Facebook users are too willing to give out their personal information, security firm Sophos has found. According to Sophos' Australian team, which conducted a study to see how likely Facebook users were to offer up personal information, 41 to 46 percent of the 100 people Sophos contacted "blindly accepted" friend requests from two fake Facebook users created by the security firm.
EU, Microsoft Expected to End Antitrust Dispute
The European Union and Microsoft are likely to end a decade-long dispute when EU antitrust regulators will accept the U.S. software company's amended offer on allowing consumer choice on Internet browsers, sources said. Three people familiar with the situation said the European Commission was expected to approve Microsoft's plan to make it easier for consumers to choose rival browsers on the firm's Windows operating system, which is used on a majority of personal computers.
Judge Finalizes $675,000 Verdict in File-Sharing Case
A federal judge finalized a $675,000 jury verdict against a defendant who went to trial after the Recording Industry Association of America sued him for file sharing. U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner presided over the Joel Tenenbaum case in summer 2009.
Whitman Testifies in eBay Trial Against Craigslist
EBay's former chief executive, Meg Whitman, took the witness stand to make the case online classifieds site Craigslist unfairly cut eBay's stake in the company. EBay sued Craigslist in 2008 for lowering its ownership stake to 24.85 percent from 28.4 percent, causing the e-commerce giant to lose its seat on Craigslist's board.
FTC Conference Focuses on Privacy and Technology
It was standing-room-only at the Federal Trade Commission's conference on privacy and technology, which brought in researchers, executives from Google, Microsoft and Wal-Mart, and consumer advocates to hash out what needs to change in the privacy world.
Yahoo Testing Advertising Privacy Management Tool
Yahoo is rolling out an online tool that allows consumers to see -- and edit -- the personal profiles that Yahoo has compiled about them based on their Web browsing behavior. Yahoo's new Ad Interest Manager tool, released in test form, is part of a broader industry push toward self-regulation amid mounting concerns about online privacy in Washington.
FTC Reviewing Google's Acquisition of Mobile Ad Firm
The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing Google's proposed acquisition of mobile advertising company AdMob Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. The development at this stage appears procedural, indicating that the responsibility for a review has been assigned to the FTC rather than the Justice Department.
Internet Access in Iran Down Due to "Decision by Authorities"
Most of the Iranian capital's Internet links with the outside world were down, two days ahead of planned demonstrations by opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Sources close to Iran's technical services told AFP the cut was the result of "a decision by the authorities" rather than a technical breakdown, but telecommunications ministry officials were unavailable for comment.
Lawsuit Targets Bogus Offers on Social Networks
A class-action lawsuit highlights what thousands of consumers say are bogus offers tied to social games available on Facebook and other social networks. The 16-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in nearby Sacramento, details how Rebecca Swift, a 41-year-old self-employed resident of Santa Cruz, Calif., was lured into accepting two "special offers" from advertisers to gain extra game credits for YoVille, a popular virtual-world game developed by Zynga.
Teen Internet Addicts Found More Likely to Harm Selves
Teenagers who are addicted to the Internet are more likely to engage in self-harm behavior, according to an Australian-Chinese study. Researchers surveyed 1,618 adolescents aged 13 to 18 from China's Guangdong Province about behavior such as hitting themselves, pulling their own hair, or pinching or burning themselves, and gave them a test to gauge Internet addiction.
Hospital Notifies Patients of Stolen Laptop with Data
Officials at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee said they are in the process of notifying more than 6,400 patients that their names, Social Security numbers, and other personal information may have been exposed after a laptop computer was stolen. A St. Luke's spokesman said the laptop was snagged from a locked office in a "secure physician office" located adjacent to the hospital.
One-Third of Youths Found to Engage in "Sexting"
According to a new survey, almost one-third of youths admit they've engaged in sexting-related activities that involved either e-mailing a photo or video of themselves in the nude or being the recipient of such images.
Defense Department Drops Parental Control Software
The Department of Defense has pulled a parental control product from its online store serving military families after learning that the company collects children's data, according to documents the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) obtained from the government agency. EPIC has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that Echometrix, maker of FamilySafe parental control software, violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from children and disclosing it to third parties for market intelligence purposes.
Yahoo, Google Get Search Warrants in ESPN Case
The FBI has served search warrants at the Silicon Valley offices of Yahoo and Google in connection with the case of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, an FBI spokeswoman confirmed. A man accused of trying to sell nude videos of Andrews pleaded not guilty last month in federal court in Los Angeles to a charge of interstate stalking.
Facebook Members Notified of Beacon Settlement
An e-mail was sent to Facebook users who were members at the time that its controversial, now-defunct Beacon advertising program was operated: it's the official notice about the proposed settlement for the class-action lawsuit against Beacon. The terms of the settlement have been public since September, but the court-ordered summary notice is the last step in the process before final approval on February 26.
Court Refuses to Stop Sales of Barnes & Noble's Nook
Start-up Spring Design has been denied an injunction to halt Barnes & Noble from selling its Nook e-reader, according to court documents. The company had requested the injunction, in addition to monetary damages, as part of a recent lawsuit filed in federal court in San Jose, Calif.
Google Allows Limits on Access to Paid News Content
Amid criticism from media companies that it unfairly profits from news content, Google is closing a loophole that allowed some motivated newshounds to read large numbers of articles on subscription-based sites without paying for them. The company's "First Click Free”" program, which publishers of pay sites can choose to participate in, is designed to allow readers to get a taste of a site's content.
Internet Companies Oppose British Copyright Bill
Some of the biggest names on the web have written to Peter Mandelson to express "grave concerns" about elements of the Digital Economy Bill. Facebook, Google, Yahoo and eBay object to a clause that they say could give government "unprecedented and sweeping powers" to amend copyright laws.
Judge Refuses Amazon's Request on Google Books
A federal judge has rejected Amazon.com's request that he withdraw preliminary approval of a settlement between Google and groups of authors and publishers to digitize millions of books. In a ruling, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said he planned to conduct a "thorough fairness analysis" of the settlement at a February 18, 2010 hearing and Amazon could argue its case then.
EBay Suit Against Craigslist Heading to Trial
A lawsuit filed by EBay against Craigslist heads to a Delaware state courtroom, for a trial that promises to reveal the inner workings of two benchmark Web companies and bring to the witness stand two Internet pioneers: former eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. The twice-delayed trial will likely underscore the glaring differences in the companies' approaches to business.
