------------------------------------------------------- List policy, unsubscribing and archives => http://dotau.org/
