Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Calls for internet access to be enshrined as a fundamental right http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/calls-for-internet-access-to-be-enshrined-as-a-fundamental-right-20100529-wmg8.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3759019/Internet-access-a-human-right Registration Abuse Addressed: Registration Abuse Policies Working Group Publishes Final Report http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-29may10-en.htm Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Working Group Publishes its Initial Report http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-29may10-en.htm New domain name issues emerge at INTA meeting http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=4BC5DDF8-A73B-454A-A118-8E9FFD2B33B1 Change of nic.at Whois policy regarding hidden data http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/der-at-report-das-neue-informationstool-der-at-zone/ VeriSign Honors the ".com 25" and Unveils Internet Infrastructure Grants https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=624736&releasejsp=custom_97 Are you ready for the big internet crunch? http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/27/internet.crunch.2012/ BBC's bizarre domain names revealed http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7786153/BBCs-bizarre-domain-names-revealed.html au: Tax-haven poker websites hit jackpot http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/technology-news/taxhaven-poker-websites-hit-jackpot-20100529-wmh7.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/taxhaven-poker-websites-hit-jackpot-20100529-wmh7.html au: Online gaming sharks to net $1bn from punters http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wmlg.html au: Online gaming sharks set to net $1bn from punters http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wml6.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-set-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100530-wms3.html http://www.watoday.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wmlg.html ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Calls for internet access to be enshrined as a fundamental right Internet use has become so woven into everyday life that some technology experts say online access should be legally protected, even to the point of considering it a human right. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/calls-for-internet-access-to-be-enshrined-as-a-fundamental-right-20100529-wmg8.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/calls-for-internet-access-to-be-enshrined-as-a-fundamental-right-20100529-wmg8.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3759019/Internet-access-a-human-right ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Registration Abuse Addressed: Registration Abuse Policies Working Group Publishes Final Report The Registration Abuse Policies Working Group has published its Final Report today. Following a public comment period on its Initial Report, the Working Group reviewed the comments received and issued this Final Report. The Report includes concrete recommendations to address domain name registration abuse in gTLDs for consideration by the GNSO Council. Included are recommendations related to: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-29may10-en.htm Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Working Group Publishes its Initial Report The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) Part B Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Group has published its Initial Report today. The IRTP Part B Policy Development Process (PDP) is the second in a series of five PDPs that address areas for improvements in the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-29may10-en.htm Latest Draft Interim Report of Working Group on ICANN Geographic Regions Review Available In preparation for community discussions at the next ICANN International Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the community-wide Geographic Regions Review Working Group (WGGR) is making the latest working draft of its Interim Report available to the community. The draft document can be found on the Socialtext Wiki page of the working group (http://tinyurl.com/WGGRwiki) at this link - Draft WGGR Interim Report v5 [DOC, 188 KB]. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-28may10-en.htm Pre-Brussels ICANN Policy Update Briefing In order to participate, please RSVP via email to the GNSO Secretariat to receive the call details. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-27may10-en.htm Podcast: Cops and Registrants Seek to Amend the RAA We always try to have a new ICANN Start podcast episode available to you by the first of each month, and the 1 June episode has arrived early. http://blog.icann.org/2010/05/podcast-cops-and-registrants-seek-to-amend-the-raa/ New domain name issues emerge at INTA meeting The alarm bells over new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) have finally been heard. The sell-out session at the International Trademark Association (INTA) annual meeting on this topic filled the conference centre's biggest meeting room on Tuesday. With the fourth - and probably final - Draft Applicant Guidebook due to be published imminently, an expert panel covered the entire debate and galvanized support from INTA members previously uninvolved. "The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is so close to finalizing the proposed trademark protection mechanisms that we all need to assume it's going ahead," said Fabricio Vayra, senior counsel, intellectual property at Time Warner. "It will be a bad day for a brand owner who assumes it's not going to happen and it does." http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=4BC5DDF8-A73B-454A-A118-8E9FFD2B33B1 New gTLD Clearinghouse Rule Proposed for European Trademarks Adam Smith reporting today in the World Trademark Review blog: "Trademarks that have undergone examination based only on absolute grounds of refusal will be welcomed into the Trademark Clearinghouse proposed for the new generic top-level domain (gTLD) space. http://www.circleid.com/posts/new_gtld_clearinghouse_rule_proposed_for_european_trademarks/ .SPORT Requests ICANN Banish Individual Sport gTLDs In a curious letter to ICANN dated 13 May 2010, the .SPORT Policy Advisory Council has requested that ICANN block any applications for any sport-related generic Top Level Domains once they begin taking applications. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11419 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/05/27/sport-requests-icann-banish-individual-sport-gtlds/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/sport-requests-icann-banish-individual-sport-gtlds.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Change of nic.at Whois policy regarding hidden data In order to provide our domain holders a more extensive data privacy, nic.at has resolved the following changes regarding hidden data (phone number, fax number, e-mail address): http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/der-at-report-das-neue-informationstool-der-at-zone/ .CO Hopes One Letter Less Is More A contender wants to one-up dot-com as for the top spot in domain names by going one less ? dot-co. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/dotco/ VeriSign Honors the ".com 25" and Unveils Internet Infrastructure Grants As part of its celebration of 25 years of Internet innovation, VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) today announced the ".com 25" -- a list of pioneering individuals and companies honored for their contributions to the development of the Internet. The .com 25 honorees, chosen by a group of technology and business experts and commentators, range from AOL to YouTube, reflecting the dynamic evolution of the consumer Internet in its first 25 years. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=624736&releasejsp=custom_97 Sun man and 'Bond nemesis' celebrate 25 years of dotcom This week's celebration of 25 years of .com promised to be a step above the usual incestuous industry award shows. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/30/dotcom_gala/ Celebrating 25 years of .com by Lesley Cowley Last night I attended the Verisign celebration of 25 years of .com at the City Hall, San Francisco. There were 300 people there and it was great to see many friends and familiar domain name contacts from all around the world. http://blog.nominet.org.uk/insight/2010/05/celebrating-25-years-of-com/ CZ.NIC issues domain report The CZ.NIC Association, administrator of the .CZ domain, has issued its first Domain Report. The set of statistics related to the .CZ domain provides data on the distribution of domain owners among individuals and organisations, for example, or the geographic locations of .CZ domains in the Czech Republic and worldwide http://www.nic.cz/page/752/cz.nic-issues-domain-report/ Dubai Ruler launches Arabic web address The Arabic domain name of the website of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been launched, WAM, the state news agency, reported yesterday. http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100530/NATIONAL/705299861/1010 Dot emarat domain hits the internet [Gulf News] The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority yesterday officially launched one of the first non-English top-level domain names in the Arab world. .emarat was launched in Abu Dhabi. in the presence of its director general Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem. http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidGN_26052010_270540/Dot emarat domain hits the internet Arabic web address available to all by end-2010 - TRA .emarat, the newly approved Arabic website domain name should be available to all users in the UAE by the end of 2010, officials have said. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/589157-arabic-web-address-available-to-all-by-end-2010---tra .eu SMEs received at EU parliament European SMEs that have established their online presence using a .eu domain name will be celebrated on Wednesday, 2 June, at a dinner hosted by MEP Malcolm Harbor at the European Parliament. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-smes-received-eu-parliament IE Domain Registry Finally Introduces Contracts Over the last couple of months the IE Domain Registry has been in negotiations with its resellers in order to introduce an actual contract and establish a registry / registrar relationship. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2010/05/25/ie-domain-registry-finally-introduces-contrac/ RU-CENTER Launches Registration in MSK.RU, SPB.RU and Other Geodomains From May 31, 2010 RU-CENTER is launching registration of third-level domain names in MSK.RU, SPB.RU, NOV.RU and other geographical domains. http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2010/31.05.regl-ch.html se: E-mail still the most important form of Net communication For the third year running, .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) has produced a survey on the use of e-mail in Sweden. Among other things, the survey shows that e-mail remains our most common and important way of written electronic communication. http://www.iis.se/en/pressmeddelanden/e-posten-alltjamt-viktigaste-formen-av-natkommunikation ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Threats ?everywhere:? A review of Cavelty?s ?Cybersecurity and Threat Politics? by Milton Mueller This is a book that deserves to get much more attention in this country. Cyber-Security and Threat Politics: US efforts to secure the information age by Myriam Dunn Cavelty provides a valuable historical and analytical perspective on the debate over cyber-security in the U.S. Cavelty links the cyber debate to securitization theory in political science; in this approach, what matters is how the threat is defined, how and when did a particular understanding of the threat gain acceptance and prominence, who promoted it, and what are its implications for policy and actions? Cavelty offers some important insights into the political, legal and economic implications of the way we define or frame cyber-threats. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/5/24/4536228.html House cybersecurity overhaul included in Defense authorization bill An amendment to the Defense authorization bill, expected to pass in the House on Friday, would push through committee efforts to update information security requirements for agencies and establish a separate cybersecurity office in the White House. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100528_3390.php High Profile DNS Still Vulnerable To Kaminsky Exploit Dan Kaminsky's discovery of a nasty bug in DNS rocked the security world in 2008. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2010/05/26/high-profile-dns-still-vulnerable-to-kaminsky/ Deploying DNSSEC: Lessons from Domain Registrar Implementation by Rajesh Kothari As a registrar at the front end of the DNSSEC deployment effort, our technical team has made a sustained investment in DNSSEC deployment so that our customers don't get overwhelmed by this wave of changes to the core infrastructure of the Domain Name System. Along the way, we've learnt a lot about how to implement DNSSEC which might hold useful lessons for other organizations that plan to deploy DNSSEC in their networks. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100528_deploying_dnssec_lessons_from_domain_registrar_implementation/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Finally, a UDRP Panel Respects the Scope of the Policy UDRP was originally created to handle clear cut cases of cybersquatting. Since its launch panelists have stretched the scope of the policy. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/27/finally-a-udrp-panel-respects-the-scope-of-the-policy/ au: Businesses targeted in fake 'YellowPage' scam Queensland small businesses and even a consumer watchdog have been targeted in the latest scam that aims to extract money from the unwary in advertising rip-offs. ... He said Sensis, the owner of Yellow Pages (owned by Telstra), was trying to end the scam and retrieve the domain names involved. He said this was not the first ??rogue overseas business?? falsely claiming to be or have some association with Yellow Pages. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/businesses-targeted-in-fake-yellowpage-scam-20100530-wms2.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Are you ready for the big internet crunch? The internet as we know it is reaching its limits. Within 18 months it is estimated that the number of new devices able to connect to the world wide web will plummet as we run out of "IP addresses" -- the unique codes that provide access to the internet for everything from PCs to smart phones. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/27/internet.crunch.2012/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** BBC's bizarre domain names revealed BBC viewers may not instantly associate websites such as ?Desperate Russian Housewives? or ?Watch a Grown Man Rot? with their favourite television shows, but it has emerged that the corporation runs sites with these names to promote its programmes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7786153/BBCs-bizarre-domain-names-revealed.html Weird websites owned by the BBC You might expect a shady dating agency to be behind a couple of websites called desperaterussianhousewives.co.uk and singlessos.co.uk ? but they are run by the BBC. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/technology-gadgets/weird-websites-owned-by-the-bbc-14826069.html http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Oh-what-a-tangled-web.6329745.jp http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100530/world-news/bbc-reveals-bizarre-website-names http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gcXDsOfGHjYaxosyWrby0jEt5gXA au: Tax-haven poker websites hit jackpot Prohibition of online poker in Australia has failed to halt the industry's growth, thanks to the brazen marketing tactics of offshore companies and a reluctance to prosecute illegal operators. ... To get around the advertising ban in Australia, poker companies have started heavily spruiking their play-for-free sites, typically with ".net" domain names. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/technology-news/taxhaven-poker-websites-hit-jackpot-20100529-wmh7.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/taxhaven-poker-websites-hit-jackpot-20100529-wmh7.html au: Online gaming sharks to net $1bn from punters Australians played online casino games - twice the 2004 figure. ... To get around the advertising ban, poker companies have begun heavily spruiking their play-for-free sites, typically with ''.net'' domain names that, strictly speaking, are not offering a gambling product. However, they are branded the same as the illegal real money sites, and some sites, such as 888's, provide direct click-through links. http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wmlg.html au: Online gaming sharks set to net $1bn from punters Australian punters will lose almost $1 billion this year to internet gambling sites that are untaxed, unregulated here and operating illegally. ... To get around the advertising ban, poker companies have begun heavily spruiking their play-for-free sites, typically with ''.net'' domain names that, strictly speaking, are not offering a gambling product. However, they are branded the same as the illegal real money sites, and some sites, such as 888's, provide direct click-through links. http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wml6.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-set-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100530-wms3.html http://www.watoday.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wmlg.html ARIN: Modified Version of Registration Services Agreements Posted ARIN is releasing an update to Version 10.0 of its Registration Services Agreement ("RSA") and Version 2.1 of its Legacy RSA ("LRSA"). These changes are administrative in nature and are detailed below. These changes do not impact the validity of existing RSAs and Legacy RSAs. The new versions have been posted on the website and the previous versions will remain on our website for comparison and review for the next 90 days. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2010/20100528.html ARIN Joins the ITU The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses on information and communication technology issues. ARIN is primarily interested in two of the ITU's three Sectors: ITU-T, which develops standards focused on information and communications technologies, and ITU-D, which helps spread equitable, sustainable, and affordable access to information and communication technologies in developing countries. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2010/20100524.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo Captures Top Spot on This Week's Domain Sales Chart with Capture.com ... The top completed sale publicly reported over the past seven days was Capture.com, a name than corralled $53,200 at Sedo.com. Sedo also snared the runner up spot with WHIB.com at $48,600 and they went on to take 11 of the 21 chart entries (the extra spot on our Top 20 Sales Chart resulted from a three-way tie for the final position. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100526.htm DOMAINfest Europe Agenda Announced The agenda for DOMAINfest Europe, to be held on 6 and 7 October, 2010, in Prague, Czech Republic has been announced. Sessions on the agenda will cover domain monetisation, European ccTLD and IDN opportunities, legal issues impacting on domain investors and selecting keywords that produce traffic. Early bird registration is available for $395. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/05/27/domainfest-europe-agenda-announced/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/domainfest-europe-agenda-announced.html .CO Internet Announces Historic First .CO Domain Auction for the One-Letter Domain Name "e.co" with Proceeds to Benefit Charity [news release] e.co domain auction to be held online and culminate in live event during Internet Week where final bidding will be broadcast around the world http://www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/co-internet-announces-historic-first-co-domain-auction-one-letter-domain-name-e Sedo to power e.co auction! Sedo will support the highly anticipated introduction of the .CO top level domain name (TLD) https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2650 Sedo Powers Historic Single Character Domain Auction for E.CO with Proceeds to Benefit... Sedo, the leading online domain marketplace, today announced it will support the highly anticipated introduction of the .CO top level domain name (TLD) by powering an historic charity auction for E.CO. http://www.sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=e&id=320 Are .MX Domains Worth Anything? Ok so I?m the first to admit when it comes to ccTLD?s, I?m far from an expert and have very few ccTLD domains. http://www.thedomains.com/2010/05/29/can-a-2nd-level-cctld-be-more-valuable-than-a-1st-level-in-the-case-of-mexico-the-answer-maybe-yes/ ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** The Italian Google-Case: Privacy, Freedom of Speech and Responsibility of Providers for User-Generated Contents by Giovanni Sartor & Mario Viola de Azevedo Cunha [European University Institute] Abstract: In a recent decision of the Tribunal of Milan three Google executives were convicted for violating data protection, in connection with the on-line posting of a video showing a disabled person being bullied and insulted. This paper, after illustrating the facts of the case and the reasoning of the judge, discusses the main issue at stake, namely, the role and responsibilities of providers of platforms for user-created contents with regard to violations of data privacy. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1604411 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Opinion: Rupert Murdoch's paywall at the Times may not be a disaster Those who make their livings in outer cyberspace, the wizards of web wisdom, fear the worst. Rupert Murdoch's bold new paywalls, now in construction around the Times and Sunday Times sites, are not going to work. Who'll pay ?2 a week for this mush of generally available news, rather pompously decked out to look like an "elite" printed paper on your laptop? http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/may/30/rupert-murdoch-times-paywall London Newspapers Challenge Web's Gratis Orthodoxy A strange thing happened when I checked out the new Web sites from The Times and Sunday Times of London: I read some of the stories. Not just the headlines, but entire articles ? even a review of ?Sex and the City 2,? a film I hope I never have to watch. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/business/media/31cache.html French Seek to Beat Google on Video Search A technology consortium funded by the French government unveiled multimedia search tools Thursday, as part of a scaled-back attempt to challenge the dominance of U.S. search engines. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270731424582608.html Opinion: Internet and social media behavior 101 We can stop our rude, crude, online ways through a new era of Internet etiquette and by using tools that give us time to cool off. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0528/Internet-and-social-media-behavior-101 http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100528/cm_csm/304306_1 Online gaming sharks to net $1bn from punters Australian punters will lose almost $1 billion this year to internet gambling sites that are untaxed, unregulated here and operating illegally. Despite 17 referrals from other agencies since 2001, Australian Federal Police have failed to lay any charges against suspected illegal operators. http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-gaming-sharks-to-net-1bn-from-punters-20100529-wml6.html Internet generation of problem gamblers The rapid growth in online sports betting and poker will create a new generation of problem gamblers, experts warn. Sports betting, which is increasingly taking place online, is growing at a much faster rate than other forms of gambling. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/internet-generation-of-problem-gamblers-20100529-wmgx.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/internet-generation-of-problem-gamblers-20100529-wmgx.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3758041/Experts-warn-of-new-gambling-generation How the internet is changing the face of poker Seven men hunch over their poker chips, watching the cards flicking from the dealer's hand, ignoring the gyrating, lingerie-clad women on stage behind them. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/how-the-internet-is-changing-the-face-of-poker-20100529-wmlf.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Google crowns Facebook king of Internet visits [AFP] Google on Friday released Web traffic data indicating that Facebook is king when it comes to online visitors despite criticism about privacy at the social-networking service. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/google-crowns-facebook-king-of-internet-visits-1986650.html Facebook tops Google ranking, snares 35% of Web users Despite growing privacy concerns, an astonishing 540 million Internet users worldwide visited Facebook in April 2010, or 35.2% of the entire population of Web users, according to new data from Google. Even more incredibly, those users clicked on 570 billion Facebook pages in April, a number eight times larger than Facebook's nearest competitor. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/052810-facebook-tops-google-ranking.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/197531/.html Facebook hits back in spat with Australian Federal Police Facebook has hit back at criticism of its dealings with Australian law enforcement, branding the Australian Federal Police as "entirely unresponsive" to communication from the social networking site. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/facebook-hits-back-in-spat-with-australian-federal-police/story-e6frg996-1225873247259 New Facebook privacy settings are 'a red herring', say activists Privacy groups gave a half-hearted welcome to Facebook's announcement on Wednesday night that it would roll out new, simplified privacy settings to its 450 million users in the next few weeks. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/27/facebook-privacy-settings-red-herring Facebook changes are 'not enough,' say groups The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that "more is needed" from Facebook to address privacy criticisms. In a blog post, the civil liberties group praised Facebook for a "great first step" towards giving members of the site more control over their data. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10171575.stm Privacy groups assail Facebook changes Facebook's new privacy changes haven't been enough to satisfy its most vocal critics. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20006220-38.html Facebook's New Privacy Improvements Are a Positive Step, But There's Still More Work to Be Done In response to a firestorm of criticism from EFF and others, and after much internal debate, Facebook today announced a series of privacy changes to the social networking site as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised on Monday. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/05/facebooks-new-privacy-improvements-are-positive How to Get More Privacy From Facebook's New Privacy Controls Today, Facebook announced new privacy controls and settings in response to the tremendous public outcry over its April changes. Here we explain step-by-step how to take advantage of the new settings and maximize your privacy on Facebook. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/05/more-privacy-facebook-new-privacy-controls German agency not satisfied with Facebook changes Germany's national consumer-protection agency may take legal measures against Facebook if it finds that the social network's new privacy controls do not meet German data-protection standards. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q53I20100527 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64Q5Q620100527 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48861120100527 Why Foursquare is the traveller's new best friend In some ways, Foursquare is a little dorky. The mobile social networking game involves users "checking in" online to places they visit in the real world ? bars, restaurants, galleries ? in order to accrue points. The more places you visit, the higher you rank on a league table made up of you and your friends. If you check into a place you've never checked into before, you get five points. If you go to more than one place in a day, you get additional points, and so on. Frequent check-ins are rewarded with, er, badges, and if you check into the same place often enough ? your local pub, say ? you become its Foursquare "mayor". http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/blog/2010/may/25/foursquare-tested-location-finder-blog What sites such as Facebook and Google know and whom they tell When Disa Powell's husband and brother were badly burned in an electrical explosion while conducting maintenance at a Wal-Mart store and the family sued, the defense went after something she never expected: her online life. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052804853.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments on Pace to Grow 22 Percent in 2010 [news release] Worldwide PC shipments are projected to total 376.6 million units in 2010, a 22 percent increase from 308.3 million units shipped in 2009, according to the latest preliminary forecast by Gartner, Inc. Worldwide PC spendingis forecast to reach $245.4 billion in 2010, up 12 percent from 2009. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1375313 Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile PC Shipments Grew 43 Percent in First Quarter of 2010 [news release] Worldwide mobile PC shipments totaled 49.4 million units in the first quarter of 2010, a 43.4 percent increase from the first quarter of 2009, according to final results by Gartner, Inc. This year-over-year growth is the highest the mobile PC market has experienced in eight years and represents about $36 billion in end-user spending. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1374913 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Porn ban on net and mobiles mulled by South Africa A South African government official is proposing a complete ban on digitally distributed pornography. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10180937.stm jp: Child porn sites to face quick blocks [Kyodo News] A working group of nine ministries and agencies has reached agreement that Internet access to child pornography sites should be blocked as soon as they are discovered, rather than waiting for site operators to comply with requests to take them down, officials said Thursday. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100528a1.html Letters of child porn victims record their distress [Kyodo News] Some Japanese women who in their childhood were victims of pornography have written about their fears and anguish in being betrayed by adults they had trusted, and in imagining that lewd images of themselves as young children could be still circulating on the Internet. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100528a6.html jp: Child porn sites told to remove data [Kyodo News] The Metropolitan Police Department on Friday asked five companies and one individual that administer seven Web sites to delete child pornography-related data from the sites, which introduce and rank Internet child pornography, police said. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100529a9.html au: Censorship Down Under Australia's proposed Internet restrictions would be more sweeping than any yet seen in a democratic country http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/internet/censorship-down-under au: Filter goes ahead regardless MINISTER for Communications Stephen Conroy has vowed to push on with his controversial internet filtering scheme, despite a barrage of criticism. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/filter-goes-ahead-regardless-20100529-wmg7.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3758375/Aussie-internet-filter-to-go-ahead au: Time to tackle cyber bullies A student leaves school, her head bowed, tired from a day of taunts, teasing and playground bashings. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/time-to-tackle-cyber-bullies-20100530-wnj3.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/time-to-tackle-cyber-bullies-20100530-wnj3.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Creators Must Move Beyond Suing the Audience The file-sharing public faces yet another wave of predatory litigation, this time from the so-called US Copyright Group ("USCG"), which is suing BitTorrent users on behalf of various independent filmmakers. The Hollywood Reporter reports that more than 20,000 individuals have been sued, with more suits to come, and the producers of the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker have also signed up with the USCG to go after BitTorrent users. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/05/creators-must-move-beyond-suing-audience Digital broadcasting to enhance TV and Internet access [news release] Guidelines to help countries manage their transition from analogue to digital broadcasting were presented yesterday during the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) in Hyderabad, India. Delegates at the Conference also benefited from a hands-on demonstration of ITU?s Spectrum Management System for Developing Countries (SMS4DC). http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2010/27.aspx uk: Ofcom unveils anti-piracy policy Lists of Britons who infringe copyright are to be drawn up by the UK's biggest ISPs, under proposals from the regulator Ofcom. The plan is contained in a draft code of practice it hopes will curb copyright infringement. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10183820.stm Draft code of practice to reduce online copyright infringement A proposed code of practice which implements legislative measures aimed at reducing online copyright infringement has today been published by Ofcom, as part of its new duties under the Digital Economy Act 2010 (the Act). http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2010/05/nr_20100528 Mobile TV's Last Frontier: U.S. and Europe In South Korea, mobile TV has been available for the past five years. A trial is under way in the Washington area offering TV on certain cellphones, portable DVD players and netbooks. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/technology/31mobiletv.html The Pirate Bay must stay blocked in Denmark, says court [IDG] Telecom operator Telenor will have to continue to block file-sharing site The Pirate Bay in Denmark, the Danish Supreme Court said on Thursday http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/348153/pirate_bay_must_stay_blocked_denmark_says_court/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/348153/pirate_bay_must_stay_blocked_denmark_says_court/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/052710-the-pirate-bay-must-stay.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/197333/.html Apple-Google fight is expected over future of TV Another battle is brewing between Apple Inc. and Google Inc., and this time it may come into your living room. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-apple-tv-20100529,0,5439277.story Nearly 9 out of 10 Internet Users in Hong Kong View Online Video comScore ... released its March 2010 rankings of the top video properties in Hong Kong based on data from its comScore Video Metrix service. The report found that 88.5 percent of Hong Kong?s Internet population viewed video online in March, with visitors averaging more than 10 hours of video viewing per person during the month. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/5/9_out_of_10_Internet_Users_in_Hong_Kong_View_Online_Video Ireland cracks down on Internet piracy [AFP] Ireland's main broadband supplier said Tuesday it had launched a crackdown on Internet piracy that could see customers being cut off if they share copyrighted music online illegally. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/ireland-cracks-down-on-internet-piracy-1986733.html ISP introduces ?graduated response? leading to disconnection for illegal downloaders Reporters Without Borders is disturbed to learn that Eircom, one of Ireland?s main Internet Service Providers, has become the first ISP in Europe to voluntarily introduce a ?graduated response? procedure under which clients who download music illegally could end up losing their Internet connection. http://en.rsf.org/ireland-isp-introduces-graduated-response-28-05-2010,37583.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** au: Almost four in ten mobile phone users have a mobile capped plan, research shows Mobile capped plans: Consumer attitudes and behaviours, a report of ACMA commissioned research released today, shows that 39 per cent of mobile phone users have a mobile capped plan. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312157 Report hints at NZ-Aust mobile roaming regulation The MED finds transtasman roaming charges are ?relatively high? and suggests steps phone companies could take to lessen bill shock. The ministry also mutters ominously about the role of roaming in "a single economic market". http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/report-hints-nz-aust-mobile-roaming-regulation-123690 Feedback invited on trans-Tasman mobile roaming services [news release] The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy, together with the New Zealand Minister for Communications and Information Technology Steven Joyce, today released a joint Australia-New Zealand discussion paper about mobile roaming across the Tasman. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/052 Bulgarians carry several mobiles to cut expenses Bulgarian consumers, the poorest in the EU, often carry several mobile phones with subscriptions to different providers because their country has the highest interconnection fees in Europe for making calls from one network operator to another, a European Commission paper reveals. http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/bulgarians-carry-several-mobiles-cut-expenses-news-494642 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Judge Shields Identity of Online Critic Facing Baseless American Lawsuit A federal judge in San Francisco has quashed a baseless subpoena aimed at outing an anonymous online critic of Pennsylvania corporation USA Technologies after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) successfully argued that the First Amendment shields the identity of anonymous speakers who engage in lawful speech. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/05/18 Hackers will keep hammering Facebook, say researchers Attacks targeting Facebook users will continue, and they could easily become even more dangerous, a security researcher said today. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177436/Hackers_will_keep_hammering_Facebook_say_researchers African broadband boost spurs rise in spam output An undersea cable laid off the coast of east Africa last year has led to a boom in spam coming from the region, according to a new study from Symantec. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2010/05/27/african-broadband-boost-spurs-rise-in-spam-output-40089071/ Symantec Announces May 2010 MessageLabs Intelligence Report; URLs in spam increase; New African internet attracts spam botnets [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the publication of its May 2010 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. Analysis reveals that nine out of ten spam emails now contain a URL link in the message. In May, five percent of all domains found in spam URLs belonged to genuine web sites. Of the most frequently used domain names contained in spam URLS, the top four belong to well-known web sites used for social networking, blogging, file sharing and host other forms of user-generated content. http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/52619 Piracy stifling Asian software industry, say experts [AFP] Entrepreneur Binod Hariharan has big plans for his southern Indian firm, which develops astrology-based computer software to help users find a suitable spouse or plot their career paths. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/piracy-stifling-asian-software-industry-say-experts-20100531-wo84.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/piracy-stifling-asian-software-industry-say-experts-20100531-wo84.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** COMMENT: Why Conroy is right about Google & Facebook There?s been much hullabaloo about Australian communications minister Stephen Conroy?s premeditated attack on the failings of Google and Facebook in a Senate Estimates Committee this week. His critics?led by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam?have accused him of character assassination and retribution for Google?s criticisms of his planned Internet filter. But having read Conroy?s statements to the Senate Committee on Hansard, I?m forced to conclude that he is absolutely right to target Google and Facebook?and that he should actually be lauded for lending his weight to pressure on those two firms to tidy up their act. Whether or not Conroy has ulterior motives is beside the point to my mind. http://www.commsday.com/commsday/?p=1071 au: Privacy class action in offing for Google Google has been warned it could face a massive class-action lawsuit, as privacy advocates push regulators to punish the internet giant for intercepting personal data over wireless networks. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/privacy-class-action-in-offing-for-google/story-e6frgakx-1225872739268 Austria to press EU on data protection Austria is set to press the European Union to tighten laws covering the interception of private data following Google?s admission that it obtained non-encrypted information while taking photographs for its Street View service. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1aad1a7e-6a45-11df-b268-00144feab49a.html Austria bans Google's street view cars over privacy [AFP] Austria has placed a temporary ban on Google Street View cars while it probes concerns that the Internet company used the vehicles to collect private data, a statement said Friday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/austria-bans-googles-street-view-cars-over-privacy-20100529-wlsi.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/austria-bans-googles-street-view-cars-over-privacy-20100529-wlsi.html Poll: Canadian businesses unconcerned about privacy breach risk [news release] Most Canadian companies aren?t concerned about data breaches involving their customers? personal information ? even though these same companies report they are collecting and holding more personal information than ever before, according to the results of a poll released today. http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_100527_e.cfm Data protection watchdogs escalate complaints against search engines A coalition of Europe's data protection authorities has urged the Federal Trade Commission to consider the compliance with US law of the search data retention and anonymisation policies of Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. http://out-law.com/page-11068 Google Baulks at Turning Over Data to German/Hong Kong Regulators Google on Thursday balked at requests from regulators in Germany and Hong Kong to surrender fragments of Internet data and e-mails it had improperly collected from unsecured home wireless networks, saying it needed time to resolve legal issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/technology/28google.html Google misses German WiFi deadline Google has missed a deadline with regulators in Germany to hand over personal data it collected from WiFi networks as part of its StreetView scheme, as the internet group grapples with a legal dilemma over the request. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3d42fee-698d-11df-8ae3-00144feab49a.html Google skips German deadline for Wi-Fi data Google has yet to turn over data collected as part of its Street View program to German authorities, and could be prepared to hold out for some time. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20006157-265.html US judge tells Google to hand over wi-fi data [AFP] A US federal judge has ordered Google to turn over copies of private US wireless data it captured while taking pictures for its Street View mapping service. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/28/2911634.htm http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/us-judge-wants-copies-of-google-street-view-data/story-e6frgakx-1225872391897 U.S. court orders Google to copy data in Wi-Fi case A U.S. court has ordered Google to turn over two copies of wireless data scooped up by the company's Street View cars as they photographed neighbourhoods, part of an escalating legal and public relations problem for the search engine giant. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48865920100527 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Internet freedom in Pakistan: first Facebook, then the world Not for the first time, feelings in Pakistan have been hurt and censorship provoked by an overseas campaign to blaspheme the Prophet Muhammad. On May 19th the Lahore High Court suspended access to Facebook, a popular social-networking site. Facebook has been ?responsible for immense hurt and discomfort?, the court found. It ordered that the site be blocked, subject to a review on May 31st. For Pakistan?s 22m internet-users, havoc has ensued. http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16219825 Bangladesh 'blocks Facebook' over political cartoons Bangladesh has blocked access to Facebook after satirical images of the prophet Muhammad and the country's leaders were uploaded, say reports. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10192755.stm Bangladesh blocks Facebook over caricatures Bangladesh has blocked the Facebook social networking site because of "objectionable" materials it contained about the Prophet Mohammad and the country's political leaders, a telecoms regulatory official said on Sunday. The government move followed publication of caricatures of the Prophet deemed hurtful to the religious sentiments of the country's majority Muslim population, the official said. He said the ban, imposed late on Saturday, was expected to be temporary. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64T0OI20100530 http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-48912920100530 Bangladesh Blocks Facebook Over Muhammad Cartoons [AP] Bangladesh has blocked the social-networking website Facebook over a page urging people to draw images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, joining Pakistan to become the second South Asian nation to ban the popular site over religious concerns. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254004575275592726839362.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/bangladesh-blocks-facebook-over-prophet-drawings-20100530-wnas.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/bangladesh-blocks-facebook-over-prophet-drawings-20100530-wnas.html Bangladesh blocks Facebook over Mohammed cartoons [AFP] Bangladesh has blocked social networking site Facebook for posting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed and "obnoxious" images of the Muslim-majority country's leaders, an official said on Sunday (local time). http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/30/2913198.htm http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/bangladesh-blocks-facebook-over-mohammed-cartoons-20100530-wn52.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/bangladesh-blocks-facebook-over-mohammed-cartoons-20100530-wn52.html Bangladesh quashes Facebook over prophet images Bangladesh has joined Pakistan in blocking access to social-networking site Facebook, citing a page on the site that called on people to draw images of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, the Associated Press reported. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20006370-93.html Pakistan to lift ban on Facebook, YouTube [AFP] Pakistan is to lift a ban on Facebook and YouTube in the next few days, after blocking the websites over "sacrilegious" content, the country's interior minister said Wednesday. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/pakistan-to-lift-ban-on-facebook-youtube-1984090.html Pakistan lifts YouTube ban but keeps block on 'profane and sacrilegious' videos Pakistan will restore access to YouTube but will block videos offensive to Muslims posted on the website, the government said today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/26/pakistan-lifts-youtube-ban Comment: Pakistan's antisocial networking Have they not heard the phrase "going viral"? That was my first response to hearing that the Lahore high court had placed a temporary ban on Facebook in response to its Everybody Draw Mohammad Day! page. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/26/pakistan-facebook-ban-street-politics Pakistan eases curbs on YouTube Pakistan has partially unblocked the YouTube video sharing website, but hundreds of its links to "blasphemous content" remain barred, officials say. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10170899.stm Pakistan partially lifts block on YouTube - official Pakistan has partially unblocked the popular video sharing website YouTube, but links to "sacrilegious or profane material" will remain restricted, a top government official said on Thursday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64Q1DK20100527 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48838920100527 China Readies Internet Blackout for Tiananmen Square Anniversary The Chinese Government is set to terminate circumvention methods of its mandatory Internet filter ahead of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre next month, just as it did last year, according to the Tor Project founder. http://www.pcworld.com/article/196947/.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Calls for internet access to be enshrined as a fundamental right Internet use has become so woven into everyday life that some technology experts say online access should be legally protected, even to the point of considering it a human right. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/calls-for-internet-access-to-be-enshrined-as-a-fundamental-right-20100529-wmg8.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/calls-for-internet-access-to-be-enshrined-as-a-fundamental-right-20100529-wmg8.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3759019/Internet-access-a-human-right Vital broadband expansion key to development and peace, UN conference told [news release] The United Nations telecommunications agency opened its quadrennial development conference today, stressing that a vital expansion of broadband networks holds the key to rapid growth in productivity in developing countries and the potential to enhance global peace and justice. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34785&Cr=telecommunication&Cr1= UN urges improved access to information technology in hospitals, schools Health institutions and schools in developing countries continue to have limited access to information and communications technology (ICT), the United Nations telecommunication said in a report issued today, calling for greater efforts to improve access to high-speed Internet http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34802&Cr=telecom&Cr1= Can the net survive with no regulation? Politicians in many countries are lining up to control what has been a highly successful free-for-all http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0528/1224271300132.html ConDems Won?t Repeal UK?s Digital Economy Act All those angry digital liberties campaigners? They shouldn?t get their hopes up too much about the Digital Economy Act under a new government? http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-condems-wont-repeat-uks-digital-economy-act/ US lawmakers oppose FCC plan to reassert Net authority Pressure is building in Washington for the Federal Communications Commission to abandon its plans to apply old-style regulation to the Internet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20006332-266.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Digital wave threatens Germany's fixed-price book world The German book price fixing scheme has been in place for more than 120 years. But the publishing world faces new challenges now that e-books and electronic reading devices have been thrown into the mix. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5518440,00.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** China deemed engine of growth for telecoms market Without a doubt, Asia, particularly China, is the engine of growth for the world?s telecoms market. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/29/business/6343305&sec=business Ireland now ranked sixth in Europe for telecoms regulation A survey of telecoms regulation in Europe has ranked Ireland sixth out of 22 nations but ?but is generally weaker on the resulting regulatory and market outcomes?. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0528/1224271300127.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Hunt on for Brisbane paedophile's trapped kids An international search has begun to find and rescue the children of a paedophile who police believe lives in a Brisbane suburb. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/28/2911805.htm au: Nudists' web-cam sexual abuse of son, 9 A FATHER who used a web-camera to film his wife performing a sex act on their nine-year-old son as they watched a Harry Potter film told police he was teaching his child about sex. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/nudists-web-cam-sexual-abuse-of-son-9/story-e6frg6nf-1225872280618 au: Child porn images seized in Gong yet to be classified Investigators face the mammoth task of classifying almost 138,000 computer-based images after what is believed to be the biggest seizure of child pornography in the Illawarra. http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/child-porn-images-seized-in-gong-yet-to-be-classified/1842485.aspx Dozens arrested in online child porn ring More than 50 people have been arrested and 16 child victims identified in a two-year investigation of a global child pornography ring, U.S. officials said Wednesday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-26-child-porn_N.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au 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 FlanneryReceived on Mon May 31 2010 - 03:04:17 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:10 UTC