[DNS] auDA domain name news - 7 February

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2013 20:35:28 +1100 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

Hi all,

Hopefully the links work this time.

Regards,
David

FCC to Congress: U.N.'s ITU Internet plans 'must be stopped'
<http://www.zdnet.com/fcc-to-congress-u-n-s-itu-internet-plans-must-be-stopped-7000010835/>

After WCIT, US lawmakers look for ways to advance Internet freedom [IDG]
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020513-after-wcit-us-lawmakers-look-266436.html>

How the Registrar Cash Flow Model Could Collapse with New ICANN gTLDs by Thomas Barrett
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130204_how_registrar_cash_flow_model_could_collapse_with_new_icann_gtlds/>

The favoured new TLD registrar payment model by Chris Wright, Chief Technology Officer, ARI Registry Services
<http://www.ariservices.com/blog/the-favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-model/>

EU Develops New Cybersecurity Rules
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578284102192561208.html>

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/broad-powers-seen-for-obama-in-cyberstrikes.html>

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GOVERNANCE
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FCC to Congress: U.N.'s ITU Internet plans 'must be stopped'
Today, U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell will testify to Congress in a joint U.S. House subcommittee hearing on international Internet governance, that the free and open Internet is under attack ? and inaction is not an option.
<http://www.zdnet.com/fcc-to-congress-u-n-s-itu-internet-plans-must-be-stopped-7000010835/>

After WCIT, US lawmakers look for ways to advance Internet freedom [IDG]
Countries pushing for international regulation of the Internet through the U.N. International Telecommunication Union will not quit after a partial victory at an ITU meeting in December, some Internet government experts told U.S. lawmakers.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020513-after-wcit-us-lawmakers-look-266436.html>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236530/After_WCIT_US_lawmakers_look_for_ways_to_advance_Internet_freedom>

Internet ?Under Assault? by Censoring UN, Regulator Says
International proposals to control the Internet will continue after a United Nations conference in Dubai and the U.S. should be ready to fight such efforts, lawmakers and a regulator said.
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-05/un-internet-oversight-should-be-fought-by-u-s-lawmakers-say.html>
<http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/internet-freedom-under-assault-says-lawmaker-20130206-2dxf3.html>

No one should control Web: Berners-Lee
The creator of the World Wide Web warned not to hand over power of his invention to the government. Speaking last night at a lecture hosted by Sydney?s University of Technology, Tim Berners-Lee said the Internet should remain independent in the same way as journalism.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452897/no_one_should_control_web_berners-lee/>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Europe Regional Registry/Registrar Meeting Exceeds Expectations
The recently completed Europe Regional Registry/Registrar Meeting held in Amsterdam exceeded all previous regional meetings in local and remote participation. The meeting was attended by 240 current or prospective registries and registrars and observers. There were over 200 remote connections during the two-day event with a peak of 57 remote participants at one time. This is more than triple the attendance of the next largest regional meeting.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/europe-regional-registryregistrar-meeting-exceeds-expectations/>

Webinar: Examining the UX Implication of the Active Variant TLDs
IDNs serve as powerful tools for broadening the Internet's capacity and accessibility; however, they also raise novel issues. One important issue concerns "variants" which occur when a single character can be identified with two or more different Unicode Code Points with graphic representations that may or may not be visually similar. IDN variants contain one or more such characters and therefore, if not handled correctly, might result in user confusion or a poor user experience.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-01feb13-en>

Initial Root Zone Growth Statistics Published
In December 2012, ICANN announced the start of work to collect and publish data which would help correlate performance of L-Root with growth in the root zone. The first set of measurements concerned with identifying growth in the root zone, was published last month.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/initial-root-zone-growth-statistics-published/>

Interim Report IDN ccNSO Policy Development Process
Purpose (Brief): The purpose of the IDN country code policy development process (IDN ccPDP) Interim Report is to report on and seek feed-back on feasible recommendations for overall policy for the selection of IDN ccTLD's and the inclusion of IDN ccTLD managers in the ccNSO.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/idn-ccpdp-05feb13-en.htm>

Re: Closed Generic Top-Level Domains
Dear Dr. Crocker and Messrs. Chehad? and Chalaby: We are writing to express our concern, similar to concerns expressed by Australia and Germany in their respective Early Warnings, regarding private, exclusive ownership of closed generic TLDs. As you are aware, a small number of companies have applied for TLDs that consist of generic industry categories and seek to control them in closed fashion. Examples of generic TLDs that are being pursued as closed include .insurance, .app, .jewelry, .search, and .book, among others.
<https://www.myicann.org/news/articles/23374/related/23375>

CEO Roundtable II: The Registries by Fadi Chehad?
On Monday, I was very pleased to host more than a dozen leaders from the registry community; participants in our latest CEO Roundtable series focused on key issues and trends within the Domain Name System sector.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/ceo-roundtable-ii-the-registries/>

"Closed Generic" gTLD Applications
Purpose (Brief): To receive stakeholder views and suggestions on the topic of "closed generic" gTLD applications.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/closed-generic-05feb13-en.htm>

Interim Report IDN ccNSO Policy Development Process
Purpose (Brief): The purpose of the IDN country code policy development process (IDN ccPDP) Interim Report is to report on and seek feed-back on feasible recommendations for overall policy for the selection of IDN ccTLD's and the inclusion of IDN ccTLD managers in the ccNSO.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/idn-ccpdp-05feb13-en.htm>

Revised New gTLD Registry Agreement Including Additional Public Interest Commitments Specification
Purpose (Brief): To receive community feedback on the revised New gTLD Registry Agreement that includes certain updates and changes, including a Public Interest Commitments Specification
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/base-agreement-05feb13-en.htm

I'm Impressed by Fadi by Pinkard Brand
I could have ignored yesterday's ICANN New gTLD Applicant Update Webinar and just read summaries from the usual respected news and industry sources. However, with three hours slotted and likely questions regarding ICANN CEO Fadi Chehad?'s somewhat eyebrow-raising comments at the regional ICANN Registry-Registrar meeting in Amsterdam last week -- led me wanting to hear it all myself.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130206_i_am_impressed_by_fadi/>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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The Canadian Internet Registration Authority has a Pinterest account
Strangely, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority actually has a Pinterest account.
<http://o.canada.com/2013/02/06/the-canadian-internet-registration-authority-has-a-pinterest-account/>

Increase in .ie domain registration in 2012
Irish web domain registrar Register365 has reported a 14pc increase in the registration of .ie domains since 2010.
<http://www.businessandleadership.com/business/item/39462-increase-in-ie-domain-regi>

Verisign raises .name prices
Verisign plans to add 10% to the price of a .name domain name, judging by published correspondence.
<http://domainincite.com/11775-verisign-raises-name-prices>

Sunrise for .pw extended by a week
The sunrise period for the liberalizing ccTLD .pw has been extended by a week until February 15.
<http://domainincite.com/11790-sunrise-for-pw-extended-by-a-week>

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 - NEW TLDS
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IP lawyers gird for trademark issues amid domain name expansion
Intellectual property attorneys are focused on guarding against misuse of their clients' brand names and trademarks ahead of the massive expansion of Internet domain names, which is expected to begin by the end of 2013.
<http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2013/02_-_February/IP_lawyers_gird_for_trademark_issues_amid_domain_name_expansion/>

How the Registrar Cash Flow Model Could Collapse with New ICANN gTLDs by Thomas Barrett
New TLD applicants are getting plenty of advice nowadays about how to launch their new Registry. In addition to thinking about their branding and distribution, they should also be thinking about their business practices with Registrars. What many of them do not realize is that their cash flow practices, with respect to Registrars, may be a factor of whether ICANN Registrars even support their Registry.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130204_how_registrar_cash_flow_model_could_collapse_with_new_icann_gtlds/>

The favoured new TLD registrar payment model by Chris Wright, Chief Technology Officer, ARI Registry Services
This week, Thomas Barrett ? the President of US based registrar EnCirca ? published a timely article about how the registrar cash flow model could collapse with the imminent release of hundreds of new TLD.
<http://www.ariservices.com/blog/the-favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-model/>
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19777>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/07/favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-model/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/the-favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-model-by-chris-wright-ari-registry-services.html>

Microsoft Is Latest to Come Out Against Closed Generic New gTLD?s In Letter To ICANN
ICANN just published a letter it received from Microsoft.com which is objecting to closed generic strings.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/06/microsoft-is-latest-to-come-out-against-closed-generic-new-gtlds-in-letter-to-icann/>

ICANN Publishes Pricing for Trademark Clearinghouse
As ICANN moves toward its expansion of Internet TLDs, trademark owners should consider strategies to protect their brands.
<http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/icann-publishes-pricing-for-trademark-cl-67329/>

New TLDs a boon for domain registrars
A report published by Melbourne IT's digital brand services unit provides ammunition for those who suspect the expansion in the number of TLDs benefits the domain name industry rather than the Internet community as a whole.
<http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/core-dump/58631-new-tlds-a-boon-for-domain-registrars>

Petition to Preserve Open Internet New gTLD Namespaces Launched [news release]
A petition has been launched at Change.org to preserve open New gTLDs for consumers and users.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/07/petition-preserve-open-internet/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/petition-to-preserve-open-internet-new-gtld-namespaces-launched.html>

Closed generic gTLD applications under attack as ICANN seeks views [registration]
This week, ICANN opened a 30-day public comment period seeking feedback on whether particular requirements should be imposed on closed generic gTLD applications. The call for comment was issued following increased concern over the potential for companies to gain significant market advantage through closed gTLDs.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=7be56061-2229-412c-8f71-55bc20932cd8>

ICANN New gTLD Committee Not Sure How To Handle Closed Generic Applications
Its seems pretty clear that the New gTLD committee of ICANN doesn?t know what they should do about what is fast becoming one of the biggest issues of the new gTLD program, applications for closed generic strings.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/05/icann-new-gtld-committee-not-sure-how-to-handle-closed-generic-applications/>

NewgTLDSite.com Starts Petition Asking ICANN To Stop Closed Generic New gTLD?s From Being Awarded
Tom Gilles of NewgTLDSite.com just started an online petition to be sent to ICANN to stop closed generic strings from being awarded and is hoping to get 100,000 signatures.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/05/newgtldsite-com-starts-petition-asking-icann-to-stop-closed-generic-new-gtlds-from-being-awarded/>

Frank Schilling?s Uniregistry gets accredited as a registrar
Portfolio new gTLD applicant Uniregistry has taken the first step towards bringing its proposed new gTLDs to market by getting accredited as a registrar by ICANN.
<http://domainincite.com/11778-frank-schillings-uniregistry-gets-accredited-as-a-registrar>

Top Indian companies line up with Rs 1 crore for new web suffixes
With over one lakh dotcoms being registered daily, time now seems to be ripe for website suffixes like '.com' and '.org' making way for suffixes like we.indians, gaddi.tata or my.baby. ICANN, an international agency responsible for the naming process, is all set to give out new website suffixes. And first in the line, paying about Rs 1 crore each, are at least 21 top Indian businesses houses like RIL, Bharati Airtel, State Bank of India, Tata Industries, HDFC.
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/internet/Top-Indian-companies-line-up-with-Rs-1-crore-for-new-web-suffixes/articleshow/18343795.cms>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Canada Joins The DNSSEC Party
So what is the big deal about Canada signing their .ca ccTLD? To Canada, it is a big deal to configure their DNS server to respond to DNSSEC lookups because they are the 99th country to do so.
<http://www.darkreading.com/blog/240147786/canada-joins-the-dnssec-party.html>

EU Develops New Cybersecurity Rules
The European Union will propose new cybersecurity rules Thursday, requiring search engines, energy providers, banks and other companies to report disruptions to government authorities.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578284102192561208.html>

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes
A secret legal review on the use of America?s growing arsenal of cyberweapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad, according to officials involved in the review.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/broad-powers-seen-for-obama-in-cyberstrikes.html>

us: Editorial: Cyberwar, out of the shadows
A PLANNED FIVEFOLD increase in the staff of the U.S. Cyber Command is indicative of how conflict is moving toward center stage for the military, a domain similar to land, sea, air and outer space. The anticipated growth, described in an article by Ellen Nakashima in The Post last week, is intended to protect the country and its private sector from attack, an urgent mission. But now that the United States is going beyond defense, expanding forces for offensive attack, there?s a crying need for more openness. So far, forces exist almost entirely in the shadows.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cyberwar-out-of-the-shadows/2013/02/03/a35f9b96-6a4a-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html>

EU to order banks, energy firms to report cyber attacks
Around 42,000 firms in the European Union, including airports, banks and hospitals, would have to inform regulators whenever their computers are hacked, under a proposed EU law to be published on Thursday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/uk-eu-cybersecurity-idUKBRE91516B20130206>

Microsoft, Symantec Join Forces to Take Down Bamital Click-Fraud Botnet
Microsoft and Symantec have shut down a massive click fraud botnet known as Bamital, numerous variants of which have been in circulation since 2009 amassing several million dollars in fraudulent profit for the attackers as well as spreading more malware including scareware.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/microsoft-symantec-join-forces-take-down-bamital-click-fraud-botnet-020613>

Massive search fraud botnet seized by Microsoft and Symantec
A botnet that redirected clicks from millions of PCs has been, at least for the moment, shut down by Microsoft and Symantec. Based on the fraudulent traffic generated by the Bamital botnet, the two companies estimate that its operators netted more than $1 million a year by redirecting unsuspecting computer users to websites they didn't intend to go, cashing in on the traffic with online advertising networks.
<http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/02/massive-search-fraud-botnet-siezed-by-microsoft-and-symantec/>

Microsoft, Symantec shutter another botnet
Microsoft and security software maker Symantec have revealed that they collaborated on the take-down of a botnet that had infected hundreds of thousands of computers.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57568067-83/microsoft-symantec-shutter-another-botnet/>

Microsoft, Symantec take down Bamital click-fraud botnet [IDG]
Microsoft and Symantec have dismantled a botnet that took over millions of computers for criminal activities such as identity theft and click fraud.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236584/Microsoft_Symantec_take_down_Bamital_click_fraud_botnet>

Rupert Murdoch tweets Chinese 'still hacking' WSJ
Rupert Murdoch has said that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper remains under attack from Chinese hackers.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21360032>

Rupert Murdoch says Chinese hackers are still targeting Wall Street Journal
Rupert Murdoch has waded into the row over cyber-attacks from China, by tweeting that hackers have continued their work.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/06/rupert-murdoch-chinese-hackers-journal>

Cyberwar Name Game a Dangerous Play
The term ?cyberwar? is the ?zero day? of security jargon; it?s getting so that every bug is a zero day and every attack is hash-tagged cyberwar.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/cyberwar-name-game-dangerous-play-020513>

DDoS Attacks Spur Concerns Over Infrastructure Weaknesses
The ongoing distributed denial-of-service attacks on banks have some security professionals worried about the attacks moving to less prepared industries
<http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability-management/167901026/security/perimeter-security/240147949/ddos-attacks-spur-concerns-over-infrastructure-weaknesses.html>

More Executives Worry About Cyberattacks, Study Says [subscription]
More corporate executives are concerned about cyberattacks and data breaches than property damage and investment risk, according to a survey commissioned by insurer American International Group Inc.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324590904578288012102025162.html>

The poster child for cybersecurity done right: How Estonia learnt from being under attack
In 2007, Estonia was the victim of a high profile campaign of state-sponsored online attacks. Now, years later, the country is promoting cybersecurity via a series of initiatives at home and abroad.
<http://www.zdnet.com/the-poster-child-for-cybersecurity-done-right-how-estonia-learnt-from-being-under-attack-7000010628/>

As cloud use grows, so will rate of DDoS attacks
The eighth annual Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report, from security provider Arbor Networks, reveals how both cloud service providers and traditional data centers are under attack. The report examined a 12-month period and asked 200 security-based questions of 130 enterprise and network operations professionals
<http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/cloud-use-grows-so-will-rate-of-ddos-attacks-211876>

Malware: The Next Generation
If January is anything to go by, then 2013 should be another doozy of a year for malware-plagued businesses. The year started off with the exploitation of a previously unknown Java vulnerability -- a spot-on example of why malware attackers are so successful these days.
<http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/240147637/malware-the-next-generation.html>

None of the 100 largest e-commerce sites have fully implemented DNSSEC
The biggest brands in e-commerce are overlooking a critical security technology that could reduce the risk of identify theft and credit card fraud.
<http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=14358>

Petition To Have White House Recognize DDoS As Legitimate Protest Unlikely To Draw Response
It looks like an online petition seeking to have distributed denial-of-service actions against computer systems recognized as a legitimate form of protest will not gain enough signatures to merit an official response from the White House.
http://njtoday.net/2013/02/06/petition-to-have-white-house-recognize-ddos-as-legitimate-protest-unlikely-to-draw-response/

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Global domain name disputes rise 4.3 per cent: report
Some of the world?s largest brands ? including those operating in Australia ? continue to fend off cyber squatters with the number of domain name disputes rising by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, according to a report by Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services.
<http://www.cio.com.au/article/453123/global_domain_name_disputes_rise_4_3_per_cent_report/>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/453123/global_domain_name_disputes_rise_4_3_per_cent_report/>

Cyber-squatting on the rise: report
Cyber-squatting is on the rise however companies are getting better at reclaiming their web addresses from would-be intruders, according to a new report from Melbourne IT.
<http://www.technologyspectator.com.au/cyber-squatting-rise-report>

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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The Impact Of BYOD On IPv6 Introduction
IPv6 is coming, and BYOD is here: Brian Shorland, EMEA Product Manager from Alcatel-Lucent tells us why businesses need to make sure they are ready now
<http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/comment/the-impact-of-byod-on-ipv6-106512>

Rapid Increase in IPv6 Penetration Increases Demand for Communication Test Equipment, Finds Frost & Sullivan
IPv4 has produced four billion internet protocol (IP) addresses since its introduction in 1984 and this pool has almost been depleted. The petering out of IPv4 addresses has created a strong demand for IPv6 addresses and bandwidth, generating significant opportunities for test equipment vendors to develop products that test IPv6 on 100 Gigabit Ethernet networks.
<http://www.frost.com/sublib/display-press-release.do?ctxixpLink=FcmCtx1&searchQuery=ipv6&bdata=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5mcm9zdC5jb20vc3JjaC9jYXRhbG9nLXNlYXJjaC5kbz9xdWVyeVRleHQ9aXB2NiZwYWdlU2l6ZT0xMiZzb3J0Qnk9REB%2BQFNlYXJjaCBSZXN1bHRzQH5AMTM2MDIwNDkzMDAyOA%3D%3D&ctxixpLabel=FcmCtx2&id=273443937>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Go Daddy sued over revenge-porn site
Go Daddy has been named lead defendant in a Texas lawsuit filed by 17 women whose nude photos were published without their permission on a "revenge porn" website hosted by the Scottsdale-based company.
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/06/go-daddy-sued-over-revenge-porn-site/1897695/>

Go Daddy posts top sales after airing model-kissing-geek ad
The controversial Super Bowl commercial that shows a mismatched couple in a deep kiss gets the company a record amount of new customers and overall sales.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57567828-93/go-daddy-posts-top-sales-after-airing-model-kissing-geek-ad/>

Kim Kardashian talks entrepreneurship and social media
Kim KardashianOversee.net CEO Debra Domeyer had a fireside chat with Kim Kardashian at Webfest today in Santa Monica. Kardashian related her stories about early entrepreneurial ventures and how she?s leveraged social media to build her brand.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/02/06/kim-kardashian-talks-entrepreneurship-and-social-media/>

Oversee.net CEO kicks of Webfest conference in Los Angeles
The last time she took stage at a Webfest conference, it wasn?t even called Webfest. One year after her debut domain conference talk, Debra Domeyer is now CEO instead of co-CEO of Oversee.net, and the conference is called Webfest instead of DOMAINfest.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/02/05/oversee-net-ceo-kicks-of-webfest-conference-in-los-angeles/>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Enhancing AdWords for a constantly connected world
Today we?re upgrading AdWords, by rolling out enhanced campaigns. This is a first step to help you more simply and smartly manage your ad campaigns in today?s multi-device world.
<http://adwords.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/introducing-enhanced-campaigns.html>

Survey: Most Americans take breaks from Facebook
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/05/tech/social-media/facebook-breaks-pew/index.html>

Safer Internet Day marks 10th anniversary
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452815/safer_internet_day_marks_10th_anniversary/>

Industry Coalition's 'safer Internet' Plan Criticized on All Sides
<http://www.cio.com/article/728246/Industry_Coalition_39_s_39_safer_Internet_39_Plan_Criticized_on_All_Sides>

Safer Internet Day 2013: "Connect with Respect" [news release]
<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-86_en.htm>

Ceop warns over 'alarming new trend' in online sex abuse
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21314585>

Children are 'upset' by online violence, study finds
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/03/children-upset-online-violence-study>

YouTube study shows children 'three clicks away from explicit material'
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/05/youtube-study-explicit-material>

Telstra tests P2P throttling, deep packet inspection
<http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-tests-p2p-throttling-deep-packet-inspection-7000010831/>

Mobile Internet data traffic to grow 13-fold by 2017, says Cisco
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57567967-94/mobile-internet-data-traffic-to-grow-13-fold-by-2017-says-cisco/>

au: Google wins High Court appeal over sponsored links
<http://www.zdnet.com/google-wins-high-court-appeal-over-sponsored-links-7000010876/>

Steganography: Tinkering with Skype can allow people to send undetectable messages
<http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21571120-tinkering-skype-can-allow-people-send-undetectable-messages-speaking>

au: Apple, Google facing tax crackdown
<http://www.theage.com.au/business/apple-google-facing-tax-crackdown-20130204-2dufw.html>

German publishers say Google won't get the same deal it got in France [IDG]
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236490/German_publishers_say_Google_won_39_t_get_the_same_deal_it_got_in_France>

EU's Copyright Reform Talks a Waste of Time, Says Digital Rights Group [IDG]
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452699/eu_copyright_reform_talks_waste_time_says_digital_rights_group/>

EU wants to tackle money laundering on gaming sites
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/uk-eu-gambling-idUKBRE9140K320130205>

Google faces yet another EU antitrust complaint from tech group
<http://www.zdnet.com/google-faces-yet-another-eu-antitrust-complaint-from-tech-group-7000010851/>

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INTERNET USE
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Global ecommerce sales topped $US1 tn in 2012 [AFP]
Global internet retail sales topped $US1 trillion ($962bn) for the first time in 2012 with the United States holding the top spot but China rising fast, a market research firm has said.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/global-ecommerce-sales-topped-us1-tn-in-2012/story-e6frgakx-1226571280513>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Survey: Most Americans take breaks from Facebook
Facebook follows you everywhere. It's on phones and computers, at work and home, and in the news. So it's understandable that people might need a little rest from the social network.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/05/tech/social-media/facebook-breaks-pew/index.html>

Most Facebook Users Have Taken a Break From the Site, Study Finds
Facebook is the most popular social network in America ? roughly two-thirds of adults in the country use it on a regular basis.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/most-facebookers-have-taken-a-break-from-the-site-study-finds/>

Facebook: two thirds of users log off for weeks at a time
Two thirds of Facebook users have taken a voluntary break from the site for several weeks or more, citing reasons ranging from "excessive gossip or drama from their friends" to "concerns about privacy", according to new research.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/05/facebook-two-thirds-users-log-off>

Pew report shows some Facebook users dialing down usage [IDG]
Facebook makes it easy to connect with people online, but some of its users say they got burned out on the site or grew tired of their friends' "drama," a new survey shows.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452877/pew_report_shows_some_facebook_users_dialing_down_usage/>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236522/Some_Facebook_users_dialing_back_usage_Pew_survey_says>
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020513-pew-report-shows-some-facebook-266430.html>

Coming and Going on Facebook
Overview: Two-thirds of online American adults (67%) are Facebook users, making Facebook the dominant social networking site in this country. And new findings from the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project indicate there is considerable fluidity in the Facebook user population:
<http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Coming-and-going-on-facebook.aspx>

Anger Directed at Applebee's Is More Likely to Hurt Than Help Workers
Admit it. The Web campaign against Applebee's is getting gratuitous. It all began when a St. Louis pastor who dined there got upset at the tip added to her bill. "I give God 10 percent," she wrote on her receipt. "Why do you get 18 percent?" Waitresses were understandably offended and amused, and one uploaded a photo of the receipt to the Internet, where it went viral, causing the customer to be harassed after Internet sleuths deciphered her signature and identity. ... But the anti-Applebee's rage is arbitrary and out of all proportion to the events that transpired, and that's problematic for reasons that transcend unfairness to Applebee's, a chain that could disappear tomorrow without me minding. The extraordinary anger being generated has more to do with the incident's viralness than the magnitude of the company's bad behavior. As a result, corporations across America aren't thinking, "We'd better avoid perpetrating really bad behavior," they're thinking, "We'd better avoid any situation that involves our company getting viral publicity."
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/anger-directed-at-applebees-is-more-likely-to-hurt-than-help-workers/272861/>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Safer Internet Day marks 10th anniversary
Today is the 10th anniversary of Safer Internet Day, a global initiative to raise online safety awareness. This year?s theme, ?Online Rights and Responsibilities ? Connect with Respect?, focuses on online privacy, digital reputation and citizenship, and is held in more than 90 countries around the world.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452815/safer_internet_day_marks_10th_anniversary/>

Industry Coalition's 'safer Internet' Plan Criticized on All Sides
Civil liberties activists and a prominent child protection advocate have criticized the work of an industry coalition to make the Internet a safer place for children.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728246/Industry_Coalition_39_s_39_safer_Internet_39_Plan_Criticized_on_All_Sides>

Safer Internet Day 2013: "Connect with Respect" [news release]
On 5th February, Safer Internet Day 2013, the Commission has presented the results of joint work of media, technology, telecoms and online companies undertaken since their December 2011 commitment to make the internet a better and safer place for kids (see IP/11/1485).
<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-86_en.htm>

Google Offers Security Tips for a Safer Internet
Google today joined with a group of prominent organizations to mark "Safer Internet Day," offering an updated menu of tips for safe Web surfing.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728305/Google_Offers_Security_Tips_for_a_Safer_Internet>

Ceop warns over 'alarming new trend' in online sex abuse
Children are increasingly being groomed over the internet for the sole purpose of online sexual abuse, research by a child protection watchdog suggests.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21314585>

Children are 'upset' by online violence, study finds
Children are as upset by violent videos on YouTube that feature animal cruelty or beheadings and by insensitive Facebook messages from divorced parents as they are by online bullying and pornography, according to the biggest survey of young British people and their internet use.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/03/children-upset-online-violence-study>

YouTube study shows children 'three clicks away from explicit material'
Children who view clips of Sesame Street and Peppa Pig on YouTube are on average just three clicks away from explicit adult material on the site, including nudity and violence, according to research.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/05/youtube-study-explicit-material>

ACMA and the AFP team up to fight online child abuse material
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) have signed an agreement to help fight the distribution of child abuse material on the Internet.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452821/acma_afp_team_up_fight_online_child_abuse_material/>

Aussie consumers more proactive with cyber safety than US: Index
Australian consumers take more cyber safety precautions than their American counterparts according to a new study.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452830/aussie_consumers_more_proactive_cyber_safety_than_us_index/>

in: Internet firms launch cyber safety campaign
Data Security Council of India (DSCI), in association with Facebook, Google, Kaspersky and Microsoft, has launched the India edition of -- Stop, Think and Connect, as part of the Internet safety campaign -- to help all digital citizens stay safer and secure online.
<http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/internet-firms-launch-cyber-safety-campaign/article4386423.ece>

Irish cyberbullying 'highest in EU'
Incidences of cyberbullying among teenagers in Ireland are among the highest in Europe, according to a new report.
<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0204/breaking43.html>

Snoop on your child's Facebook, expert claims
Parents should snoop on their children?s Facebook accounts to protect them from the dangers of online predators, a child protection expert has said.
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9846440/Snoop-on-your-childs-Facebook-expert-claims.html>

nz: Warning for lonely hearts ahead of Valentine's Day
Singles searching for love online are being warned to stay on the lookout for scammers, otherwise they could be left with a broken heart and an empty bank account this Valentine's Day.
<http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/warning-lonely-hearts-ahead-valentine-s-day-5335808>

How parents can make cyber-bullying worse
Parents who buy into their children's online disputes can continue the tirade long after their children have made up, warn bullying experts.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8264790/How-parents-can-make-cyber-bullying-worse>
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/childish-behaviour-as-parents-worsen-cyberbullying-20130204-2duj2.html>

Vine raises age rating amid porn concerns
The age rating for new mobile video-sharing app Vine has been raised to 17+, meaning appropriate for users 17 and older, after it was flooded with pornographic images.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/06/tech/mobile/vine-porn-rating/index.html>

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ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
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Telstra tests P2P throttling, deep packet inspection
Telstra will trial deep packet inspection and slow down peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic over its network for a select number of ADSL customers in Victoria, the telco has confirmed today.
<http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-tests-p2p-throttling-deep-packet-inspection-7000010831/>

Telstra to clamp down on peer-to-peer
Telstra is planning to slow the speed at which its ADSL customers download content through P2P networks in peak periods as part of a trial.
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-on-peertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html>
<http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-on-peertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Mobile Internet data traffic to grow 13-fold by 2017, says Cisco
There are a number of different predictions floating around about how many Internet-connected devices there will be worldwide within the next few years. But regardless of those numbers, we can all be sure that mobile Internet data traffic is going to explode exponentially as well.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57567967-94/mobile-internet-data-traffic-to-grow-13-fold-by-2017-says-cisco/>

Rain tracked with mobile network
A way to measure rainfall using mobile phone network signals has been put into practice across a whole country.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21290976>

Apple to lose iPhone trademark in Brazil: source
Brazil's copyright regulator will strip Apple Inc of the right to use its iPhone trademark in Latin America's biggest market and granted the trademark to a local company that registered it first, a source familiar with the decision said on Tuesday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/uk-brazil-apple-copyright-idUKBRE91417I20130205>
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-brazil-apple-copyright-idUSBRE91417G20130205>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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au: Google wins High Court appeal over sponsored links
The High Court of Australia has dismissed a misleading and deceptive conducts case brought against search engine giant Google, ruling that Google does not create sponsored links.
<http://www.zdnet.com/google-wins-high-court-appeal-over-sponsored-links-7000010876/>

Google claims victory in ACCC court battle
Google has won its legal battle with the consumer watchdog, after the High Court overturned a ruling that the company had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.
<http://www.theage.com.au/business/google-wins-high-court-appeal-on-ads-20130206-2dyq6.html>
<http://www.smh.com.au/business/google-claims-victory-in-accc-court-battle-20130206-2dxi8.html>

Google wins ACCC High Court battle
Google has been cleared by the High Court of engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/google-awaits-high-court-judgment-in-six-year-old-case-launched-by-accc/story-e6frgakx-1226571463767>

ACCC behind the times on our Google habits
The ACCC's pursuit of Google over misleading advertisements demonstrates a significant lack of understanding of the rapidity of change in the internet world.
<http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4506150.html>

uk: 'Trial by Google' a risk to jury system, says attorney general
"Trial by Google" threatens to undermine the integrity of the British jury system and "offends the principle of open justice", according to the attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2013/feb/06/trial-by-google-risk-jury-system>

Sexual violence and the paradox of anonymity in the digital age
... This is the paradox of anonymity in the digital age. As women and their defenders use the internet to out and fight their assailants, others use anonymity to attack their efforts to do so. Women who draw attention to sexism are castigated by strangers in the most sexist terms possible, abused for daring to draw attention to their abusers.
<http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/20132411111433879.html>

Revenge porn is ?just entertainment,? says owner of IsAnybodyDown
The proprietor of one of the sleaziest "revenge porn" websites has gone public in a big way. The 28-year-old Colorado Springs man who created the site IsAnybodyDown, Craig Brittain, has been featured in a report airing on Denver TV station CBS4. Reporter Brian Maass also interviewed two women who were featured on the site against their will, and the station says it has been in contact with a half-dozen Colorado women in the same situation.
<http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/revenge-porn-is-just-entertainment-says-owner-of-isanybodydown/>

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SECURITY
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EU Develops New Cybersecurity Rules
The European Union will propose new cybersecurity rules Thursday, requiring search engines, energy providers, banks and other companies to report disruptions to government authorities.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578284102192561208.html>