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 *************************************************** ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Share Your Views on Improving ICANN Accountability and Transparency by Rod Beckstrom While the ICANN community was ringing in a new year on 31 December, the community review team charged with evaluating ICANN?s accountability and transparency was filing their final report. I wanted to make sure ICANN?s stakeholders and participants were aware that the Accountability & Transparency Review Team (ATRT) submitted their report to the Board and posted it for public comment through 14 February. I encourage everyone to review this important document and share his or her views with ICANN?s Board. http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/share-your-views-on-improving-icann-accountability-and-transparency/ Public Comment: GNSO Council Requests Your Input on Proposed GNSO Working Group Guidelines As part of the GNSO Improvements Process, which has as its objective to improve the structure and operations of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), the Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC) has now submitted to the GNSO Council the proposed GNSO Working Group Guidelines. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-18jan11-en.htm Update on DNS Security & Stability Analysis Working Group During the ICANN meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO), Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), and Number Resource Organization (NRO) adopted the charter for a joint DNS Security and Stability Analysis (DSSA) Working Group. http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/update-on-dns-security-stability-analysis-working-group/ Surge in new domain registrars ICANN is seeing a spike in newly accredited domain name registrars. http://domainincite.com/surge-in-new-domain-registrars/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** al: Domain name regulation focuses on anti-cybersquatting measures Although Albania has entered into the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, protection against internet-based infringements is still far from effective. The adoption of best practices and policies within the domain name system by Albanian authorities will reduce the risk of Albania potentially becoming a safe jurisdiction for bad-faith registrants. http://www.internationallawoffice.com/?i=2707127&l=7EWWMH4 http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=2b44a680-7d05-481a-bf59-beccec015f59 Last Chance To Comment On .AU Policy Review Submissions close this Friday (21 January) on a review into the policy framework for .AU domain names currently being undertaken by the policy and regulatory body for .AU domains. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13456 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/01/20/last-chance-to-comment-on-au-policy-review/ http://domainnews.com/en/last-chance-to-comment-on-.au-policy-review.html .nz Dispute Resolution Service Policy Review In line with the order of policy reviews agreed previously, the DNC is about to commence a consultation on the review of the .nz Dispute Resolution Service Policy. http://dnc.org.nz/story/drs-2011-review TRA Encourages Trademark Owners to Seize Opportunity The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) extended the registration in the (dotEmarat) Sunrise period for an additional six months to give Trademark owners greater opportunity to take advantage of the unique offer. http://tra.gov.ae/news_Registration_in_the_dotEmarat_Sunrise_period_has_been_extended_for_six_months-240-1.php ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** Cyrillic .RU: an Internationalized Domain Name Success ICANN is committed to ensuring that the Internet remains global, inclusive, and innovative, and the continuing expansion of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) is a key way to accomplish this goal. http://icann.org/ Eleven new ccTLDs coming next week ICANN is set to approve 11 new internationalized domain name ccTLDs, representing four nations in Asia and the Middle East, at its board meeting next week. http://domainincite.com/eleven-new-cctlds-coming-next-week/ Letter from Sophia Bekele to Peter Dengate Thrush and Rod Beckstrom re DotAfrica Open Letter for NITA - A preliminary case for an urgent need for .africa gTLD http://icann.org/en/correspondence/bekele-to-dengate-thrush-18jan11-en.pdf Trademark owners and governments plot tactics for final gTLD negotiation The trademark community's proposals to protect rights when the domain name space expands were laughed out of town by ICANN's community-driven policy development process in Summer 2009. But, when governments meet with the ICANN board next month, could the so-called trademark tapestry make a comeback? Brand owners think so. http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=6e0817da-f9ad-4547-838f-082a8b4b0e56 Banks to write security rules for ?.bank? Financial services firms unhappy with ICANN?s new top-level domains program are to take matters into their own hands by writing security guidelines for TLDs like ?.bank?. http://domainincite.com/banks-to-write-security-rules-for-bank/ No cheap TLDs for poor countries Applicants in the developing world that hoped to get a new top-level domain on the cheap will be disappointed after proposals to help subsidize their applications were watered down. http://domainincite.com/no-cheap-tlds-for-poor-countries/ Insight: .JOBS and New TLD's - Are You Paying Attention? by Jothan Frakes A lot of the people are planning to attend the .nxt conference next month ask me to point out the benefits of new Top-Level Domains (TLDs), and today gave me a fantastic opportunity... If you are thinking of applying for a new TLD and haven't been paying attention to the latest happening with .JOBS, maybe you should be. Though .JOBS has been a bit of a quiet TLD, they've been a favorite of mine because of the specific focus of the extension. http://www.circleid.com/posts/insight_jobs_and_new_tlds_are_you_paying_attention/ RIAA threatens ICANN over new TLDs The Recording Industry Association of America has added itself to the list of organizations making vague legal threats over ICANN?s new top-level domains program. http://domainincite.com/riaa-threatens-icann-over-new-tlds/ You Can't Always Get What You Want... Unless You're a Trademark (Or Copyright) Holder Following efforts by the well-funded trademark holder?s lobby to browbeat ICANN into submission over their desire (only partially successful) to scuttle the introduction of new gTLDs, the Recording Industry Association of America has also joined the fight. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13457 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/01/20/you-cant-always-get-what-you-want-with-new-gtlds-unless-youre-a-trademark-or-copyright-holder/ http://domainnews.com/en/you-can-t-always-get-what-you-want-with-new-gtlds...-unless-you-re-a-trademark-or-copyright-holder.html Big content to ICANN: make it easier for us to challenge domain suffixes A small battalion of music copyright trade associations have written to the global agency in charge of domains to express their displeasure with the group's latest Draft Application Guidebook for gLTDs. Those are the domain suffixes that we've all come to know and possibly love, such as .com, .org, and .info. http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/01/big-content-to-icann-make-it-easier-for-us-to-challenge-domain-suffixes.ars RIAA to ICANN: Music TLDs Better be Piracy Free Music coalition warns that it better change new requirement that an objector to a proposed gTLD must show ?likelihood of material detriment? to the ?broader Internet community?or else it will ?escalate? the confrontation. Is worried that a person could ?hijack a music themed gTLD to enable widescale copyright infringement? of its works. http://www.zeropaid.com/news/92131/riaa-to-icann-music-tlds-better-be-piracy-free/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Apocalypse in Cyberspace? It?s Overdone Is a cyberwar already under way and, if so, could it really cause destruction on a large scale, as a number of recent books have asserted? Nonsense, says a new study. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/technology/17cache.html Risks of cyber war 'over-hyped' says OECD study The vast majority of hi-tech attacks described as acts of cyber war do not deserve the name, says a report. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development study is part of a series considering incidents that could cause global disruption. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12205169 World Now in 'Third Era' of Cybercrime The year 2010 was a hugely significant one for computing criminality and could turn out to mark the beginning of a 'third era' of cybercrime, security expert Graham Cluley of Sophos has said in advance of the company's latest threat review of the year. http://news.techworld.com/security/3257316/world-now-in-third-era-of-cybercrime-says-report/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/217070/.html us: Administration says it will give industry and academia heads up on cyberattacks The Obama administration will provide universities and businesses with government intelligence and law enforcement information about malicious Internet activities so that they can protect their critical assets, the president's cyber czar said on Tuesday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110118_5841.php Stuxnet cyberworm heads off US strike on Iran The chances of a military strike against Iran this year are receding because of the success of a joint Israeli-US cyberattack on the country's nuclear facilities, according to officials and analysts with knowledge of the clandestine operation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/16/stuxnet-cyberworm-us-strike-iran Internet 'kill switch' could cause chaos, OECD report warns A proposed US Internet 'kill switch' to be used in the event of a cyberwar could actually cause more problems that it would prevent, a new report commissioned by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has argued. http://news.techworld.com/security/3256940/internet-kill-switch-could-cause-chaos-oecd-report-warns/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/216865/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373629/internet_kill_switch_could_cause_chaos_oecd_report_warns/ UK, Australia enter 'cyber partnership' Australia and the United Kingdom will establish a "cyber partnership" to combat online security threats, the Department of Defence announced yesterday. http://www.zdnet.com.au/uk-australia-enter-cyber-partnership-339308672.htm Afghanistan, cyber security the focus at AUKMIN talks Britain's foreign and defence ministers and their Australian counterparts have agreed to increase cooperation on issues including the war in Afghanistan, Queensland's flood clean-up and cyber security. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/18/3115814.htm ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Solving the web address dilemma [The Press] Whether you're a technology fashionista or a modern Luddite, you have to admit that the internet is working its way deeper into our lives every day. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4552175/Solving-the-web-address-dilemma Farewell IPv4; We Hardly Knew Ye There have certainly been no shortage of ?the sky is falling? pronouncements about the Internet. But one refrain heard often over the last 20 years is finally coming true: the Internet is running out of IPv4 addresses. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/70711 Yahoo IPv6 upgrade could shut out 1 million Internet users Yahoo is forging ahead with a move to IPv6 on its main Web site by year-end despite worries that up to 1 million Internet users may be unable to access it initially. http://www.pcworld.com/article/217069/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373886/yahoo_ipv6_upgrade_could_shut_1_million_internet_users/ Rhodri Marsden: Don't panic! The web isn't full to capacity ? yet I wouldn't recommend that you warn your friends that the internet is filling up, any more than I'd advise Henny Penny to tell the King that the sky is falling in. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/rhodri-marsden-dont-panic-the-web-isnt-full-to-capacity-ndash-yet-2187771.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** US official defends domain seizures for copyright violations [IDG] The November seizures of more than 80 domain names by two U.S. government agencies were justified and necessary to project U.S. copyright holders, said the director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9205440/U.S._official_defends_domain_seizures_for_copyright_violations http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/216943/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/011811-us-official-defends-domain-seizures.html http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/373768/us_official_defends_domain_seizures_copyright_violations/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373768/us_official_defends_domain_seizures_copyright_violations/ US Official Speaks Untruths About Torrent-Finder Domain Seizure ... The legitimacy of the Torrent-Finder domain seizure was questioned from the start, and the owner of the site is now fighting to get his domain back through an expensive legal procedure. In the past several weeks the authorities involved in the seizures have not responded to the critique, but at the Congressional Internet Caucus? State of the ?Net conference ICE director John Morton broke the silence. http://torrentfreak.com/ice-torrent-finder-untruths-110119/ Senator who opposes antipiracy bill under pressure? Supporters of an antipiracy bill introduced into the Senate last year appear ready to put some pressure on one of the legislation's chief opponents. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20028772-261.html Customs Chief Defends Seizure Of Domain Names The head of the Homeland Security Department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Tuesday defended his agency's aggressive efforts to combat online piracy and counterfeiting by seizing Internet domain names. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/01/customs-chief-defends-seizure.php http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110118_6590.php 25 years of IETF: setting standards without kings or votes The Internet Engineering Task Force turned 25 yesterday. In that quarter century, 79 meetings were held in 15 countries and 4,500 RFCs (requests for comment) were written, resulting in 70 Internet Standards and 155 current best practices. Many more protocols are proposed standards and are often widely used, but haven't made it to standard status?yet. This includes HTTP, for instance. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/25-years-of-ietf-setting-standards-without-kings-or-votes.ars ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** The Social Side of the Internet Overview: The internet is now deeply embedded in group and organizational life in America. A new national survey by the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project has found that 75% of all American adults are active in some kind of voluntary group or organization and internet users are more likely than others to be active: 80% of internet users participate in groups, compared with 56% of non-internet users. Moreover, social media users are even more likely to be active: 82% of social network users and 85% of Twitter users are group participants. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/The-Social-Side-of-the-Internet.aspx The State of the Electronic Identity Market: technologies, stakeholders infrastructure, services and policies Abstract: Authenticating onto systems, connecting to mobile networks and providing identity data to access services is common ground for most EU citizens, however what is disruptive is that digital technologies fundamentally alter and upset the ways identity is managed, by people, companies and governments. http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=3739 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Pew Study Says Internet Users More Social, Civically Engaged That old stereotype that Internet users are isolated and anti-social is getting harder and harder to justify. In fact, the latest study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, aptly titled "The Social Side of the Internet," challenges this notion even further, finding that Internet users are actually more active in voluntary groups and organizations than non-Internet users. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/pew_study_says_internet_users_more_social_civicall.php http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/01/18/18readwriteweb-pew-study-says-internet-users-more-social-c-36179.html Under Pay Model, Little Effect Seen on Papers' Web Traffic Initial findings showed that newspapers found success with a pay model by setting a conservative limit for the number of articles readers could read free each month. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/business/media/18brill.html Is the internet setting us free? [radio interview] At the start of the 21st century we were promised that the internet would liberate the world. We could come together as never before, and from Iran's "twitter revolution" to Facebook "activism", technological innovation would spread democracy to oppressed peoples everywhere. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9363000/9363918.stm China Mobile Uses Hotspots to Stem Internet Addicts Defections Yolkie Sun?s addiction to Facebook Inc. cost China Mobile Communications Corp. a longtime customer. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-18/china-mobile-uses-hotspots-to-stem-internet-addicts-defections.html Over one-third of Chinese people using Internet The number of people using the Internet in China rose to 457 million at the end of 2010, up 73.3 million from a year earlier, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) announced Wednesday. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-01/19/c_13697983.htm http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90872/7266376.html China's Internet users reach 457 million [IDG] The number of Internet users in China reached 457 million at the end of 2010, growing by more than 73 million users from the previous year, according to official statistics released on Wednesday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/011911-chinas-internet-users-reach-457.html China's rapid rise online China's online population rose to 457 million in 2010 as use of mobile phones to surf the Web spread rapidly, an industry group reported Wednesday. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4559265/Chinas-rapid-rise-online China's online population rises to 457m in 2010 [AFP] The number of Internet users in China, already the world's largest online market, hit 457 million in 2010 -- up 19.1 percent from the previous year, a government-linked industry body said Wednesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-rises-to-457m-in-2010-20110119-19wj6.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-rises-to-457m-in-2010-20110119-19wj6.html The internet's dark heart An old saying has it that when one of China's leaders, Zhou Enlai, was asked about the consequences of the French revolution, he replied it was too soon to tell. When it comes to the internet, you might think it equally wise to wait for the e-dust to settle. But since this revolution threatens (or promises) an unprecedented revision of the world, the drive to analysis is probably unstoppable. http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2011/01/the-internets-dark-heart.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook U-turns on phone and address data sharing Facebook appears to have U-turned on plans to allow external websites to see users' addresses and mobile phone numbers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12214628 Facebook retracts address and phone number API Facebook has disabled the API that shares users' mobile phone and address details with developers in response to a wave of what it is calling 'feedback', and what I'd call justified concern. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/18/facebook-privacy-data Remove your home address and mobile phone number from your Facebook: security expert A security expert is warning users of Facebook to remove their home addresses and mobile phone numbers from their profiles as the website now gives third parties access to that information. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/remove-your-home-address-and-mobile-phone-number-from-your-facebook-security-expert-20110117-19tdh.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/remove-your-home-address-and-mobile-phone-number-from-your-facebook-security-expert-20110117-19tdh.html Facebook 'should mimic Apple app security restrictions' Facebook should adopt tighter security measures to protect its users, according to a leading internet firm. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12216654 nz: Facebook friend now a foe A woman's Facebook whinge about wanting to leave work became an invitation to burgle for a "friend". http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10700774 Facebook to Double Advertising in 2011 to $4 Billion, EMarketer Estimates Advertising spending on Facebook Inc. will total $4.05 billion this year, more than double the 2010 figure, according to researcher eMarketer. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-18/facebook-to-double-advertising-in-2011-to-4-billion-emarketer-estimates.html Restaurants Reach Out to Customers With Social Media RESTAURANTS and bars thrive on repeat business, but customers increasingly expect more than just good service, food and drinks. They want to be engaged and entertained, and some food establishments are turning to location-based social media to help keep customers happy and loyal. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/business/media/20adco.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Kinect game fails: the bodycount rises [AP] It has inspired a legion of gamers to give up their couch and controller in favour of jumping and gyrating their way around the lounge room, but doctors warn that Microsoft's new Kinect console may spell the start of a new generation of gaming injuries. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/games/4553329/Kinect-game-fails-the-bodycount-rises Annual computer sales to pass 1 billion by 2014 The rise and rise of smartphones and tablets will help double the shipment of computers around the world in just five years, according to new research. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/annual-computer-sales-to-pass-1-billion-by-2014-2187923.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Keeping it clean on kids' smart phones Parents are starting to think about the need to filter unsavory Internet content on phones and other wireless devices. A few companies offer 'kid-safe' apps. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-kidsafe-mobile-devices-20110118,0,5579803.story Child sex trafficking in UK on the rise with even younger victims targeted White, black and Asian children at risk with abusers using mobiles and web to groom victims, say Barnardo's ... Abusers are increasingly using the internet and mobile phone technology to control victims. Teens are being coerced into sending, or posing for, sexually explicit photos which are then used to blackmail and control them, said Carrie. "The abuser then sells the images, and threatens to send the pictures to the girl's parents or school if she does not do x, y and z." http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/17/child-trafficking-uk-rise Kinderpornos: 3260 Meldungen in ?sterreich Im Jahr 2010 sind bei der ?sterreichischen Internet-Meldestelle Stopline 3260 Meldungen mit Bezug zu kinderpornografischen Inhalten eingegangen. ?sterreichische Server waren nicht betroffen. Der Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft lobte unterdessen die internationale Zusammenarbeit sowie die "hervorragende Erfolgsquote" bei der L?schung von Inhalten. http://www.futurezone.at/stories/1665372/ Software gegen Cyberbullying birgt selbst Risiken Immer mehr Unternehmen versprechen Eltern Hilfe beim Schutz ihrer Spr?sslinge vor Risiken wie Cyberbullying in Form von Software, welche die Aktivit?ten der Kinder in sozialen Netzwerken wie Facebook ?berwacht. Doch solche Produkte stellen of selbst ein gro?es Risiko f?r ihre Nutzer dar, warnt die US-Organisation School Safety Partners. Denn Anbieter sichern sich in den Nutzungsbedingungen teils umfassende Verwertungsrechte an ?berwachten Inhalten sicher oder das Recht, Daten ungefragt an Dritte weiterzugeben. http://derstandard.at/1293370775349/Software-gegen-Cyberbullying-birgt-selbst-Risiken eco: Kampf gegen Kinderpornografie im Web erfolgreich Der Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft (eco) vermeldet eine hohe Erfolgsquote beim L?schen von Web-Angeboten mit kinderpornografischen Inhalten. Im Jahr 2010 habe die eco-Internet-Beschwerdestelle insgesamt 656 Hinweise auf illegales Material an Provider oder Partnerhotlines des INHOPE-Netzwerkes weitergegeben, teilte der Verband am Dienstag in K?ln mit. 652 dieser Websites seien abgeschaltet worden. Damit verzeichne der eco eine Erfolgsquote von 99,4 Prozent. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/eco-Kampf-gegen-Kinderpornografie-im-Web-erfolgreich-1171092.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Universal and Sony Music plan 'instant pop' to beat piracy Ten years after piracy first began to ravage the music industry, Britain's two biggest record labels will finally try to play their part in stopping it, by making new singles available for sale on the day they first hit the airwaves. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/16/universal-sony-music-singles-release Opinion: IPTV is more than just about entertainment There was a time not so long ago, when the cry "get off the Internet, I need to use the phone!" echoed through Australia's suburbs. http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2011/01/20/3116968.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** European groups set up smartphone panel European telecoms groups have launched a fresh broadside against Apple and Google by setting up an expert panel to monitor the development of mobile phone operating systems. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1c092fe-2338-11e0-b6a3-00144feab49a.html European telecoms groups form smartphone panel - FT European telecoms groups have set up an expert panel to monitor possible unfair practices in the smartphone market, the Financial Times said on Wednesday. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-54244820110119 Electronic Devices Interfering With Flight? In Short, Yes. The announcement over the plane?s speaker seems as much a part of the routine before takeoff as the demonstration of how to buckle a seat belt: Please turn off all electronic devices. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/business/18devices.html Why Android Users Are Such a Happy Lot Smartphone users tend to hold strong opinions about the various mobile platforms out there, often displaying feverish loyalty to the one they use and outright disdain for all others. That's particularly evident these days in the competition between iPhone and Android, of course, fueled by Android's rapid ascendance in the marketplace. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/217021/.html Nokia to scale back free music service Nokia is to stop offering free music downloads with its mobile phones in most markets, signalling a retreat from a service that was once predicted to transform the digital music market and challenge the dominance of Apple?s iTunes. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5d9443b0-2248-11e0-b91a-00144feab49a.html RIM to abide by Indonesia porn access ban Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the popular Blackberry telephone and messaging system, said on Monday they would comply with an Indonesian government order to block access to porn sites from its devices. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-54206220110117 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE70G2OO20110117 ********************** SPAM ********************** Canada: New Anti-"Spam" Law Shortly before the holidays, Parliament assented to An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities [...] which will regulate the transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic messages, also known as spam. http://mondaq.com/canada/article.asp?articleid=119974 Spam - past its use-by date? If your email client's spam folder has been looking a bit empty recently, don't worry ? you're not alone. http://www.3news.co.nz/Spam---past-its-use-by-date/tabid/412/articleID/194639/Default.aspx ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** ?98 PCs target UK digital divide Low-cost computers are to be offered as part of a government scheme to encourage millions of people in the UK to get online for the first time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12205412 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Apocalypse in Cyberspace? It?s Overdone Is a cyberwar already under way and, if so, could it really cause destruction on a large scale, as a number of recent books have asserted? Nonsense, says a new study. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/technology/17cache.html Risks of cyber war 'over-hyped' says OECD study The vast majority of hi-tech attacks described as acts of cyber war do not deserve the name, says a report. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development study is part of a series considering incidents that could cause global disruption. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12205169 World Now in 'Third Era' of Cybercrime The year 2010 was a hugely significant one for computing criminality and could turn out to mark the beginning of a 'third era' of cybercrime, security expert Graham Cluley of Sophos has said in advance of the company's latest threat review of the year. http://news.techworld.com/security/3257316/world-now-in-third-era-of-cybercrime-says-report/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/217070/.html us: Administration says it will give industry and academia heads up on cyberattacks The Obama administration will provide universities and businesses with government intelligence and law enforcement information about malicious Internet activities so that they can protect their critical assets, the president's cyber czar said on Tuesday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110118_5841.php Stuxnet cyberworm heads off US strike on Iran The chances of a military strike against Iran this year are receding because of the success of a joint Israeli-US cyberattack on the country's nuclear facilities, according to officials and analysts with knowledge of the clandestine operation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/16/stuxnet-cyberworm-us-strike-iran Internet 'kill switch' could cause chaos, OECD report warns A proposed US Internet 'kill switch' to be used in the event of a cyberwar could actually cause more problems that it would prevent, a new report commissioned by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has argued. http://news.techworld.com/security/3256940/internet-kill-switch-could-cause-chaos-oecd-report-warns/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/216865/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373629/internet_kill_switch_could_cause_chaos_oecd_report_warns/ UK, Australia enter 'cyber partnership' Australia and the United Kingdom will establish a "cyber partnership" to combat online security threats, the Department of Defence announced yesterday. http://www.zdnet.com.au/uk-australia-enter-cyber-partnership-339308672.htm Queensland floods scams emerge: ACMA, ACCC warn of email, SMS and phone scams preying on charitable donations More reports of spammers and telemarketers trying to cash in on the Queensland floods fundraising and charity efforts have emerged. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373813/queensland_floods_scams_emerge/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/373674/acma_issues_warning_scams_wake_floods/ http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/373674/acma_issues_warning_scams_wake_floods/ Consumer Alert - the ACMA warns scammers are targeting the Flood Relief Appeal [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority is warning people to beware of spammers and telemarketers trying to cash in on the Queensland flood fundraising and charity efforts. The ACMA has received reports of various scams linked to flood relief and advises people to treat requests for donations or assistance made by email, SMS or phone with great caution. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312423 A Google Worry Recedes, for Now, as Italy Ends Investigation Into News Service The Italian antitrust authority said Monday that it had ended an investigation into Google?s Internet news service after the company took steps to ease newspaper publishers? concerns about control over their content and the sharing of advertising revenue. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/technology/18iht-google18.html Italian competition body asks for copyright reform after Google settlement Italy's competition regulator has asked the Italian parliament to reform copyright law after accepting Google's settlement of a dispute with newspapers. It does not have the power to solve the problem of the exploitation of newspaper content, it said. http://out-law.com/page-11724 China pledges tougher fight on online piracy [AFP] China will step up its fight to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) by targeting online piracy, state media said Monday, amid calls for Beijing to do more on widespread copyright infringement. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-pledges-tougher-fight-on-online-piracy-20110118-19ucw.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-pledges-tougher-fight-on-online-piracy-20110118-19ucw.html us: Cyberbully sent to jail [AP] A US man who used a teen's lewd online photos to cyberbully him is going to prison for 45 days. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4558191/Cyberbully-sent-to-jail ************************** PRIVACY ************************** au: Uni failed to secure vulnerable web data The detailed records of thousands of University of Sydney students past and present are being stored online where they can be easily downloaded and read via an internet connection. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/uni-failed-to-secure-vulnerable-web-data-20110119-19wqf.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** WikiLeaks turned the tables on governments, but the power relationship has not changed by John Kampfner, chief executive of Index on Censorship and author of Freedom For Sale The information genie cannot be put back into the bottle, however hard authorities try. But the authorities continue to exploit the internet as a means of control http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/17/wikileaks-governments-journalism ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Regulating Google's results? Law prof calls "search neutrality" incoherent "Neutrality"?if it's good enough for the core of the Internet, isn't it good enough for the edge? The biggest Internet providers say it is, and they would love to have the government slap a few neutrality rules on Google, just to see how the advertising giant likes the taste of the regulatory bridle. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/regulating-googles-results-law-prof-calls-search-neutrality-incoherent.ars BBC director general warns over 'two-speed' internet The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, has warned broadband providers not to introduce charges for delivering the corporation's programmes to homes via the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/19/mark-thompson-internet-bbc us: Republican politico's do-not-regulate Net manifesto A prominent Republican politician today laid out a new conservative manifesto: How not to regulate the Internet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20028754-281.html Goodlatte To Examine Net Neutrality, Cybersecurity Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., said Tuesday that among the issues his newly reinstated Judiciary subcommittee would like to examine include an examination of the FCC's network neutrality order. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/01/goodlatte-to-examine-net-neutr.php International data protection enforcement bulletin This international bulletin, produced quarterly, contains a summary of enforcement for data protection breaches across most of our offices during the last three months. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=0d7985d8-6922-41fb-9d2f-fc30800935e7 Hungarian government rejects OSCE criticism of media law Hungary's government Tuesday rejected criticism from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of its new media law but left the door open for changes should the EU find problems with it. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE70H54X20110118 ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Apple Says Steve Jobs Will Take a New Medical Leave Steven P. Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is taking a medical leave of absence, a year and a half after his return from a liver transplant, raising questions about both his long-term prognosis and the future of the world?s most valuable technology company. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/technology/18apple.html Apple's Steve Jobs to take medical leave Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, who has survived a rare pancreatic cancer, is taking a medical leave of absence from the company almost exactly two years after he took a similar one, during which he received a liver transplant. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/17/steve-jobs-apple ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Venezuela, Cuba outfox U.S. with fibre optic cable Venezuela will connect Cuba to a high-speed fibre optic cable next month undermining U.S. sanctions prohibiting Cuba's access to nearby underwater lines, the head of the project said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE70H63E20110118 Telcos fight to retain business in digital world: ACMA New research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) suggests consumers are reaping the benefit of greater telecommunication and media competition caused by the internet. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373594/telcos_fight_retain_business_digital_world_acma/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/373594/telcos_fight_retain_business_digital_world_acma/ Media and telcos adapting business to the new digital economy [news release] Consumers are being offered more generous data allowances, mobile caps and pricing, together with internet and VoIP bundling and "smart phone" features on their home handsets, as telecommunication providers compete for new business in the rapidly changing digital world. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312418 au: Broadband billions to keep rolling The federal government is standing firm on building the multibillion-dollar national broadband network, which is due in flood-ravaged Toowoomba and some Brisbane suburbs in the second quarter of this year. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/broadband-billions-to-keep-rolling-20110119-19wq9.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/broadband-billions-to-keep-rolling-20110119-19wq9.html nz: Ultra-fast net plan starts to take flak Key industry players say the Government's broadband strategy lacks vision and will not maximise the potential of the new ultra-fast network. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10700759 nz: Telecom revises timetable for structural separation Telecom won?t meet its initial timetable for the proposed structural separation of its business. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/telecom-revises-timetable-for-structural-separation Telecom NZ to revise separation timetable Telecom NZ has revealed it will likely be unable to meet its self-imposed timetable of enacting structural separation by the end of June. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/373933/telecom_nz_revise_separation_timetable/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** us: Cyberbully who forwarded lewd photos of teen gets 45 days [AP] A cyberbully who forwarded explicit online photos of a teenage boy to the teen's school has been sentenced to 45 days in federal prison. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/cyberbully-who-forwarded-lewd-photos-of-teen-gets-45-days-20110120-19x09.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/cyberbully-who-forwarded-lewd-photos-of-teen-gets-45-days-20110120-19x09.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 --------- 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 FlanneryReceived on Wed Jan 19 2011 - 19:50:52 UTC
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