Citing free-speech concerns about an anonymity-blocking law in South Korea, Google has disabled the ability to upload YouTube videos or comment on them in the country. "We believe that it is important for free expression that people have the right to remain anonymous, if they choose," the company said in a blog post that also tells people that they can get around the restriction by using a different country's version of the site.
California Tries to Ban Payday Loans Online
California business regulators are stumbling in their efforts to find and ban an unlicensed form of high-interest consumer credit: payday loans available on the Internet. For three years, the state Department of Corporations has been trying to force these Internet-only businesses to adhere to the same rules that govern the state-licensed payday loan stores that offer short-term, unsecured loans of up to $300.
Conficker Virus Found on University of Utah Computers
A worldwide virus known as the Conficker worm was located on more than 700 computers at the University of Utah. The vast majority of infected computers were in the health sciences, including the university's three hospitals, medical school, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Health, said Chris Nelson, spokesman for health sciences at the U.
Teenager Claims Responsibility for Twitter Exploit
As a second Twitter exploit began circulating on the micro-blogging site, a teenager from Brooklyn said he created both worms to promote his Web site. Much like the StalkDaily worm, the "Mikeyy" worm posts unwanted messages to users' pages.
As Tax Day Arrives, So, Too, Do Data Thieves
It's at tax time that the highest quantity of valuable data crosses the Internet and data thieves are surely hoping for a feast. Tax data is valuable not just because it contains financial information but also for the personal information it contains.
French Parliament Rejects Internet Piracy Bill
France's parliament rejected a bill that proposed disconnecting Internet users if they download music or films illegally, with the ruling UMP party failing to turn out in force to approve the law. Backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy's government, the legislation was meant to quell the flow of free songs and films on the Internet that has hurt the revenues of artists and production companies.
Jennifer Lopez Wins Domains in Cybersquatting Case
American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has won a cybersquatting case against a U.S. web operator who registered two Internet addresses that used her name for commercial profit, a U.N. agency said. The disputed domain names, jenniferlopez.net and jenniferlopez.org, directed users to a website that generated paid advertising revenues, according to the ruling issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Anti-American Extremists Exploiting U.S. Technology
The odd pairing of violently anti-American extremists and U.S. technology companies continues elsewhere and appears to be growing. Intelligence officials and private experts cite dozens of instances in which Islamist militants sought out U.S. Internet firms -- known for their reliable service and easy terms that allow virtual anonymity -- and used them to incite attacks on Americans.
Mexican Drug Cartels, Opponents Using YouTube
The violence among Mexican drug cartels is not filling just the streets of Mexican border towns: It's also spilling into gruesome online videos and chat rooms. The videos on YouTube and Mexican-based sites are polished -- professional singers croon about cartel leaders while images of murdered victims fade one into the next.
Microsoft Ordered to Pay $388 Million in Patent Case
Microsoft was ordered to pay $388 million in damages for infringing a patent held by anti-piracy software maker Uniloc. The verdict was reached by a jury in a long-running case in federal court in Rhode Island, which found that Microsoft infringed Uniloc's patent on software that generates unique identities for licensed users and prevents unauthorized use or copying of programs.
Apple Sued for Infringing Touch-Screen Patents
The Taiwanese company Elan Microelectronics has sued Apple, alleging infringement of two of its touch screen patents, an Elan spokesman said. The suit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Dennis Liu, an Elan spokesman, said by telephone from the headquarters of the chip design company in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
France Poised to Approve Internet Piracy Law
French lawmakers are poised to approve a law to create the world's first surveillance system for Internet piracy, one that would force Internet service providers in some cases to disconnect customers accused of making illegal downloads. The proposal, called the "Création et Internet" and known informally as the "three strikes" directive, has won preliminary votes by the Parliament and is expected to be approved in both houses.
20% of Teens Engage in "Sexting," Survey Shows
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy, a private nonprofit group whose mission is to protect children, and CosmoGirl.com, surveyed nearly 1,300 teens about sex and technology. The result: 1 in 5 teens say they've sexted even though the majority know it could be a crime.
Military Spent $100 Million on Cyber Attacks in Six Months
The Pentagon spent more than $100 million in the last six months responding to and repairing damage from cyber attacks and other computer network problems, military leaders said. Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, who heads U.S. Strategic Command, said the military is only beginning to track the costs, which are triggered by constant daily attacks against military networks ranging from the Pentagon to bases around the country.
Google Defends Allegations by Associated Press
Google helps newspaper websites make money through online advertising and does not misappropriate their content, a lawyer for the search engine said on the company's blog. "We drive traffic and provide advertising in support of all business models, whether news sources choose to host the articles with us or on their own websites," wrote Alexander Macgillivray, Google's associate general counsel for products and intellectual property.
Blind Groups Protest Changes to Kindle's Voice Feature
The controversy regarding the text-to-speech function offered by the Kindle 2 digital book reader from Amazon.com appears to be heating up again. Groups advocating for the blind and reading disabled held a protest at the Manhattan offices of the Authors Guild.
Attack Disrupts Customers at Domain Name Registrar
Web site host and domain name registrar Register.com has been the target of a sustained attack, disrupting service for thousands of customers. The attacks bcaused a three-hour outage for many Web sites that rely on the company for hosting and/or use the company's domain name system servers, said Roni Jacobson, executive vice president at Register.com.
AP, Wall Street Journal Targeting News Sites
Traditional media is once again rattling sabers in the direction of Google and other sites that aggregate the news. There's tough talk coming from managers at The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press that include threats of legal challenges and even name calling.
FoxNews Columnist Fired After Reviewing Pirated Movie
Roger Friedman, an entertainment columnist for FoxNews.com, discovered just what Rupert Murdoch means by "zero tolerance" when it comes to movie piracy. The film studio 20th Century Fox -- owned by the News Corporation, the media conglomerate ruled by Mr. Murdoch -- became angry after reading Mr. Friedman's latest column.
Group Wants FCC to Probe AT&T's Limits on Skype on iPhone
A consumer group urged the Federal Communications Commission to investigate whether AT&T is violating the agency's Internet guidelines by limiting customer access to Skype's free phone service on Apple's iPhone. AT&T's deal with Apple regarding the iPhone appears to be "designed to cripple applications or hinder consumer choice for anticompetitive purposes," Washington-based Free Press said in a letter to Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps.
