Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** One (Almost) Happy Multi-stakeholder Family At The Annual Internet Governance Forum http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/11/24/one-almost-happy-multi-stakeholder-family-at-the-annual-internet-governance-forum/ New Registrar Agreement Covers Most Registrations: Over 88 percent of domain names covered by new protections http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-24nov09-en.htm Harms and Concerns Posed by NXDOMAIN Substitution (DNS Wildcard and Similar Technologies) at Registry Level http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-24nov09-en.htm Name Game Challenges Icann's New Chief [Investor's Business Daily] http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20091125/bs_ibd_ibd/20091125tech gTLDs: Why Are Your Overarching Issues Not Relevant In IDN ccTLDs? by Adrian Kinderis http://www.circleid.com/posts/gtlds_why_are_your_overarching_issues_not_relevant_in_idn_cctlds/ DNS redirect requests can harm the Internet, ICANN says [IDG] http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/AE8E3940E4337C7FCC25767900797090 IDNs for .eu http://www.eurid.eu/en/eu-domain-names/idns-eu Russia Begins Registering Domains in Cyrillic http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/11/25/russia-begins-registering-domains-in-cyrillic/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** One (Almost) Happy Multi-stakeholder Family At The Annual Internet Governance Forum If you don?t count China, it was difficult to find people speaking against an extension of the non-decision-making Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations at last week?s gathering. An overwhelming majority of the 1,800 participants at the Egyptian tourist destination Sharm El Sheikh seemed to be in favour of the ?multi-stakeholder? discussions taking place during the IGF events because they allow for better understanding on overarching issues like human rights and privacy or access problems in developing countries, but also the specialised problems with the internet infrastructure like internationalised domain names and the next generation internet, IPv6. http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/11/24/one-almost-happy-multi-stakeholder-family-at-the-annual-internet-governance-forum/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** New Registrar Agreement Covers Most Registrations: Over 88 percent of domain names covered by new protections Less than six months after new registrant protections were approved by the ICANN Board, over 88 percent of all generic domain names are now covered. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-24nov09-en.htm Harms and Concerns Posed by NXDOMAIN Substitution (DNS Wildcard and Similar Technologies) at Registry Level This explanatory memorandum describes the harms and concerns posed by NXDOMAIN substitution (commonly implemented by the use of DNS wildcard) at the registry level. The paper is a collection of the findings published by experts on the subject. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-24nov09-en.htm The Beckstrom Starfish Report - November 2009 What Rod's Been Up To: Rod?s work as President and CEO of ICANN has generated a lot of press in the past few months. Rod notes that it?s a bit ironic that he has ended up at ICANN since Chapter 2 of The Starfish and the Spider is entitled ?The Spider, the Starfish and the President of the Internet,? which makes light of the fact that there is no one in charge of the Internet, but rather that everyone participates in its evolution. Nonetheless, ICANN helps to organize the one facet of the Internet that requires central coordination?establishing policies for making sure all domain names and Internet addresses are unique and are not repeated globally. Although this central coordination is accomplished through the decentralized participation of many decentralized stakeholder groups and partners across the Internet ecosystem, ICANN is at the epicenter of that activity. http://beckstrom.com/Nov2009.html Report from Outgoing GM Public Participation Kieren McCarthy?s last day at ICANN staff is today, and he wanted to share some of his perceptions and comments about his tenure and further areas for improvement. You can find his comments at: http://blog.icann.org/2009/11/report-from-outgoing-gm-public-participation/ Name Game Challenges Icann's New Chief [Investor's Business Daily] Rod Beckstrom has generated praise and criticism during a busy first few months as chief executive of a little-known standards-setting body for the Web. ... Beckstrom gets high marks from some for resetting the U.S.-Icann relationship. In late September, the U.S. agreed to loosen ties with Icann, giving other countries more say in what it does. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20091125/bs_ibd_ibd/20091125tech http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Name-Game-Challenges-Icanns-ibd-1532759485.html gTLDs: Why Are Your Overarching Issues Not Relevant In IDN ccTLDs? by Adrian Kinderis "If I would have a voting right, I would vote like this" said Janis Karklins, chair of the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) as he empathically raised two arms in the air. He was showing his, and the GAC's, overwhelming support for the ICANN Board unanimously (barring one abstention) passing the resolution that ratified the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process, propelling it toward an imminent release. http://www.circleid.com/posts/gtlds_why_are_your_overarching_issues_not_relevant_in_idn_cctlds/ DNS redirect requests can harm the Internet, ICANN says [IDG] ICANN on Tuesday condemned the practice of redirecting Internet users to a third-party Web site or portal when they misspell a Web address and type a domain name that does not exist. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141466/DNS_redirect_requests_can_harm_the_Internet_ICANN_says http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327697/ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/AE8E3940E4337C7FCC25767900797090 ICANN condemns registry DNS redirection The group that oversees the internet's address system is taking a hard stance against domain name registries that redirect internet users to third-party sites when a non-existent URL is typed. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/25/icann_dns_redirection_condemned/ ICANN Decries DNS Redirect Practices ICANN this week warned that the current practice of redirecting Internet users to either a third-party Web site or portal when users accidentally misspell a Web address or enter an invalid domain name could "destabilize" the Internet. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3850056 ICANN Slams DNS Redirection ICANN on Tuesday condemned the practice of redirecting Internet users to a third-party portal when they mistype, or enter a nonexistent URL. You'll recall that the practice gained international attention when Verisign implemented their heavily-loathed Sitefinder initiative in 2003. That effort pushed ad-laden portals instead of proper errors Internet wide, but Verisign was forced to shutter the idea after significant backlash and ICANN criticism. http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ICANN-Slams-DNS-Redirection-105651 Redirection Causes Host of Problems, Says ICANN ICANN has suggested banning the practice of redirecting Internet users to a third-party Web site or portal when they misspell a Web address and type a nonexistent domain name, reports NetworkWorld. http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/news/gov/blog/redirection-causes-host-of-problems-says-icann/?cs=37739 Arabic domain name likely by April Internet addresses can be written in Arabic in the UAE by the end of April next year as Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) has applied for .emarat to be the top level domain name. http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20091125042110/Arabic Domain Name Likely By April In UAE http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/11/Pages/24112009/11252009_6026df0a3bc04a83a4c51b94d78239a6.aspx UAE to list Arabic domain names by April The UAE?s plan to list internet addresses in Arabic under the .emarat domain name is set to become reality in April, local daily Emirates Business reported on Wednesday, citing the country's telecoms watchdog. http://business.maktoob.com/20090000400762/UAE_to_list_Arabic_domain_names_by_April/Article.htm George Sadowsky: ICANN may not consider Kyrgyz government?s request for KG domain zone administration ICANN may not consider Kyrgyz government?s request for delegation of the KG domain zone administration rights, George Sadowsky, member of the ICANN Board of Directors said at the Round Table in Bishkek on Wednesday, November 18. http://eng.24.kg/community/2009/11/18/9717.html City of Paris comments ICANN's DAGv3 For the first time since it announced its intention to apply for .PARIS in June 2008, the City of Paris has posted a direct contribution to one of ICANN's comment periods. Previous City of Paris comments were made as part of the DotCities common interest group which also includes .BERLIN, .HAMBURG, .BCN and .KOLN. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/290-City-of-Paris-comments-ICANNs-DAGv3.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** IDNs for .eu Starting 10 December 2009, companies and private persons based in the European Union will be able to register .eu Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs). http://www.eurid.eu/en/eu-domain-names/idns-eu Russia: update on the registration of Cyrillic domain names As of today trade mark owners can apply for registration of their Cyrillic domain names in Russia . The priority period for the trade mark owners will last until 25 March 2010 after which the registration procedure will be open to every Russian citizen. http://www.marques.org/Class46/article.asp?XID=BHA1555 Russia Begins Registering Domains in Cyrillic November 2009 will take a special place in the history of the Russian Internet. It is the month when a Cyrillic domain zone was born - .?? (Russian Federation). Russia became the first country that allows top-level domains in non-Latin characters. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/11/25/russia-begins-registering-domains-in-cyrillic/ Rossia.rf becomes first Cyrillic domain Russia has launched a national domain name .?? - Russian Federation - using the Cyrillic alphabet instead of Latin letters on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the national domain coordination center said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091125/156981806.html Nominet calls for continued self-regulation UK registry Nominet is warning against government regulation of the domain name industry. A Digital Economy Bill proposed by the UK's House of Lords would give the government the power to, in effect, seize a registry and place it under direct governmental control in the case of registry failure. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/291-Nominet-calls-for-continued-self-regulation.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** China attacks "biased" U.S. cyber-spying report China on Monday accused a U.S. congressional advisory panel of bias for a report in which it said the Chinese government appeared increasingly to be piercing U.S. computer networks to gather useful data for its military. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AM11N20091123 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** International week of action on illegal pharmaceuticals An international week of action targeting the Internet sale of counterfeit and illicit medicines and its threat to public health has resulted in many arrests and the seizure of thousands of potentially harmful medical products across five continents. ... In addition to these examinations, the FDA issued 22 Warning Letters about illegal activity occurring on 136 independent Web sites that are now posted on the FDA Web site. To date, 90 of those Web sites or domain names have been permanently suspended. http://www.ethiopianreview.com/36181 Calling Out the Worst UDRP Decisions of All Time There have been a number of poorly decided domain name cases under UDRP, many of which I?ve written about on Domain Name Wire. Now a new site is calling attention to many of these cases in an effort to alert ICANN to flaws in the UDRP process. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/11/25/calling-out-the-worst-udrp-decisions-of-all-time/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** au: BigPond redirects typos to 'unethical' branded search page Customers presented with advertisements, paid links and search results instead of error message http://www.itnews.com.au/News/160923,bigpond-redirects-typos-to-unethical-branded-search-page.aspx ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Dan Warner Joins DomainAdvertising.com as CEO A familiar face in the domain name world is joining Directi?s DomainAdvertising.com as CEO. Dan Warner, previously the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operation Officer of Dark Blue Sea, the company that runs Fabulous, has joined the company and already hit the ground running. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/11/25/dan-warner-joins-domainadvertising-com-as-ceo/ DomainAdvertising.com Appoints Dan Warner as CEO Dan WarnterThis morning DomainAdvertising.com, the company that has launched their new services at the Targeted TRAFFIC show in New York, announced that they have appointed Dan Warner as their CEO. Dan Warner was last COO of Dark Blue Sea, parent company of Fabulous.com and left that position in April. http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/domainadvertisingcom-appoints-dan-warner-ceo/6680 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Wikipedia 'loses' 49,000 editors Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia "lost" 49,000 of its volunteer editors in the first three months of 2009, University research suggests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8379566.stm Have you stopped editing Wikipedia? And if so, is it doomed? Research shows that the number of Wikipedia editors is plunging at an alarming rate. Are you one of the drop-outs, and will it make any difference to Wikipedia's future? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/25/wikipedia-editors-decline Wikipedia shows signs of stalling as number of volunteers falls sharply It was one of the internet?s most ambitious, radical and ultimately successful ideas. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6930546.ece Amazon gets set for cyber Monday as Britain's Christmas shopping online clicks In a vast warehouse, the size of eight football pitches and around 15 minutes from the centre of Milton Keynes, more than a thousand workers are gearing up for what will likely be Amazon's busiest Christmas yet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/23/amazon-christmas-online-shopping-cyber-monday American retailers look to stretch out Cyber Monday push [AP] Retailers are thinking beyond Cyber Monday - a holiday marketing promotion many push for the Monday after Thanksgiving - and trying to spin their discounts into into Cyber Weekends or even Cyber Weeks. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009112302717.html For Search, Murdoch Looks to a Deal With Microsoft News Corporation, the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, has engaged in early-stage discussions with Microsoft about a pact to get paid by Microsoft to remove its news content from Google?s search engine and be available on Bing, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously to discuss confidential negotiations. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/for-search-murdoch-looks-to-a-deal-with-microsoft/ Would Bing switch really dent Google? The war of the search engines enters a new phase as Microsoft considers paying publishers to put their content on its search enging Bing - presumably in the hope they will do as Rupert Murdoch has suggested and remove it from Google. But how much would this actually hurt Google? http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/nov/23/would-bing-switch-really-dent-google Will News Corp move its content to Microsoft's Bing? The next battle in the search wars could be over access to news content. The FT reports that Microsoft ? which has made increasing the market share of its Bing search engine its top online priority ? has reached out to "big online publishers" in order to get them to pull their sites from Google. Among the parties currently in discussions with Microsoft is News Corp., which has very loudly threatened to block search engines from crawling the content of its newspapers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/nov/23/microsoft-bing-news-corp ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** After social networks, what next? A star panel in Oxford asks big questions Are social networks the internet's last big development? And how much will they change? A star panel in Oxford asks big questions: In digital media, as in fortune-telling, the future is pretty much treated as part of the present. "What is the next big thing?" is a question everyone who works with the internet asks continually. But after several years of boom, the question of what comes after social platforms is no longer so remote. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/nov/24/future-of-social-networks-twitter-linkedin-mobile-application-next ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ OECD Hosts Consumer Protection On Net Event The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will be hosting a conference Dec. 8-10 in Washington to examine how to protect consumers on the Internet. Many of the issues that will be discussed at the conference were examined in a new OECD report that found electronic commerce would grow faster than it is now "if business and governments did more to tackle the growing challenges of protecting consumers' rights and privacy and fighting fraud," according to an OECD news release. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/11/oecd-hosts-consumer-protection.php au: Panic button plan to beat cyber-predators Children who feel they are being bullied, harassed or groomed online could call for help instantly using a "panic button" on their PCs under a plan being considered by the Federal Government's cyber-safety working group. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/panic-button-plan-to-beat-cyberpredators-20091125-jr1k.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/panic-button-plan-to-beat-cyberpredators-20091125-jr1k.html au: Government investigates kids and teachers on the Web Parents and teachers will be surveyed under the Federal Government?s new $200,000 project aimed at cyber-safety and security issues. Wollongong-based company, Iris Research, was chosen to run the project after a lengthy tender process that began in June. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/327794/ Games 'permit' virtual war crimes Video games depicting war have come under fire for flouting laws governing armed conflicts. Human rights groups played various games to see if any broke humanitarian laws that govern what is a war crime. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8373794.stm Human rights groups: No in-game war crimes Here's one that will undoubtedly send some gamers into a craze. A study from two Swiss human rights organizations, Trial and Pro Juventute, has found that some video games depict war and battle actions that in real life would violate international human rights laws. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10404450-17.html ca: Bill to target child porn Internet service providers that turn a blind eye to online child pornography could face hefty fines or jail time under new legislation to be tabled this week. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/11/23/11879711-sun.html ca: Tories to toughen child porn laws [Canwest] The Conservative federal government plans to introduce new legislation Tuesday forcing Internet providers to alert police if they encounter any host sites linked to child pornography, Canwest News Service has learned. http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2255947 http://www.canada.com/news/Federal+government+toughen+child+porn+laws/2255802/story.html ca: ISPs to monitor child porn under proposed bill The federal Conservative government plans to introduce new legislation this week requiring internet service providers to take a more active role in reporting child pornography to police, CBC News has learned. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/11/23/internet-child-pornography-isp-bill.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Sweden sees music sales soar after crackdown on filesharing ... Record labels are pointing to the dramatic rise in music sales in Sweden, just months after the country introduced anti-piracy laws, as evidence of what a similar crackdown in Britain could do to the flagging market. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/23/sweden-music-sales-filesharing-crackdown AFACT opposes IIA's intervention in iiNet case A group of copyright holders suing Perth ISP iiNet for copyright infringement in the Federal Court today vigorously opposed the Australian Internet Industry Association's (IIA) application to intervene in the trial. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/afact-opposes-iias-intervention-in-iinet-case/story-e6frgakx-1225803692007 Net disconnection requires involvement of judge, says European Commissioner Countries which pass laws allowing for the termination of internet connections used by suspected file-sharers without the oversight of a judge will be breaking EU law, the European Commissioner responsible for telecoms policy has said. http://out-law.com/page-10549 Billy Bragg, Canadian songwriters push for new approach to downloading [CP] There were no iPods, peer-to-peer file sharing sites or digital copyright wars back when Billy Bragg first belted out "Waiting for the Great Leap Forward," but the tune seems completely a propos to his latest political fight. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/11/20/tech-internet-digital-copyright.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h7DWd6762i_yzihYrpbI9yHK-bBQ Illegal filesharing: a problem the government can't solve? "I think there's a lot of lies being told, and this was just one of them." That uncharitable assessment by a source who preferred to remain anonymous, of the claim by Stephen Timms, the financial secretary to the Treasury ? who last Friday insisted that "90%" of the ISP [internet service provider] market supported the principle of cutting off people after repeated warnings ? is just another in the three-way war of attrition between ISPs, the music and film industries, and the government over the issue of filesharing online. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/25/illegal-filesharing-digital-economy-bill ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** 65% of British mobile broadband users on less than 1Mbps Two thirds of mobile broadband users are getting an average speed less than 1Mbps, says Broadband Genie. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3207320 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/112509-65-of-mobile-broadband-users.html 3G Means More Porn, China Laments Amid Cleanup [IDG] China called for a cleanup of mobile porn Web sites on Wednesday, blaming their rise on high-speed mobile data services, deployment of which has otherwise been a point of pride for the country. http://www.pcworld.com/article/183121/.html 3G wireless still holds promise There's been a lot of talk in 2009 about the next generation of wireless technology, known as 4G wireless broadband, but the current generation of 3G wireless technology is far from dead. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10404860-266.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62059596,00.htm ********************** SPAM ********************** 'Godfather of Spam' sentenced to four years in prison [IDG] One of the most notorious U.S.-based spammers was sentenced to more than four years in jail on Monday for a scheme that used spam to manipulate stock prices in order to make a profit. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141406/_Godfather_of_Spam_sentenced_to_four_years_in_prison http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327550/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/327550/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/182955/.html http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/E0B8EE1457EC6C90CC257678006CA64F ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Prosecutors Press Case Against Google in Italy Italian prosecutors on Wednesday asked a judge to issue prison sentences for three Google executives and one former executive accused of defamation and failure to comply with privacy laws in a case that could alter the way Google operates in Italy and the rest of Europe. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/technology/companies/26video.html Italy prosecutors seek jail for Google execs - sources Italian prosecutors have called for Google Inc executives to be jailed in a case related to a video of a taunted youth with Down's Syndrome posted on its Italian website, judicial sources said on Wednesday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44241120091125 Australian government overhauls national cyber security arrangements Businesses on the cyber frontline will get more direct help as the federal government bolsters national defences against increasing online espionage and attacks on critical infrastructure. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/government-overhauls-national-cyber-security-arrangements/story-fn4htb9o-1225802579568 Federal agencies to front cyber crime inquiry The House of Representatives standing committee on communications will question the agencies at the forefront of the Government's cyber security efforts as part of its inquiry into cyber crime and its impact on consumers. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327513/ Government to establish CERT Australia The Federal Government has kicked off a new cyber security strategy with the creation of an emergency response team previously announced in May, called CERT Australia. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327418/ Cyber Security Operations Centre operational but details lacking Australia's Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), announced earlier this year as part of the first Defence White Paper in a decade, has already reached some operational capability. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327324/ Govt sets up new CERT Australian Attorney General Robert McClelland yesterday launched an in-depth Cyber Security Strategy for the nation, supported by a new Computer Emergency Response Team to rival the existing AusCERT. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Govt-sets-up-new-CERT/0,130061744,339299673,00.htm PayPal agrees to tighten security against money launderers and criminals Australia's financial transactions regulator has given eBay subsidiary PayPal Australia until May next year to bulletproof its online payment service against money launderers and terrorism financiers. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/paypal-agrees-to-tighten-security-against-money-launderers-and-criminals/story-e6frgakx-1225802525251 AUSTRAC finds PayPal deficient PayPal has promised the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to improve its act on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/AUSTRAC-finds-PayPal-deficient/0,130061744,339299667,00.htm au: ACCC receives 12,000 online scam complaints Online scams were the source of close to 12,000 complaints to the ACCC in the 2008-09 period, yet the consumer watchdog ?concluded? just two instances of what it believed be cybercrime-related breaches to the Trade Practices Act. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/327800/ au: Mr Right turns out to be Mr Wrong [AP] Authorities say an Australian woman who fell in love online was duped out of nearly $US50,000 ($54,100) by a Nigerian man who said he was her Mr Right. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/mr-right-turns-out-to-be-mr-wrong-20091125-jokh.html US Official: Health IT Records Could Be Target During Cyberwar Most health officials worry about hackers stealing sensitive information such as an AIDS diagnosis from someone's electronic medical record -- but a technology manager for a health care system in the Pacific Northwest said Friday that it is just as likely the digital files could be a target of terrorists or a nation state during war. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/11/official-health-it-records-cou.php Former cyber exec: Spread cybersecurity responsibilities After just a little more than a year on the job, Mischel Kwon resigned as director of the Homeland Security Department's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, which analyzes cyber threats and disseminates warning information to federal agencies about cyberattacks. She was the fourth director at US-CERT since it was founded in 2003. Several federal cybersecurity executives beginning in the early George W. Bush administration years have resigned because of frustration over the lack of authority they had to secure the government's networks. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091125_4727.php uk: Four in 10 workers have stolen corporate data, says survey Over four in 10 workers in the financial centres of the US and UK have admitted taking information from a previous job to the next one, according to a survey carried out for an information security company. http://out-law.com/page-10546 German police strike against Internet crime [AP] Police say 200 officers searched 46 homes across Germany in connection with an Internet fraud network accused of using stolen credit card data and hacking personal computers. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/police-strike-against-internet-crime-20091125-jryt.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/police-strike-against-internet-crime-20091125-jryt.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** German authorities concerned about Google Analytics' data protection compliance, says report German data protection authorities are investigating whether Google's web traffic measurement system Google Analytics routinely infringes privacy laws, according to a German newspaper report. http://out-law.com/page-10555 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Michelle Obama racist image sparks Google apology Google has apologised over a racially offensive picture of Michelle Obama that appeared when users searched for images of the US first lady. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8377922.stm Opera web browser 'censors' Chinese content Web browser Opera has closed a loophole which allowed Chinese users to access sites banned by the government. At the weekend mobile users of the Opera Mini browser were asked to upgrade to a Chinese version. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8376555.stm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** The UK Office of Fair Trading will not challenge Google's dominance The chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading said today that there was no case for the regulator to challenge the dominance of search giant Google. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/24/office-fair-trading-google Protests grow over Britain's Digital Economy bill The Digital Economy bill has sparked a wave of protest among consumers and rights groups. Soon after the bill began its journey through Parliament on 19 November, many expressed worries about parts of it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8374732.stm European Parliament Adopts Telecom Laws After Bitter Debate [IDG] After two years of often bitter debate, the European Parliament approved a raft of new telecom laws Tuesday. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/182954/.html Euro-Parliament backs greater rights for telecoms, internet users The European parliament approved Tuesday a major overhaul of EU telecoms law aimed at boosting the rights of European mobile phone and Internet users and protection against access restrictions. http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/parliment-telecoms.1m8 European telecoms future in MEPs' hands ahead of crucial vote Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote tomorrow to decide whether or not a much-debated set of reforms to EU telecoms regulation will pass into law. Parliament negotiators have already backed the proposal. http://out-law.com/page-10545 European MPs votes on new telecoms law A major overhaul of telecoms law across Europe is due on 24 November as the European Parliament votes on new rules. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8376004.stm European Commission welcomes European Parliament approval of sweeping reforms to strengthen competition and consumer rights on Europe?s telecoms markets [news release] With a broad majority across political parties, the European Parliament has today, at its plenary session in Strasbourg, formally approved the EU?s telecoms reform package, proposed by the Commission in November 2007. 500 million EU citizens will soon benefit from more consumer choice through enhanced competition on Europe?s telecoms markets, from better coverage with fast internet broadband connections across Europe, and from a stronger entrenchment of their right to privacy with regard to telecoms operators. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1812 EU Telecoms Reform: 12 reforms to pave way for stronger consumer rights, an open internet, a single European telecoms market and high-speed internet connections for all citizens [news release] "The EU telecoms reform brings about consumer choice, a new dose of competition, an effective European system of independent telecoms regulators, new investment into competitive infrastructures, more space for new wireless services and a more open Internet for all citizens. The reform also strengthens the single telecoms market by promoting effective competition and consistent rules of the game across all 27 EU Member States. This will open up new opportunities for telecoms operators, for cross-border communication services and for European private and business consumers. And it will give a new boost to Europe's vibrant digital economy." - Viviane Reding, EU Telecoms Commissioner http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/513 Should Obama Control the Internet? Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency? Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor?an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure. That broad power is rattling some civil libertarians. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/should-obama-control-internet Digital economy bill: A punishing future: Editorial The digital economy bill is misnamed. A more honest title for the legislation, recently introduced in the Lords, would be the copyright protection and punishment bill. It is less about creating the digital businesses of the 21st century than protecting the particular 20th century business models used in music and film. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/23/editorial-digital-economy-bill UK file-sharer disconnection law published to continuing opposition The Government has published the legislation which would force internet service providers to disconnect internet connections used by alleged file sharers without a court order. The Digital Economy Bill contains the controversial provisions. http://out-law.com/page-10544 US mobile groups protest proposed net neutrality rules [IDG] A month ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission began a proceeding to create formal net neutrality rules for broadband providers, and the proposals have generated serious debate in the telecom community. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141360/Mobile_groups_protest_proposed_net_neutrality_rules ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Facebook Will Form 2 Classes of Stock in IPO Facebook is taking a rudimentary step down the path to becoming a public company. The company said on Tuesday that it was creating a dual-class stock structure for itself, and converting all of its current shares into so-called Class B shares, which will have 10 votes each on matters of corporate governance. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/technology/internet/25facebook.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery __________________________________________________________________________________ Win 1 of 4 Sony home entertainment packs thanks to Yahoo!7. Enter now: http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/Received on Wed Nov 25 2009 - 20:54:40 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:10 UTC