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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2002 Consumer Groups Look to FTC for Spam Control Report Shows Increased Government Surveillance Media-Rights Group Says Government Actions Threaten Internet Texas Instruments to Consolidate Mobile Phone Chips AND Revision of 12-Hour Rule Might Not Lead to Significant Changes Device Blocks Cell Phone Signals Report Shows Strong ROI for E-Learning and E-Business CONSUMER GROUPS LOOK TO FTC FOR SPAM CONTROL Three consumer groups have proposed regulations that would allow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to put severe limits on the amount of spam currently clogging networks. The Telecommunications Research and Action Center, the National Consumers League, and Consumer Action submitted the proposal, saying an existing law already grants the FTC authority to punish organizations for "unfair or deceptive acts." The groups propose that the FTC outlaw e-mail that misrepresents its content or that does not offer a way to opt out of further messages. Some experts said the proposal is too restrictive and would not be allowed by the courts. The American Civil Liberties Union said the rules would be unconstitutional if adopted because they place unreasonable limits on free speech. CNET, 4 September 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1023-956502.html REPORT SHOWS INCREASED GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE A new report from Privacy International and the Electronic Privacy Information Center says that, in an effort to combat terrorism, governments around the world have sacrificed civil liberties, giving more power to law enforcement to tap phones and monitor online communications. Supporters of lowered restrictions on government surveillance argue that increased data collection and sharing might have prevented the September 11 attacks. The authors of the report, however, worry that the new laws will limit free speech and give too much power to governments. The report identifies new antiterrorism legislation in Australia, Austria, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Singapore, and Sweden, as well as the United States. Countries including Finland, Sweden, and Russia, however, are working on new laws to protect privacy, according to the report. Associated Press, 3 September 2002 (registration req'd) http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/521722p-4140735c.html MEDIA-RIGHTS GROUP SAYS GOVERNMENT ACTIONS THREATEN INTERNET Paris-based media-rights group Reporters Without Borders said Thursday that the actions taken by many governments around the globe since September 11 threaten to undermine the freedom and basic nature of the Internet. The group cited authoritarian regimes such as those of China and Vietnam, which have used the fight against terrorism to justify actions that deprive citizens of their civil liberties. Also criticized, however, were government actions in countries including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Denmark, and the European Parliament. The actions taken by these and other governments, the group said, foster distrust of the Internet, compromise users' privacy, and weaken the Internet as a viable communications medium. Wired News, 4 September 2002 http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,54939,00.html TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TO CONSOLIDATE MOBILE PHONE CHIPS Texas Instruments (TI) said Wednesday it plans to integrate the basic functions of a cell phone on a single chip by 2004. Currently, separate chips are required for power management, radio baseband and software, radio frequency, and memory. According to TI, currently the leading supplier of cell phone chips, the race to develop a single chip for cell phones is down to TI and Intel. A spokesman said the current arrangement of four chips and 180 passive components will be reduced to a single chip and 25 passive components. An analyst from Salomon Smith Barney said TI has taken advantage of the downturn in the chip market to invest in advanced manufacturing processes that will allow the company to leapfrog many competitors. Reuters, 4 September 2002 http://reuters.com AND ***************************************************** REVISION OF 12-HOUR RULE MIGHT NOT LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES The Department of Education is moving closer to eliminating the 12-hour rule, which stipulates that for students to receive federal financial aid, they must be enrolled in a program that offers at least 12 hours per week of in-class work. The rule prevented students in many distance education programs from qualifying for aid, and distance education providers have long tried to change the rule. Few programs, however, plan to change their current course offerings because the revised criteria from the Department of Education require "one day" of instruction per week. Though "one day" has not been defined, courses that allow students to study as much and whenever they want would likely be disqualified. For example, the University of Maryland University College and the University of Phoenix, two schools that fought to end the 12-hour rule, said they have no plans to change their programs. Chronicle of Higher Education, 6 September 2002 http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i02/02a04301.htm DEVICE BLOCKS CELL PHONE SIGNALS A new device from Cell Block Technologies blocks cell phone signals, which can be a nuisance in places like restaurants and movie theaters or a hazard in hospitals, where the signals can interfere with medical equipment. J. David Derosier, who had the idea for the device, predicts a commercial market of around $500 million over the next three to five years. The problem, however, is that under current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines, such a device would be illegal. According to Julius Knapp, the FCC's deputy chief of engineering, "If it is a device designed to interfere with cellular service, then it's illegal." Mr. Knapp has not reviewed Cell Block's technology. Cell Block said it will continue development of the device and wait for the FCC to modify its rules. Derosier insists that demand for the device will compel the FCC to change its regulations to allow the technology. Washington Post, 30 August 2002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15369-2002Aug30.html REPORT SHOWS STRONG ROI FOR E-LEARNING AND E-BUSINESS A report conducted by Nucleus Research Inc. shows that IT investments in e-learning and e-business have shown a strong return on investment this year, while other efforts, including customer relationship management (CRM) and content management, have been less successful. According to the report, "modest" e-learning investments can show savings due to factors such as reduced travel costs and human resources overhead. E-business integration has returned savings from building on existing IT investments and streamlining operations. Conversely, CRM projects are typically multi-year initiatives, and many companies "overbuy" what they need, both factors that work against seeing a positive ROI. ComputerWorld, 4 September 2002 http://www.idg.net/ic_944536_1794_9-10000.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EDUCAUSE Quarterly" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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