The Chinese Health Ministry ordered sharp restrictions on Internet access to medical research papers on sexual subjects, the latest move in what it calls an anti-pornography campaign that many China experts see as a harbinger of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent. In the past month, central government officials have cited a need to control pornography in ordering that filtering software be installed on all new computers sold in China starting July 1.
British Government Plans to Create Cybersecurity Agency
The U.K. government plans to form a cybersecurity agency, with functions including cyberattack capability. The Office of Cyber Security, dedicated to protecting Britain's IT infrastructure, will be created with a model proposed -- and in part practiced by -- the U.S.
Apple Approves iPhone App with Nudity
Apple has finally allowed pornography, or at least nudity, into the iTunes App Store. The change in Apple’s porn policy is likely a result of expanded parental controls in the new iPhone 3.0 OS software.
Increase in Copyright Fees Prompts Hike from Sirius XM
The Copyright Royalty Board has raised music royalty fees and Sirius XM will pass those costs on to customers starting next month. Royalty rates have risen steadily since 2007 when the CRB established performance royalty rates for satellite radio.
U.S. Officials Urge China to Drop Internet Filtering Mandate
Top U.S. officials urged China to abandon its proposal to require Internet filters installed on personal computers starting next month, warning the step could violate world trade rules. "China is putting companies in an untenable position by requiring them, with virtually no public notice, to pre-install software that appears to have broad-based censorship implications and network security issues," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement.
Venture Capitalist Inadvertently Spreads Malware on Twitter
Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist and avid Twitter user, inadvertently sent followers to a malware-infected site from an update posted to his account. The tweet appeared because his account is configured to show updates from NowPublic, a user-contributed news site, where, he said, a "story that shouldn't have gotten into the feed" appeared.
Blogger Arrested for Threatening to Kill Judges
A blogger and Internet radio talk-show host in New Jersey was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill three federal appeals court judges in Chicago, Illinois. The judges had recently upheld a ban on handguns in Chicago and suburban Oak Park.
U.K. Furnitre Store Apologizes for Exploiting Iran Online
Furniture store Habitat has apologised for causing offence after accusations it exploited unrest in Iran to drive online Twitter users to its products. Keywords -- called hashtags -- such as 'Iran' and 'Mousavi' were added to its messages so people searching for those subjects would see the firm's adverts.
Defense Secretary Creates Cyber Security Military Command
Defense Secretary Robert Gates created a new military command dedicated to cyber security, reflecting the Obama administration's plans to centralize and elevate computer security as a major national-security issue. In a memo to senior Pentagon officials, Mr. Gates said he intends to recommend that Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, take on the additional role as commander of the Cyber Command with the rank of a four-star general.
TJX Cos. to Pay $9.75 Million in Data Theft Settlement
The parent company of retailers T.J. Maxx and Marshall's will pay $9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to a massive data theft that exposed tens of millions of payment card numbers. Framingham, Mass.-based TJX Cos. said it will pay $2.5 million to create a data security fund for states as well as a settlement amount of $5.5 million and $1.75 million to cover expenses related to the states' investigations.
EU Sets Privacy Guidelines for Social-Networking Sites
European regulators have laid out operating guidelines for Facebook, MySpace and other social-networking Web sites to ensure they comply with the region's privacy laws, in a move to address concerns about the handling of users' personal information. Regulators here say social-network users are protected by the 27-nation EU's strict privacy laws, which require Web sites to warn users of privacy risks and limit the sites' ability to target advertising based on members' race, religion or other sensitive categories.
Former Net Gambling Executives Enter Guilty Pleas
Three former executives of the online sports gambling website BetOnSports, including two of the Costa Rica-based company founder's siblings, pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges. Company founder Gary Kaplan's brother and sister -- Neil Scott Kaplan, 43, and Lori Beth Kaplan-Multz, 48 -- and former personal assistant, Penelope Ann Tucker, 64, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
German Court Allows Students to Rate Teachers Online
A German court ruled that schoolchildren may rate their teachers online, rejecting the case of a woman who argued her rights had been infringed by pupils who gave her bad grades on a popular website. The Federal Court of Justice found that the rights of the woman, a teacher of German and religion, had not been compromised by the ratings and that pupils had a right to offer an opinion as long as they did not hinder her professionally.
Italian Court Postpones Trial Over Google Videos
An Italian court postponed the trial against four Google executives accused of defamation and violating privacy for allowing a video to be posted online showing an autistic youth being abused. The case could set the tone for new limits on sharing videos and other content on the Web.
New Guidelines Would Let FTC Go After Bloggers
New guidelines, expected to be approved late this summer with possible modifications, would clarify that the Federal Trade Commission can go after bloggers -- as well as the companies that compensate them -- for any false claims or failure to disclose conflicts of interest. It would be the first time the FTC tries to patrol systematically what bloggers say and do online.
Chinese Web Users Call for Boycott Over Filtering
Chinese Internet users are calling on fellow web surfers to stay offline on July 1, the debut of a controversial software filter that critics say the Chinese government is using to tighten censorship. New regulations from Beijing mandate "Green Dam," a program sold by Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co., be pre-installed on personal computers manufactured or shipped after July 1.
European Commission Want Smaller U.S. Role for ICANN
The European Commission has called on the United States to let the Internet's main governing body become accountable to the whole of the world. ICANN should be accountable to the governments of the world, but is currently accountable only to the U.S. government, the Commission said.
Mitnick Tells Hackers: "Don't Follow in My Footsteps"
In the first in a three-part Q&A series with hackers, CNET News talked to Kevin Mitnick -- who pleaded guilty to wire and computer fraud charges -- about what got him interested in computers in the first place, the differences between hacking today and three decades ago, and whether it's wise to hire a former black hat hacker to do security work.
Survey Shows 8% Admit to Illegal Video Downloads
Eight percent of all consumers in Britain, France, Germany and the United States admit to downloading video illegally from the Internet, according to a survey, showing the scale of the ongoing fight against piracy. Two-thirds of those surveyed in Britain often or sometimes watched TV, movies and video on their PC or laptop computer, with U.S. consumers not far behind.
City Stops Requiring Passwords from Job Applicants
The city of Bozeman, Mont., has rescinded its long-standing policy that job applicants provide user names and passwords to social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. According to a press release: "The extent of our request for a candidate's password, user name, or other internet information appears to have exceeded that which is acceptable to our community."
