Rules forcing internet companies to keep details of every e-mail sent in the UK are a waste of money and an attack on civil liberties, say critics. From March all Internet service providers will by law have to keep information about every e-mail sent or received in the UK for a year.
China Widens Crackdown on "Vulgar" Content Online
China has widened an Internet crackdown on "vulgar" content to target 14 new sites, including Microsoft's MSN, and chided fellow American giant Google for not doing enough to clean up. China's ruling Communist Party is wary of threats to its grip on information and has conducted numerous censorship efforts targeting pornography, political criticism and web scams, but officials flagged tougher steps this time.
Companies Blamed for Misleading Acai Websites
The Better Business Bureau named two companies that engage in misleading sales and marketing practices. At least part of the issue is their use of "negative option marketing" techniques that require customers to cancel recurring orders or membership in ongoing programs they may or may not be aware they've signed up for.
Anticipation Surrounds Obama's Choice of CTO
As supporters of President-elect Barack Obama in Washington try to downplay near-term expectations for his administration's chief technology officer, an Obama aide said reports of an imminent announcement are incorrect. With nearly of all Obama's cabinet named, recent speculation has swirled around whether news about the CTO post would be next.
Ruling Favors Video-Sharing Website
Fans of video file-sharing websites got a boost from U.S. District Court Judge A. Howard Matz, who ruled that Universal Music Group cannot stop a San Diego company from claiming "safe harbor" protection in a copyright-infringement suit. Universal claimed that even though Veoh Networks Inc. may have removed video that was unlawfully shared on its servers once it knew of the activity, the firm was still liable to copyright holders for monetary relief.
Internet, Economy Fueling Work-at-Home Scams
Work-at-home-scams are on the rise, consumer watchdog groups say. "The Internet is a boon for this industry, because it's a very cheap method for reaching consumers across the U.S. and the world," says Karen Hobbs, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency responsible for consumer protection.
Man Who Posted Negative Review Sued for Defamation
A man who posted a negative review of a chiropractor's business on Yelp suggesting that the doctor was dishonest is facing a defamation lawsuit that could chill self-expression on the popular gripe Web site.
Couple Fights Surrendering PC in File-Sharing Case
A Rhode Island couple whose son is accused of illegally sharing songs online should not be forced to surrender their home computer for inspection because it would violate their privacy, their lawyer argued at a federal court hearing. Joel Tenenbaum, a 25-year-old Boston University graduate student, is accused by the Recording Industry Association of America of downloading at least seven songs and making 816 music files available for distribution on the Kazaa file-sharing network through 2004.
Data Breaches Up 50%, Affecting 35.7 Million Americans
Businesses, governments and educational institutions reported nearly 50 percent more data breaches last year than in 2007, exposing the personal records of at least 35.7 million Americans, according to a nonprofit group that works to prevent identity fraud. Identity Theft Resource Center of San Diego is set to announce today that some 656 breaches were reported in 2008, up from 446 in the previous year.
Apple Drops Copy-Protection for all Songs on iTunes
Apple, by far the largest seller of online music, said that it had cut a new deal with the three largest music companies that would allow it to remove anticopying restrictions from all of the songs in its iTunes store. Apple had pushed for the scrapping of so-called digital rights management software, which controls the copying of songs and where they can be played.
Study Finds Teens Discussing Risky Behavior on MySpace
More than half of teenagers mention risky behaviors such as sex and drugs on their MySpace accounts, U.S. researchers said. They said many young people who use social networking sites such as News Corp's MySpace do not realize how public they are and may be opening themselves to risks, but the sites may also offer a new way to identify and help troubled teens.
Massachusetts to Push for Internet Sales Tax Collection
Mass. Governor Deval Patrick is pushing lawmakers to expand the state's ability to collect sales tax on products sold over the Internet, which could add millions of dollars in revenue each year and alleviate a severe budget crisis. Patrick's revenue commissioner, Navjeet K. Bal, has submitted a report to the Legislature asking it to approve an Internet sales tax by the end of this year.
Fake Celebrity Profiles Linked to Malware
A security researcher has discovered fake profiles for celebrities on LinkedIn that have links to malicious code, according to a blog posting on Trend Micro's site. The celebrity profiles that are not to be trusted include ones created using the names: Beyonce Knowles, Victoria Beckham, Christina Ricci, Kirsten Dunst, Salma Hayek, and Kate Hudson.
Model Sues Google to Identify Blogger Who Insulted Her
A Vogue cover girl is suing Google in an attempt to unmask the blogger who trashed her as a "skank" and an "old hag." Liskula Cohen, a blond beauty who has modeled for Giorgio Armani and Versace, made headlines last year when a doorman at a Manhattan hot spot was jailed after smashing her in the face with a vodka bottle.
Thailand Blocks Websites for Insulting Monarchy
Thai authorities have blocked 2,300 websites for allegedly insulting monarchy and are waiting for court approval to take action on another 400 websites, Thailand's Information and Communication Minister Ranongruk Suwanchawee said. Apart from the 2,300 websites, Ranongruk said his ministry is preparing to ask for court approval to close another 400 ones, according to a report by The Nation news website.
Malaysia Considering Creating "Cyber Court"
Malaysia is considering establishing a "cyber court" to deal with the increasing number of crimes related to the Internet and blogging, a report said. Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor said more than 30 Internet-linked cases had been submitted to the country's attorney general in the past three years.
China Warns Websites to Block Pornography
China warned Google and other popular Web portals that they must do more to block pornographic material from reaching Chinese users, the latest in a series of government crackdowns targeting Internet content. The crackdown focused on pornography but is part of a larger Chinese effort to control freedom of expression and root out material it considers destabilizing, such as sites that criticize the Communist Party, promote democratic reform or advocate Taiwan independence.
Japanese Lawyers Want Google to Stop Street View
A group of Japanese lawyers and professors asked that Google stop providing detailed street-level images of Japanese cities on the Internet, saying they violated privacy rights. Google's Street View offers ground-level, 360-degree views of streets in 12 Japanese cities and is also offered for some 50 cities in the United States and certain areas in Europe.
Lawsuits to Delay Transfer of Bush's E-mails
The required transfer in four weeks of all of the Bush White House's electronic mail messages and documents to the National Archives has been imperiled by a combination of technical glitches, lawsuits and lagging computer forensic work, according to government officials, historians and lawyers. Federal law requires outgoing White House officials to provide the Archives copies of their records, a cache estimated at more than 300 million messages and 25,000 boxes of documents depicting some of the most sensitive policymaking of the past eight years.
CNN Anchor Caught by Twitter Phishing Scam
CNN anchor Rick Sanchez is one of the most popular users on microblogging service Twitter, with nearly 40,000 followers and a Twitterholic rank in the top 20. Unfortunately for Sanchez, it looks like he fell victim to the phishing scam that has been plaguing the popular service for several days now.
