Internet news stories from around the world

[David Goldstein <goldstein_david@yahoo.com.au>]

Hi all

Below are a range of news stories on things such as content laws,
child protection and domain names.

Cheers
David
Dutch law enforcement should get easier access to personal data
stored by companies
Police wants to screen whole groups of citizens to see if they can
establish criminal patterns 
Dutch police can get easier access to personal information of clients
stored in company's databases. All the information stored by
companies will be available to the police, proposes the commission
Mevis in a report launched at Monday last week. The minister of
Justice said he would adopt the proposals in new legislation.
 http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/7691/1.html

Fears of a Website Inquisition 
Proposed legislation in Spain to regulate Internet activity has
enraged libertarians who say the measure would squelch free speech.
 http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,44110,00.html

No Internet Filtering Is Sex Harassment For Librarians - EEOC
Reaction is mixed on a preliminary finding by the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission that a group of Minneapolis librarians was
exposed to a sexually hostile work environment because of pornography
downloaded on library computers.
 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166171.html

 SENSITIVE E-MAILS 'BEING READ BY SPY NETWORK'
Computer users were today urged to encrypt their emails in a bid to
protect themselves against a worldwide electronic spy network which
does not officially exist. The danger comes from Echelon, the
Anglo-American intelligence operation, say Euro-MPs in a report at
the end of a year-long inquiry. Their report warns the government
that Britain could be in breach of the European convention on human
rights because of its participation in the global spying operation.
Full story - Washington Post
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A89250-2001May28.html
Background: Echelon explained - Guardian Unlimited

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/theissues/article/0,6512,498147,00.html
Key player: Echelon temporary committee - European Parliament 
 http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/echelon_home.htm
Background: Echelon watch - Cyber-rights and Cyber-liberties (UK)
 http://www.cyber-rights.org/interception/echelon

NEW CYBERCRIME TREATY DRAFT RELEASED
The Council of Europe, drafters of the world's first treaty against
cybercrime, have released the latest version of the treaty.  The text
has been amended to address police responses to privacy rights when
they follow digital trails to fight online crimes such as hacking,
spreading viruses, using stolen credit card numbers or defrauding
banks.
 http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/002049.htm
Draft at 
http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/projets/cybercrime27.doc

SPANISH NET LAW DRAWS CRITICISM
A proposed new Spanish law that would force Websites to register with
the government and require ISPs to police content by reporting
suspected illicit activity is drawing heavy criticism in Spain as
some fear it will squelch free speech online.
 http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,44110,00.html

EFF BACK ON TRACK
The SF Chronicle ran a lengthy feature on the Electronic Frontier
Foundation over the weekend, noting that the organization is stronger
than ever.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/05/27/BU116839.DTL

Court forces ORBS to remove Xtra e-mail from blacklist
A High Court injunction has forced anti-spam activist Alan Brown to
remove Xtra e-mail servers from the Open Relay Behavioural
Modification System (ORBS) blacklist. 
Mr Brown said a warrant would be issued for his arrest for contempt
of court unless he fully complied with the injunction. 
 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=191406

AUSTRALIA COMMITTED TO NET GAMBLING BAN
Australian officials have confirmed their commitment to passing a
permanent Internet gambling ban despite threats from some operators
to simply move offshore.
http://technology.scmp.com/internet/ZZZE3G7W5NC.html

European Parliament Warns E-Mail Users About Echelon
The Echelon superspy network exists and Internet users need to
encrypt their e-mail to ensure that the network cannot scan their
messages, according to an internal report from the European
Parliament.
 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166216.html

NEW CYBER TIP LINE TO PROTECT CHILDREN ON THE INTERNET 
- - -
Children Online Protection Committee Established by the Province 
A cyber tip line and the Children Online Protection Committee are two
new measures being undertaken by the provincial government to protect
Manitoba children from being exploited on the Internet, Attorney
General Gord Mackintosh announced today.
 http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2001/05/2001-05-22-02.html

Tech Week: Privacy
Psst. You're being watched. Every purchase you make at the grocery or
the department store is closely monitored and stored away in a
database. Data warehouses compile detailed profiles of your shopping
habits, income history and debts. Somewhere, a criminal may get
access to your Social Security number and use it to obtain a driver's
license or a credit card in your name. In the future, information
brokers will know even more about you and your family. 

http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/techweek_privacy051601.htm

Also see
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/specials/privacy/index.html.

Protecting You Kids Online 
with Amy Aidman of the Center for Media Education
Thursday, July 20, 2000 at 1 p.m. EDT 
The world has always been a dangerous place. Parents must constantly
work hard to ensure their children's safety. As we move further into
a digital age that is increasingly capturing our children's
attention, helping our children and teens navigate in this digital
culture presents both a challenge and an opportunity. 
Join Amy Aidman of the the Center for Media Education Thursday and
find out how to ensure that the Web is safe place for your children. 
See http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/00/aidman0720.htm
for a transcript.

Children's PC Use Studied Up Close 
Scott Mortimer's love affair with technology goes way back.
Hooked on the new Apple his dad brought home one day in 1979, the
sixth-grader soon found himself doing homework electronically and
playing countless video games.
Today, Mortimer, 33, said all that time at the keyboard helped cost
him a major part of his life.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/washtech/techweek/A26462-2001May14.html

Australian families and Internet use (22 May)
Using the Internet is not the isolating experience sometimes
suggested, and adults are more skilled at it than children, according
to the results of a research project into Internet usage in
Australian homes, commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting
Authority.
 http://www.aba.gov.au/about/public_relations/newrel_01/27nr01.htm
 http://www.aba.gov.au/what/research/family/index.htm

Malaysia mulls 'code of content' for Net
Malaysia is considering an Internet "code of content" to make Web
site operators accountable for what they publish and curb the posting
of lies, false news and pornographic material, the official Bernama
news agency said.
 http://technology.scmp.com/ZZZJ287W5NC.html

Murdoch, Packer venture One.Tel insolvent
Telecommunications company One.Tel, which is backed by media magnates
Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer, said on Wednesday it is insolvent
and trying to avoid bankruptcy.
 http://technology.scmp.com/ZZZP4L7W5NC.html

Commerce Department Urges ICANN To Add More New Domains 
Commerce Secretary Donald Evans today urged the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to step up the creation of new
Internet domains to complement the increasingly crowded .com, .net
and .org. 
 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166139.html
 http://www.icann.org/correspondence/doc-to-icann-25may01.htm

'.Name' Operators Hope For Summer Registry Approval 
The Global Name Registry (GNR), which last year won the right to
operate the new ".name" Internet domain, expects to ink final
contracts for the domain and begin registering addresses before the
end of summer, Chief Executive Officer Andrew Tsai said today.
 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166148.html

DB Wins Cyber Battle
Dominion Breweries has won its legal battle with a "cybersquatter"
who laid claim to its initials for an Internet domain name.
 http://www.newsroom.co.nz/story/47295-99999.html

AIT Domains Profile 
A Webhosting firm with big dreams, and it's making some big changes
to help its vision become a working reality. With over 160,000
domains registered, this registrar could make its naming services
work for your ISP business, too. 
 http://isp-planet.com/services/registrars/nameit.html

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE STOCKHOLM ICANN MEETING
With the ICANN Stockholm meeting slated to begin later this week,
attention has turned to major topics of discussion. Early reports
suggest that the focus will be on new gTLDs -- the group of seven
approved last year as well as the push for approving more.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/030832.htm
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/030534.htm

Domain debate heats up over .name windfall
With no major initiatives on the table, the upcoming meeting of the
world's controversial Internet naming authority is likely to focus on
new registries such as ".name" that are looking to upstage ".com".
 http://technology.scmp.com/internet/ZZZD2L7W5NC.html

=====
David Goldstein
2/3 Belmont Ave, Glen Iris 3146, Australia
email: Goldstein_David@yahoo.com.au
phone: +61 3 9885 0601 (home)
       +61 418 228 605 (mobile)

_____________________________________________________________________________
http://messenger.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Messenger
- Voice chat, mail alerts, stock quotes and favourite news and lots more!
* APPLe: To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe" to apple-request@apnic.net *