Report Says Sites Disclose Personal Info to Advertisers

Popular websites are disclosing personal information to advertisers and others more often than previously believed, according to new research, and the finding is renewing calls to let Internet users block companies from tracking their online surfing. Information that could easily identify you -- your name, user name or email address, for instance -- typically is embedded in the Uniform Resource Locator, or URL, that websites share with online advertisers and other third parties, said Jonathan Mayer, a Stanford graduate student who studied the issue and released his findings.

Two Men Get One Year Probation for iPhone Theft

Two men pleaded no contest to theft of lost property in a case involving last year's iPhone 4 prototype, which Apple claimed was so valuable that a price could not be placed on it. The men, who were accused of selling the device to gadget blog Gizmodo last year, were sentenced to one year of probation, 40 hours of public service, and a requirement that each pay $250 in restitution to Apple, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told CNET.

U.S. Gets Order Against Google in WikiLeaks Case

The U.S. government has obtained a controversial type of secret court order to force Google Inc. and small Internet provider Sonic.net Inc. to turn over information from the email accounts of WikiLeaks volunteer Jacob Appelbaum, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Sonic said it fought the government's order and lost, and was forced to turn over information.

Hackers Say Germany Can Spy on Web Users

A well-regarded Germany-based hacker group claims a German government-created Trojan horse program is capable of secretly spying on Web users without their consent. The group says on its website that it obtained and analyzed a piece of software that is supposed to be a "lawful interception" program designed to listen in on Internet-based phone calls as part of a legal wiretap, but its capabilities go far beyond legal bounds.

Intellectual Ventures Sues Motorola for Patent Infringement

Intellectual Ventures sued Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for patent infringement, a move that comes as Google Inc. is proceeding with its purchase of the mobile phone maker based largely on its intellectual-property portfolio. The lawsuit also creates a potentially awkward scenario, with a firm partly backed by Google now presenting a Google acquisition target with a new legal headache. Intellectual Ventures disclosed Google's investment in the firm in May.

Presidential Order Aims to Limit WikiLeaks-Type Breaches

The U.S. government announced steps to clamp down on who can access classified information, seeking to avert another WikiLeaks-scale breach of military documents and diplomatic cables. The presidential order requires U.S. agencies to appoint senior people to prevent and detect breaches and creates a task force to monitor potential wrongdoing by government officials, bureaucrats, diplomats or soldiers handling classified data.

Ohio Attorney General's Office Reports Phishing Scam

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says he was tipped off to one of the latest scams when he received a suspect email that claimed to be from "The Google Team 2011" asking him to update his payment information. "We have been getting this message here at the Attorney General's Office," said DeWine. "I've even received it myself. This shows how important it is to be on the lookout for potential scams."

European Commission Approves Microsoft's Skype Buy

The European Commission approved Microsoft’s $8.5 billion purchase of Skype, saying it had no objections to a deal that would link the world’s largest software maker with the leading Internet communications service. While the assent from the European competition commissioner, Joaquín Almunia, is not the final antitrust hurdle for the transaction — regulators in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Taiwan are still deliberating — the positive review from Brussels was considered the last significant threat to what would be Microsoft’s largest takeover to date.

FCC Chair Wants USF to Expand Broadband Access

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission outlined a plan to transform the Universal Service Fund, an $8 billion fund that is paid for by the nation’s telephone customers and used to subsidize basic telephone service in rural areas, into one that will help expand broadband Internet service to 18 million Americans who lack high-speed access. The chairman, Julius Genachowski, said the overhaul of the fund would eliminate waste and inefficiencies in a program that is outdated, unfair and not accountable to the consumers who support it through monthly assessments on their phone bills.

Young People Fall Victim to Online Spying, Hacking

Young people are having a harder time keeping their profile pages and email accounts secure, especially from prankster friends. And although many treat hacking or spying as a joke, nearly half who have been victims were upset by it. An Associated Press-MTV poll finds 3 in 10 teens and young adults have had people get into their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other Internet accounts and either impersonate or spy on them.

Lawmaker Accuses China of Cyber Espionage

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee accused China of waging an unprecedented campaign of cyber espionage aimed at stealing some of the most important U.S. industrial secrets. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said Chinese efforts to pilfer the United States' technological know-how via the Internet have reached an "intolerable level," and called on the U.S. and its allies to pressure Beijing to stop.

FTC Proposes Changes to Children's Privacy Online

A proposed update of the U.S. online privacy rule for children would revise definitions of personal information and beef up parental consent mechanisms to reflect technological changes. The Federal Trade Commission plan would modify its Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule that gives parents a say over what information websites and other online providers can collect about children under the age of 13.

Samsung to Seek Ban on iPhone 4S in France, Italy

Samsung Electronics Co. said it will try to stop the sale of Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S in France and Italy, aiming to use publicity over the device's introduction as leverage against Apple in a broader fight over the design of smartphones and tablet computers. Samsung, which is competing with Apple for the lead in smartphone sales, is trying to gain an upper hand in a legal battle that started in April when Apple accused the South Korean company of copying key design elements.

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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.