general internet news - 1 December

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

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Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
Internet in Asia blog:
http://internetinasia.typepad.com/
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CENSORSHIP, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Iraq pictures spark a war over free speech
A controversial website blurs the borders of
pornography, reports Michael Winkler: THE internet has
mansions, cathedrals, shining free- ways; it also has
plenty of ghettos and sewers. The site
nowthatsfuckedup.com (NTFU) is not salubrious. Its
main function is the sharing of pictures of wives,
girlfriends or neighbours, preferably without the
hindrance of textiles. About 235,000 registered users
post and peruse an incalculable number of nude and
pornographic photos.

http://theage.com.au/news/business/iraq-pictures-spark-a-war-over-free-speech/2005/11/27/1133026332300.html

dk: Filter blocks Danes from accessing child
pornography
Some 1,200 Internet users in Denmark try to access
child pornography websites each day, but a month-old
blocking filter, so far only available to customers of
telecommunications group TDC, has has thwarted most
attempts.
 http://www.financialmirror.com/more_news.php?id=2574

us: FTC approval of application for revised safe
harbor program
The Commission has approved an application submitted
by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
asking that it be allowed to revise its safe harbor
program in accordance with the Children?s Online
Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Under COPPA and the
FTC?s COPPA Rule, the Commission may approve
self-regulatory guidelines that are substantially
similar to those in the Rule and that ensure adequate
monitoring and enforcement. An organization that is in
compliance with such an FTC-approved ?safe harbor?
program is considered to be in compliance with the
Rule.
 http://ftc.gov/opa/2005/11/fyi0581.htm

us: Parry Aftab to Speak at Schreiber on
Cyber-Bullying
The Task Force for Safe and Drug Free Schools and
Community has arranged for nationally-known speaker
Perry Aftab to address the community on Nov. 30. The
entire community is invited to the program at Weber
Middle School at 7 p.m. after Ms. Aftab has met with
students during the day.

http://www.antonnews.com/portwashingtonnews/2005/11/25/news/

us: Community urged to learn about Internet dangers
The Coffee County Children?s Policy Council and area
school systems invite the public to attend a Dec. 6
hands-on Internet training session designed to teach
parents and guardians how to safeguard their children
against online predators.

http://eprisenow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ENT/MGArticle/ENT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768324333

uk: 50,000 sign petition to ban internet porn
READING campaigners left town at breakfast time
yesterday - led by Liz Longhurst - to present a
50,000-name to Parliament calling for a ban on extreme
internet pornography.

http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200berkshireheadlines/tm_objectid=16408574&method=full&siteid=50102&headline=50-000-sign-petition-to-ban-internet-porn-name_page.html

us: US campaign against violent games
Backed by gruesome shots of computerised cannibalism,
police beatings and violence, campaigners in the US
have warned parents that their children were
increasingly at risk from "sadistic" video games.

http://smh.com.au/news/breaking/us-campaign-against-violent-games/2005/11/30/1133026497710.html

Parental controls on all new consoles
Sony's next-generation PlayStation 3 will join
newly-released Microsoft Xbox 360 in giving parents
tools to limit access to computer games deemed too
risque or violent, industry officials say.

http://smh.com.au/news/breaking/parental-controls-on-all-new-consoles/2005/11/29/1133026437704.html

Thailand to block over 800,000 sites
Thailand plans to block more than 800,000 pornographic
or violent websites that officials say are harming the
kingdom's youth, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
says.

http://smh.com.au/news/breaking/thailand-to-block-over-800000-sites/2005/11/28/1133026373171.html

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LEGAL AND SECURITY
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nz:  NZ Online Security Day  - 29 Nov 2005
"A welcome initiative which should remind people of
their responsibilities when using their computers," is
the comment of Keith Davidson in supporting the
inaugural New Zealand Online Security Day, being held
on Wednesday 30 November 2005.

http://internetnz.net.nz/news/2005-11-29-comp-security.htm

Terrorism threat to Net 'overstated'
As one of the world's foremost authorities on security
issues, Bruce Schneier has been a voice of reason in
an industry where hyperbole is often rife.
 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5973190.html

More Swedes seek net child porn
THE number of Swedes seeking out sexual images
involving children on the internet is on the rise, the
Swedish chapter of the anti-child pornography group
Ecpat said.

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,17387631%5e15306%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

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SPAM
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us: Spam filters 'are getting better'
The US FTC is warning that spam filters are getting
better and simple tricks can stop spammers scraping
addresses from the Web
 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5975312.html

http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=10423792

us: FTC Study Shows Technology Gaining in the Battle
Against Spam (news release)
ISP Filters Block as Much as 95% of Unsolicited
E-mail; Consumers Can Take Additional Steps to Curb
the Amount of Spam They Receive
 http://ftc.gov/opa/2005/11/spam3.htm

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INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE
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France leads Europe on internet usage
France leads the rest of Europe in the numbers of
hours spent online by internet users, followed by
Britain and Spain, a study has revealed
 http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411419/634083

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10357753

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FILE SHARING
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Kazaa keywords to be blocked, Australian judge rules
Eminem, Madonna and Kylie Minogue are just some of the
popular artists whose songs are to be blocked from
being illegally distributed on the peer-to-peer
network Kazaa following Australian federal court
orders last week.
 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5973653.html
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4478224.stm

Taste for illegal tunes strong for Europe's youth
Illegal downloads are still beating legal online music
in Europe, analysts say.
 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5974969.html
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4478146.stm

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Opera claims victory over less secure browsers
Norwegian-based Opera software said more than one
million people have downloaded version 8.51 of its
browser in the past week because they are concerned
about security issues in alternatives, such as
Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

http://zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Opera_claims_victory_over_less_secure_browsers/0,2000061733,39225009,00.htm

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 launched
While Microsoft still waits to release Internet
Explorer 7, Firefox has launched a new v.1.5 browser,
which includes enhancements to improve security,
accessibility for disabled users and better
compatibility with websites.
 http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=11657

More Windows exploit code published
Microsoft has warned that new code has appeared on the
Internet which could be used to crash a Windows user's
PC
 http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39239121,00.htm

Net thinkers look to web's future
Leading figures who are likely to shape the net over
the next 10 years are upbeat about the web's future.
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4484242.stm

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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uk: Naturism couple cleared over child pictures
A retired Army major and his wife arrested on
suspicion of importing child pornography will not face
prosecution, police have said.

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/29/unatur.xml


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(c) David Goldstein 2005

David Goldstein
 address: 4/3 Abbott Street
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             AUSTRALIA
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