In response to the reopening of an investigation into inadvertent file sharing with peer-to-peer software, an executive for Lime Wire told Congress in a letter that the new version of the program is "the most secure file-sharing software available." The main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives reopened a probe of Lime Wire and other peer-to-peer file-sharing companies, citing data breaches blamed on the technology.
More Countries Controlling Information Flow Online
The Internet is no longer just an essential channel for commerce, entertainment and information. It has also become a stage for state control -- and rebellion against it. Computers are becoming more crucial in global conflicts, not only in spying and military action, but also in determining what information reaches people around the globe.
Minnesota Wants ISPs to Block Gambling Websites
The state of Minnesota has handed Internet providers a 7-page blacklist of gambling Web sites that they're supposed to prevent customers from accessing, a move that raises First Amendment and technical concerns. "We are putting site operators and Minnesota online gamblers on notice and in advance," said John Willems, a Minnesota Department of Public Safety official, in a statement. Companies that received the list of off-limits Web sites include AT&T, Comcast, Qwest, and Sprint/Nextel.
FERC May Get New Powers to Defend Cyber Attack
Key lawmakers in the House and Senate are seeking to grant federal regulators new powers to protect the U.S. power grid in the face of an imminent or actual cyber attack on the nation's electric infrastructure. The proposal would grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to require companies that own and operate critical portions of the power grid to take emergency actions to mitigate a specific cyber threat against power generation equipment or the communications networks that support those systems.
Facebook Stops Phishing Attack for Second Day
Facebook stopped a phishing attack, its second day in a row of dealing with a worm on the site that lures people to a fake Facebook page and prompts them to log in. Unsuspecting Facebook users get a message from a friend urging them to "check this out" and including a link to a Web page that appears to be a Facebook log-in page, but it is a fake site that steals their information when they type in their username and password.
France Revives Debate on Internet Piracy Bill
French parliamentarians revived debate on a bill to crack down on Internet piracy at the behest of President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday after it had been the subject of an embarrassing defeat for the ruling party. France's parliament rejected on April 9 the government-backed bill that proposed disconnecting Internet users if they downloaded music or films illegally, after the ruling UMP party failed to turn out in force to back the law.
Microsoft Files Defense in EU Antitrust Case
Microsoft has submitted a lengthy defense in the latest European antitrust case it faces, saying its practice of bundling the Internet Explorer Web browser with the Windows operating system did not violate European law. Microsoft filed the response of roughly 250 pages to European competition authorities.
Egyptian Blogger Continues to Attract Trouble
Mohamed Abdel Aziz has bolted from trouble a number of times, including dashing from security forces closing in on a demonstration in the port city of Alexandria. His less mercurial moments have three times landed him in police stations, but upon each release he has returned to his computer, opened his blog and conspired in cyberspace to end President Hosni Mubarak's 27-year rule of Egypt.
Colleges Report Screening Applicants on Networking Sites
According to a new report by the National Assn. for College Admission Counseling, about a quarter of U.S. colleges reported doing some research about applicants on social networking sites or through Internet search engines. The study, which included 10 California colleges, did not specify which schools acknowledged the practice or how often scholarships or enrollment offers might be nixed because of online postings.
Justice Department Probing Google Book Settlement
The Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google's settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service, two people briefed on the matter said. Lawyers for the Justice Department have been in conversations in recent weeks with various groups opposed to the settlement, including the Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog.
Child Porn Online Drops by 10%, British Group Says
Websites displaying child pornography fell by almost 10 percent in 2008, but most of those images were still being peddled by commercial sites, an Internet watchdog said. In its annual report, the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation said 74 percent of child abuse web addresses tracked worldwide were of a commercial nature.
Three Swedish ISPs to Erase Users' Traffic Data
Having apparently been scared off illegal file sharing in large numbers by a new Swedish law that went into effect April 1, pirates in that country now have a new safe harbor to escape law enforcement. Three Swedish Internet service providers, among them Tele2, one of the country's three major broadband operators, have stated that they will erase traffic data to protect their customers' privacy.
RIAA to Accept Small Payment in High-Profile Case
After battling a suburban family for four years over music downloads, the recording industry has agreed to accept $7,000 -- paid in installments -- to settle its federal piracy lawsuit. If approved by a judge, the settlement will end a well-publicized tussle that began with five record companies accusing Patricia Santangelo, a mother of five, of illegally downloading and distributing music.
Economic Problems Take Obama's Focus Off Technology
Almost one hundred days into his presidency, Barack Obama has yet to advance most of the strong technology policies he promised during the campaign. Thanks in large part to the economic crisis, Mr. Obama has yet to put forward his new cybersecurity strategy, or even fill some important technology-related vacancies.
Spammers Take Advantage of Fears of Swine Flu Outbreak
Exploiting worries over the swine flu outbreak, spammers flooded the Internet with millions of e-mails peddling counterfeit drugs as remedies and seeking to steal credit card data, a security firm said. Many of the e-mails direct recipients to websites for fake online pharmacies, according to McAfee Inc, the world's second-largest security software maker.
FTC Chair Says Online Tracking Firms Get "Last Chance"
Companies that track consumer behavior on the Web for targeted advertising without proper consent are near their "last chance" to self-regulate, the head of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said. Privacy advocates say regulations on big phone and Internet companies, such as AT&T and Google, are too lax, giving the firms excessive control over consumers' personal information.
Court Orders Apple to Pay $19 Million in Memory Patent Case
In a rare public legal defeat, Apple this week was found to have infringed on a patent for computing technology and has been asked to pay $19 million in damages. A court handed down the amount after ruling that Apple had "willfully" violated three claims in a patent for predictive snooping of cache memory that helps shuttle information between a processor, its memory and other elements of a computer.
U.K. Drops Proposal to Create Database of Net Use
Britain has ruled out a controversial proposal to set up a government database to store Internet and telephone traffic, saying it prefers to have such information held by private companies. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says the data is needed to combat terrorism and other crimes.
SEC Regulations May Apply to Some Social Networking Activities
Blogs and tweets can run afoul of Securities and Exchange Commission regulations on corporate communications. But sanitizing such posts risks hurting credibility with online audiences.
Pirate Bay Decision "Will Have Huge Impact," Lawyer Says
The recent Pirate Bay decision in Sweden "will have a huge impact, particularly against BitTorrent sites and services," said Jo Oliver, who has been leading since becoming the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's general counsel in June 2008.
