FTC Rejects Safe Harbor Application for COPPA

The FTC said it has rejected a proposal by the Internet safety education group iSAFE to operate a self-regulatory program that would allow firms that sign up for it to comply with the provisions of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The FTC voted 5-0 to reject iSAFE's application to operate a "safe harbor" program in compliance with COPPA, which requires Web sites aimed at children under 13 to obtain parental consent before collecting information from them.

Record Companies Want Court to Freeze LimeWire's Assets

Thirteen big record companies want to freeze assets of the provider of popular file-sharing service LimeWire, accusing its founder of fraudulently trying to evade hundreds of millions of dollars in damages over copyright infringement. In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for the record companies said Gorton has moved "significant" assets, including nearly 90 percent of Lime Wire's ownership stakes, to an entity he "openly" hopes will be shielded from damages that could top $1 billion.

China Says It Won't Reduce Internet Restrictions

China will not ease state control over what can be said online and will brook no foreign criticism of its rules, according to a government white paper released after months of wrangling about freedoms for Web users. The 31-page white paper, which called the Internet "a crystallization of human wisdom," said its usage in the most populous nation on earth was "transforming the pattern of economic development."

Social Networking Exposes Employers to Risks, Study Says

Employees who dabble in social networking both on and off the job could expose their companies to a variety of risks, according to a study released by the ISACA. Malware, brand hijacking, lack of content control, noncompliance with rules over recordkeeping, and unrealistic expectations of Internet performance were the top five social-media risks to businesses identified by the ISACA in its study "Social Media: Business Benefits With Security, Governance and Assurance Perspectives."

Conn. AG Seeks Answers from Google on Wi-Fi Privacy

Connecticut's attorney general is asking Google Inc. whether it collected personal information sent over wireless networks in the state, as a growing privacy controversy involving the Internet giant continues to ripple around the world. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said his office would determine whether the company violated state privacy laws when Google gathered private data transmitted over unsecured networks used by residents and businesses.

New York AG Probes Apple for iPad Sales Discrimination

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating claims that the computer giant Apple has refused to sell its new iPad to people of Asian descent, apparently over smuggling fears. The Attorney General's civil rights bureau was tipped off by an Assemblywoman from a Chinese-American section of Queens, who complained publicly last month that her constituents were being asked unusual questions when they sought to buy the devices.

Army Intelligence Analyst Arrested for Online Leaks

Federal officials have arrested an Army intelligence analyst who boasted of giving classified U.S. combat video and hundreds of thousands of classified State Department records to whistleblower site Wikileaks, Wired.com has learned. SPC Bradley Manning, 22, of Potomac, Maryland, was stationed at Forward Operating Base Hammer, 40 miles east of Baghdad, where he was arrested nearly two weeks ago by the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.

  • Read the article: Wired

Hackers Put Viruses in Windows Smartphone Games

Hackers have planted viruses in video games for smartphones running on Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system, according to a security firm specializing in mobile devices. The games -- 3D Anti-Terrorist and PDA Poker Art -- are available on sites that provide legitimate software for mobile devices, according to John Hering, CEO of San Francisco-based security firm Lookout.

Bangladesh Lifts Ban on Facebook

Bangladesh has lifted a ban on social networking site Facebook after it removed "objectionable" content about the Prophet Mohammad and the country's political leaders, the telecoms regulatory agency said. Facebook was blocked after publication of caricatures of the Prophet that hurt the religious sentiments of the country's majority Muslim population.

Music Industry Asks Court to Shut LimeWire

The music industry has asked a federal court in New York to order a shutdown of the LimeWire service. Lawyers working for the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the four top record companies, filed documents requesting that a U.S. District Court in Manhattan grant them a permanent injunction against the country's largest commercial file-sharing service.

U.S. Cyber Chief Endorses Talks with Russia

The chief of the Pentagon's new cyber-security command endorsed talks with Russia over a proposal to limit military attacks in cyberspace, representing a significant shift in U.S. policy. The U.S. has for years objected to Russian proposals to establish a kind of arms-control treaty for cyber weapons, arguing that international cooperation should first focus on reducing cyber crime.

Google to Publish Results of Wi-Fi Data Audit

Google will publish the results of an third-party audit into its Wi-Fi data gathering gaffe and hand over the personal data that it gathered to European officials. Google CEO Eric Schmidt told The Financial Times that Google plans to turn over personal data gathered as part of its Street View project to data protection authorities in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, where investigations are pending into the revelation that Google was gathering a lot more than pictures of streetscapes with its Street View cars.

German Official Says Facebook Not Serious About Privacy

Germany's consumer protection minister said she would quit Facebook over what she called privacy law violations that she believed would lead to the company being fined by German data protection authorities. Ilse Aigner, an avid user of the online network, said a meeting with Facebook policy director Richard Allan led her to conclude the company was not serious about improving its privacy controls despite assurances it has given.

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The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.