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[APPLe list] general internet news - 2 April
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Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
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Sneaky YouTube, Facebook peeks point to better productivity [AAP]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2310149/Surf-the-web-at-work-be-more-productive
Conroy backtracks on Australian internet censorship policy
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/01/1238261622790.html
Billy Bragg accuses Google of cheapening music in video royalties row
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6018252.ece
Pirate Bay could inveigle Facebook users into illegal downloads
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/30/pirate-bay-facebook
Swedish antipiracy law stirs up political waters
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10207718-93.html
Google launches free music site in China
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/31/google-china-digital-music
Mobile operators say no to free calls online
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/apr/02/skype-web-telephony
Mobile phone bosses promise to go global with broadband
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/02/global-broadband-mobile-phones
Mobiles mainly for infotainment
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25274300-15306,00.html
U.S. High Court Lets Stand Rejection of Anti-Spam Law
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033001138.html
Google: Spam Levels Back to Pre-McColo Levels
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/google_spam_levels_back_to_pre.html
Spam Back to 94% of All E-Mail
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/spam-back-to-94-of-all-e-mail/
China denies spying allegations
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7972702.stm
Spy botnet hits embassies down under
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Spy-botnet-hits-embassies-down-under/0,130061744,339295712,00.htm
FBI: Internet fraud complaints up 33 percent in 2008 [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/297432/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/033009-fbi-internet-fraud-complaints-up.html
Internet Crime: Complaints and Losses on the Rise [news release]
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march09/internet_033009.html
The end of privacy?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/02/google-privacy-mobile-phone-industry
EU presses for web users' privacy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7973634.stm
Telstra will split for NBN
http://computerworld.com.au/article/297669/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/033109-breaking-news-telstra-will-split.html
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INTERNET USE
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Sneaky YouTube, Facebook peeks point to better productivity [AAP]
Internet-surfing workers relax: employees who regularly sneak a peek at Facebook or shop online during office hours could actually be boosting their productivity.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25278257-5006785,00.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2310149/Surf-the-web-at-work-be-more-productive
Facebook, Youtube at work make better employees - study
Caught Twittering or on Facebook at work? It'll make you a better employee, according to an Australian study that shows surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38841520090402
Can I assume that my online data is safe for ever?
No – just ask the users of one of the web's biggest gaming sites. In the 10 years since Filefront.com launched, it had grown to become a major destination for gaming material and notable for hosting everything from videos and screenshots to downloadable demos and software patches. It was a treasure trove for gaming geeks, and hundreds of thousands of them had uploaded their own files to the site's servers to share with fellow fans.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/02/filefront-cloud-computing-online-data
Firefox 3 market share crawls past IE 7 in Europe
According to Web analytics firm StatCounter, Firefox 3 has finally surpassed the popularity of Internet Explorer 7 in Europe. Internet Explorer's total marketshare across all versions, however, still exceeds that of Firefox.
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/03/firefox-3-marketshare-exceeds-internet-explorer-7-in-europe.ars
Firefox 3 becomes top browser in Europe - study
Microsoft last week lost European browser market leadership for the first time in years, when Mozilla's Firefox 3 took the top spot from Internet Explorer 7, Web analytics firm StatCounter said on Tuesday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38809220090331
China web users turn keen eye back on government
Already under pressure to create jobs and growth while clinging to absolute power, China's Communist Party faces a growing headache from Internet users keen to expose its members' sometimes questionable habits.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE52U3JF20090331
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38805420090331
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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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au: Your Facebook secrets: jobs under threat
Making seemingly private comments on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is now a sackable offence for some professions. The NSW Department of Corrective Services is threatening to sack prison officers over posts they made to a Facebook group criticising the cash-strapped State Government's plans to privatise Parklea and Cessnock prisons.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/02/1238261699036.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/02/1238261699036.html
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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EU Commissioner calls on ICT industry to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% as early as 2015 [news release]
In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, the European Union's Commissioner for Information Society and Media, asked the information and communication technologies (ICT) industry for intensified efforts for tackling climate change. She warned that the measures in place so far to meet the EU's objective of cutting energy use by 20% by 2020 will only improve energy efficiency by 13 percent". Therefore, better use should be made of information and communication technologies (ICT) to reduce faster the carbon footprint of households in Europe.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/140
Computers vs. Brains
Inventor Ray Kurzweil, in his 2005 futurist manifesto “The Singularity Is Near,” extrapolates current trends in computer technology to conclude that machines will be able to out-think people within a few decades. In his eagerness to salute our robotic overlords, he neglects some key differences between brains and computers that make his prediction unlikely to come true.
http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/guest-column-computers-vs-brains/
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Child porn hard to define, stop in Japan: laws limited in huge market where possession, animated sex know no bounds
Japan has a huge adult pornography market. But the country also has a reputation as a haven for child porn, with international human rights groups and governments including the United States all criticizing Tokyo for not doing enough to curb the spread of sexually graphic material that exploits children.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090331i1.html
Study: Enforcement spurs rise in Web sex arrests
More people have been arrested in recent years for sexually soliciting youths online, but the sharp increase comes from better enforcement, and the Internet remains a relatively safe social environment, researchers said in a new study.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/31/AR2009033103871.html
Study: online sexual predators not like popular perception
Even as sex crimes against minors decline, a new report from the University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center released this week found an massive increase in the number of online child predators arrested in undercover sting operations. Despite this, the survey rejects the idea that the Internet is an especially perilous place for minors, and finds that while the nature of online sex crimes against minors changed little between 2000 and 2006, the profile of the offenders has been shifting—and both differ markedly from the popular conception.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/study-tracks-changing-profile-of-online-sexual-predators.ars
US Federal Judge Blocks Child Porn Charges Against Teens in 'Sexting' Case [AP]
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a prosecutor from filing child pornography charges against three northeastern Pennsylvania teenagers who appeared in racy photos that turned up on classmates' cell phones.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202429560474
Conroy backtracks on Australian internet censorship policy
The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has begun distancing himself from his controversial internet censorship policy in what one internet industry engineer has dubbed "the great walkback of 2009".
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/01/1238261622790.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/01/1238261622790.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/net-censorship-ministers-backflip-20090401-9j96.html
Conroy scraps filter blacklist
Facing a barrage of criticism over the government's controversial internet filter, communications minister Stephen Conroy today blamed "those meddling kids" for its failure and announced that the blacklist will be scrapped in favour of a new public whitelist administered via viewer votes on a new weekly television show.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/fullduplex/soa/Conroy-scraps-filter-blacklist/0,139033349,339295734,00.htm
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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Billy Bragg accuses Google of cheapening music in video royalties row
The musicians Billy Bragg and Robin Gibb have joined forces with the record producer Pete Waterman, accusing Google of devaluing songwriters amid a row over royalties.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6018252.ece
Pirate Bay could inveigle Facebook users into illegal downloads
The world's most notorious filesharing website has decided to thumb its nose at the authorities once again – by linking itself up to the world's biggest social network.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/30/pirate-bay-facebook
Pirate Bay linking could implicate Facebook, says lawyer
The Pirate Bay has unveiled a feature that makes it easy for web users to post links to pirated material on their Facebook page. The activity risks passing liability for copyright infringement on to Facebook, a technology lawyer warned.
http://out-law.com/page-9912
Swedish antipiracy law stirs up political waters
File swappers in Sweden, land of the world's largest bittorrent sharing site, The Pirate Bay, are facing a tougher future. The so-called IPRED law, scheduled to go into effect Wednesday, will in some instances require Internet service providers to reveal subscribers' Internet Protocol addresses to copyright holders--including the film, music, and game industries--that charge users with illegal file sharing.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10207718-93.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62052734,00.htm
Net traffic down on first day of Swedish antipiracy law
The same day a new antipiracy law went into effect in Sweden, Internet traffic took a dive and five audio book publishers went after an alleged illegal file sharer in court.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10209544-93.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62052793,00.htm
YouTube now pulls music videos out of Germany
YouTube has pulled the plug on music videos in Germany as Western Europe starts to look like a hostile environment for Web music services.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10209313-93.html
YouTube blocks music videos on German site [AFP]
German music fans hoping to catch their idols' latest hits on video-sharing website YouTube are set for disappointment after the site on Wednesday blocked certain music videos over a licensing dispute.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/youtube-blocks-music-videos-on-german-site-20090402-9khr.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/youtube-blocks-music-videos-on-german-site-20090402-9khr.html
Google Offers Free Downloads in China
Trying to gain ground in one of the few markets where it is behind, Google said Monday that it had begun to offer in China links to free music downloads, a service it does not offer anywhere else in the world.
http://nytimes.com/2009/03/31/technology/companies/31music.html
Google launches free music site in China
Chinese internet users will be able to download more than 1m music tracks for free after Google launched a new web service with the world's four largest music labels.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/31/google-china-digital-music
Google fights for Chinese internet users with free music service
Google launched an online music service in China yesterday, in an attempt to grab a greater share of online searches in the world’s biggest internet market.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6003697.ece
Google Begins China Music Service
Google Inc. launched an online music service in China, a long-awaited move by the Internet giant and its record-label partners to make money distributing songs in a market plagued by piracy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123841495337969485.htmls
Spotify declares war on iTunes
It's the free music service that's attracting thousands of new users every day, and now Spotify is taking on the daddy of online music – iTunes. The on-demand streaming service has signed a deal to sell MP3 downloads as well as just playing them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/spotify-declares-war-on-itunes-1658029.html
Conroy slams iiNet court defence
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has slammed iiNet, calling its defence in the Federal Court case brought against it by the Australian Federation against Copyright Theft something which "belongs in a Yes Minister episode".
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Conroy-slams-iiNet-court-defence/0,130061791,339295731,00.htm?feed=rss
Conroy's iiNet comments 'grossly improper'
Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin has called for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to apologise for his criticism of iiNet's Federal Court defence and warned it might lead to legal action.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Conroy-s-iiNet-comments-grossly-improper-/0,130061791,339295779,00.htm
Conroy uses iiNet case to sidestep net filter issue
Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy has launched an extraordinary attack on iiNet’s legal defence in its piracy trial with the film and music industry, dubbing it “stunning” and “a classic”.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=99968
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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Mobile operators say no to free calls online
On the internet you can email for free, search for free, Twitter for free but not yet phone for free. Or at least, not in the numbers you may expect. True, last week Skype overtook AT&T as the biggest provider of cross-border calls, according to TeleGeography, but that was mainly people communicating from their computers accounting for 8% of all traffic. What about the other 92%? The situation is roughly like this. It is possible to route all phone calls, especially international ones, across the net at little or no extra cost beyond your broadband subscription. But once calls leave the net, they rejoin a local network that charges a termination fee - which is sometimes huge, even after last week's welcome reforms by the EU.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/apr/02/skype-web-telephony
Mobile phone bosses promise to go global with broadband
The bosses of 20 of the world's largest mobile phone companies, who serve more than 1.6 billion people worldwide, have pledged to take wireless broadband services global in return for a loosening of regulation and the allocation of the required radio spectrum.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/02/global-broadband-mobile-phones
Mobiles mainly for infotainment
Almost two-thirds of Australians are using their mobile phones to access entertainment and information data, according to a survey conducted late last year.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25274300-15306,00.html
NZ inquiry likely on roaming charges
The Commerce Commission has indicated it plans to push ahead with an inquiry into mobile roaming charges.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10564386
Skype, the Web Phone Giant, Brings Cheap Calls to Cellular
Skype, the Internet calling service that has more than 400 million users around the world, is aggressively moving onto mobile phones.
http://nytimes.com/2009/03/30/technology/internet/30skype.html
Apple’s iPhone brings Skype to the mobile masses
IPhone users will be able to make free phone calls from today as Skype becomes available for the first time on the popular Apple gadget.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6005428.ece
BlackBerry launches online application store to rival Apple's iPhone
The company behind the BlackBerry has launched a new online store to rival Apple's iPhone so that users can download software and applications to their devices.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/blackberry/5089161/BlackBerry-launches-online-application-store-to-rival-Apples-iPhone.html
India's 'rude' mobile users should go to prison
A staggering rise in mobile phone usage in India has stoked an unacceptable surge in public rudeness and the most annoying offenders should be sent to prison, according to the country’s equivalent to the House of Lords.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article6003840.ece
Helping Parents Snoop on Kids’ iPhone Habits
The debate over supplying children with Apple iPhones might be heating up, but perhaps a more pressing concern is the level of access that kids already equipped with smartphones have to the rowdy world of the Web.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/helping-parents-snoop-on-kids-iphone-habits/
au: Mobile phone false alarm
Reports that mobile phone numbers will soon be released to telemarketers are untrue, says the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
http://caboolture-shire-herald.whereilive.com.au/news/story/mobile-phone-false-alarm/
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SPAM
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U.S. High Court Lets Stand Rejection of Anti-Spam Law
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday declined to consider reinstating Virginia's tough anti-spam law, leaving in place a lower court ruling that threw out the measure as unconstitutional.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033001138.html
High court refuses to consider state anti-spam law
The Supreme Court has passed up a chance to examine how far states can go to restrict unsolicited e-mails in efforts to block spammers from bombarding computer users.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/30/scotus.anti.spam/
Supreme Court Won't Hear Spam Case
The Supreme Court said Monday it will not consider restoring Virginia's anti-spam law, which is one of the nation's most aggressive state statutes aimed at banning unsolicited e-mail. The high court's decision to reject the case leaves in place a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court that the law was unconstitutional because it prohibited political, religious and other messages in addition to commercial solicitations. Virginia was the only state to ban noncommercial bulk e-mail. State Attorney General Bill Mims said he plans to draft legislation in the next General Assembly session that addresses constitutional concerns posed by the spam law.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/03/supreme-court-wont-hear-spam-c.php
Google: Spam Levels Back to Pre-McColo Levels
Spam levels have finally bounced back to levels seen prior to the shutdown of notorious Web hosting provider McColo in November of last year, at least from the vantage point of Postini, Google's e-mail security provider.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/google_spam_levels_back_to_pre.html
Spam Is Making A Comeback, Google Finds
The volume of unwanted messages has been creeping upward at a rate of about 1.2% per day as spammers try to rebuild the infrastructure they lost at McColo.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216401850
Spam Back to 94% of All E-Mail
Spam, that annoying but ignorable scourge of the Web, has finally recovered from the jolt it received last November, when Internet backbone providers cut off McColo Corporation, a California Web-hosting service that spammers were using to coordinate e-mail attacks.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/spam-back-to-94-of-all-e-mail/
Spam Recovers From a Knockout Blow [IDG]
The Internet is now officially as bad as ever, at least as far as spam goes. Google reported Tuesday that in the second half of March, spam returned to the levels last seen just prior to the November 2008 takedown of McColo. McColo was a hosting service based in San Jose, California, that was notorious for providing so-called "bulletproof" services to cybercriminals, who wanted to keep their servers running no matter what.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/162312/.html
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=113670
Postini: Spam up again following McColo takedown
It has taken spammers only four months to get their botnets back up after hosting company McColo Corp. was shut down, according to statistics due to be released on Tuesday from Google's Postini e-mail security provider.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10207483-83.html
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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China denies spying allegations
China has denied involvement in the electronic spy network which researchers say infiltrated computers in government offices around the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7972702.stm
China Responds to Cyber-Attack Reports
Over the weekend, researchers in Canada and the United Kingdom released reports alleging the existence of vast cyber-spying networks traced back to computers in China. Chinese government officials declined to comment on the allegations, according to the WSJ’s Ben Worthen, and in the past the government has consistently denied claims that it sponsors cyber-espionage.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/03/30/china-responds-to-cyber-attack-reports/
Wide Cyber Attack Is Linked to China
Security researchers said they have discovered software capable of stealing information installed on computers in 103 countries from a network that targeted government agencies.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123834671171466791.html
Spy botnet hits embassies down under
Two foreign embassies on Australian soil have allegedly been infected by an espionage botnet dubbed GhostNet, according to security researchers.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Spy-botnet-hits-embassies-down-under/0,130061744,339295712,00.htm
Web-Based Crime Jumps 33%, Group Finds [AP]
Reports of Internet-based crime jumped 33% in 2008, according to a group that monitors Web-based fraud. The Internet Crime Complaint Center said in its annual report released Monday that it received more than 275,000 complaints last year, up from about 207,000 the year before. The total reported dollar loss from such scams was $265 million, or about $25 million more than the year before.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123843998882670641.html
FBI: Internet fraud complaints up 33 percent in 2008 [IDG]
2008 was the busiest year yet for online fraudsters according to an annual Internet Crime Report released Monday by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/297432/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/033009-fbi-internet-fraud-complaints-up.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162234/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/297432/
Online crime surging in recession, U.S. report says
Fraud on the Internet reported to U.S. authorities increased by 33 percent last year, rising for the first time in three years, and is surging this year as the recession deepens, federal authorities said on Monday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38788720090330
Cyber-crime rising, report warns
Complaints of internet fraud received by a US watchdog last year rose by 33% from 2007, its latest report shows. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which includes the FBI, received 275,284 complaints in 2008, which amounted to losses of $265m (£185m).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7973886.stm
Complaints of Internet-based crimes up 33 percent
Complaints of Internet-related crimes soared 33 percent last year, countering two years of consecutive declines, according to a report released Monday by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10208355-93.html
Web Crime Complaints Rise In 2008
A total of 275,284 complaints were received by the Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2008 -- up from 206,884 or 33 percent over 2007, the FBI said Monday. Total dollar loss reported in 2008 was $265 million, an increase from $239 million the year before. The average individual loss was $931, according to a new report. The yearly study from IC3, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, details information related to the volume and scope of complaints, complainant and perpetrator characteristics, geographical data, most frequently reported scams, and IC3 referrals.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/03/web-crime-complaints-rise-in-2.php
Internet Crime: Complaints and Losses on the Rise [news release]
Reports of Internet scams and their financial toll continued to grow in 2008, according to the latest data by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which operates a website, www.ic3.gov, to collect and refer public complaints about Internet fraud.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march09/internet_033009.html
Cyber espionage from state governments? Don't be surprised
Did the Chinese government, for strategic purposes, infiltrate more than 1,200 computers in 103 countries to spy on nations' embassies and government agencies, in addition to the NATO military alliance and even the Deloitte & Touche consultancy?
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040109-cyber-espionage.html
U.S. sentences first foreigner for phishing [IDG]
A 23-year-old Romanian man has become the first foreigner to be sentenced to prison by a U.S. court for phishing. Ovidiu-Ionut Nicola-Roman, of Craiova, Romania, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison Monday for his role in an international phishing operation. Prosecutors had charged him with setting up fake banking sites and then sending out tens of thousands of fraudulent spam messages in hopes of tricking victims into giving up their account information.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130759
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162247/.html
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PRIVACY
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The end of privacy?
Forget Street View, there is a far more subtle - and pervasive - invasion of your private life being carried out - this time through your mobile phone
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/02/google-privacy-mobile-phone-industry
EU presses for web users' privacy
The European Union has told internet companies to make better efforts to protect information they are given by consumers, or face tougher regulation. Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told leading e-commerce and internet search firms that standards of privacy are "not satisfactory".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7973634.stm
EU threatens action over web privacy
Some Internet companies are abusing consumers' personal data and this cannot be allowed to continue, a top European Union official will warn the industry on Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE52T5NG20090330
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38786920090330
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CENSORSHIP
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China, Iran censor web: rights group [AFP]
China's "sophisticated and multi-layered" efforts to censor and control the Internet earned it a "not free" rating by a US rights group in a report released Wednesday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-iran-censor-web-rights-group-20090401-9jm0.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-iran-censor-web-rights-group-20090401-9jm0.html
China closes more porn Web sites in crackdown [IDG]
China closed a new round of Web sites with pornographic content as it continued a crackdown that has extended from the Internet to mobile phones, state media said Monday.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/033109-china-closes-more-porn-web.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/162254/.html
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Toothless tiger ACMA gets new fangs
Telcos that breach the Telecommunications Act will receive immediate retribution under proposed legalisation amendments set to hand the industry regulator new enforcement powers.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/297683/
http://techworld.com.au/article/297683/
ACMA to be given extra regulatory powers
The Federal Government will amend the Telecommunications Act to give the media watchdog the power to hand out red cards to telecoms providers who abuse self-regulation.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=99992
April Fools: Conroy dumped as minister for broadband
APRIL FOOLS | Senator Stephen Conroy has been sacked as Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
http://whirlpool.net.au/news/?id=1841
联邦政府互联网过滤制度惹争议
【大纪元3月31日讯】（大纪元记者王仁编译报导) 联邦通信部长康罗伊（Stephen Conroy）3月30日表示，联邦政府提议的互联网审查制度并非是杜绝儿童色情制品的灵丹妙药。
http://www.epochtimes.com.au/gb/9/3/31/n2480049.htm
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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CRTC opens online consultation on Internet traffic management practices [news release]
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today opened an online consultation to gather views on Internet traffic management practices. The consultation, which is being hosted by Nanos Research, is part of a proceeding launched in November 2008. A public hearing will also be held starting on July 6, 2009, in Gatineau, Que.
http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/news/releases/2009/r090331.htm
EU Agrees to Sweeping New Telecom Rules
A 'gentleman's agreement' on far-reaching changes to Europe's telecommunications sector between the three main institutions of the European Union was reached late on Monday, according to a spokesman for the European Commission.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2009/gb2009041_040771.htm
Cable Mounts a Drive for Broadband in Europe
Cable television companies in Europe, which were minor players in the initial wave of broadband Internet, are catching up quickly with new, super-fast networks that are siphoning customers from some of the Continent’s largest phone operators.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/technology/30iht-cable30.html
Brussels stands firm on telecoms regulation
Europe’s top telecoms official has said the European Union won’t ease its stringent regulation of the sector despite its own figures showing the slowest growth rates in telecom revenues since 2003.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ce285000-1d11-11de-a527-00144feabdc0.html
EU telecoms market grows 1.3% in 2008
The European Union telecoms market grew 1.3 percent last year to a value of over €300 billion, equal to about 3 percent of EU GDP. The European Commission's annual report on telecom regulation shows that the sector is outpacing the broader economy, which grew just 1 percent last year. Furthermore, the continued decline in telecoms prices is helping dampen the effect of inflation in other areas of the economy.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=664439
Spain's telecoms revenues drop 2.7% in Q4
Spanish telecommunications revenues fell to €10.69 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to €10.98 billion in the year-earlier period, according to national regulator CMT. Retail services reached €9.02 billion and wholesale services €1.66 billion.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=665410
China Telecom signs up 10,000 during free 3G trial
China Telecom said it gained more than 10,000 registered users in its free trial launch of 3G mobile services in Jiangsu province last week, the South China Morning Post reported. China Telecom selected Jiangsu as the first province to launch services based on CDMA EVDO technology.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=665496
Telstra will split for NBN
Telstra has agreed to an operational split of its wholesale and retail arms if it wins the $4.7 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) following clandestine talks with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/297669/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/033109-breaking-news-telstra-will-split.html
NZ broadband dramatically improved, says new report
New Zealand's broadband speed and quality improved in the last quarter of 2008 as newer, faster ADSL2+ technology was installed. The fourth Epitiro/IDC quarterly report for the Commerce Commission on New Zealand broadband quality, released today , said the New Zealand Broadband Index showed a significant increase in broadband performance across most measures by the end of 2008.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10564662
NZ broadband performance improving [AAP]
New Zealand's broadband speed and quality improved in the last quarter of 2008 as newer, faster ADSL2+ technology was installed, a new report has claimed.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-broadband-performance-improving/0,130061791,339295770,00.htm
nz: Govt proposes model for broadband investment
Interested parties will have till April 27 to respond to the government’s proposed model for investment in fast broadband to 75% of New Zealand homes over the next decade.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/58E3E7AEB8362F8FCC2575890076FFFF
nz: Editorial: At last, a telco victory for the consumer
Preventing a repetition of the vertically integrated monopoly enjoyed by Telecom's copper network was always going to be a cardinal requirement of the Government's $1.5 billion investment in an ultra-fast broadband infrastructure.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10564530
NZ plans NBN investment company
The New Zealand Government has announced plans to create a state-owned investment company that will spearhead its $1.5 billion National Broadband Network initiative.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-plans-NBN-investment-company/0,130061791,339295739,00.htm
Billion dollar internet reboot
High-definition TV on the internet, instant music downloads and movies downloaded in less than a minute are among the benefits of a multibillion-dollar network upgrade.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2305832/Billion-dollar-internet-reboot
TUANZ endorses Crown Fibre proposal
Tuanz is pleased with the tenor of the government’s broadband plan, announced today with a press release from ICT minister Steven Joyce revealing that the government proposes establishing a Crown-owned investment company — Crown Fibre Investment Co — to drive the project.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/D7C20D1320BCD64DCC25758A00133706
Fibre plan huge opportunity for New Zealand [news release]
InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) congratulates the Minister of Communications Stephen Joyce and the Government for solidly following through with their pre-election commitment to a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network for New Zealand.
http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/fibre-plan-huge-opportunity-for-new-zealand
au: Get ready for digital TV
Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, has launched a new campaign with the aim of getting Australia ready for digital television.
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/297700/
Australia to spend $6.7 million to promote digital TV news
Australia's federal government will spend $6.7 million on an advertising campaign to educate consumers about digital TV and encourage people to make the switch from analogue systems on or before the 2013 deadline. The campaign will launch next Sunday on free-to-air TV and radio.
http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Media/20090331_promote_digital_tv.html
ACMA issues final spectrum management plan [sub req'd]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority released the final versions of its revised Principles for Spectrum Management and the Five-year Spectrum Outlook 2009-2013, both of which will guide ACMA's planning and management of radio frequency ...
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/
Australia toughens stance on telecoms consumer protection [sub req'd]
The Australian government announced plans for tougher enforcement of measures to protect telecoms consumers. The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said "there is strong evidence" that suggests ...
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/
ACMA unveils technology trends report [sub req'd]
Investment in broadband, digital and IP-based infrastructure and the ongoing evolution in web standards are some of the major factors influencing technology developments in Australia, according to a report by regulator ACMA. The report Trends in ...
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Teacher's porn viewing a cry for help: court
A former Wollongong High School teacher's compulsion to view internet pornography - including child pornography - was a cry for help, Wollongong Local Court heard yesterday.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/teachers-porn-viewing-a-cry-for-help-court/1470853.aspx
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/porn-viewing-a-cry-for-help-court/1470853.aspx
au: Father jailed over internet child porn
A Brisbane judge has jailed a 46-year-old father of two who pleaded guilty to using the Internet in an attempt to procure a child for sex and possessing child pornography.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/02/2533282.htm
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