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general internet news - 5 June
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Stars join our fight to free web
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1789993,00.html
uk: Focus: The school bully is moving into cyberspace
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2209828,00.html
National Union of Journalists call for boycott of
Yahoo
http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=15817
sg: Bloggers say Net best left unregulated
http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=47023
eu: Commission seeks to improve network and
information security in Europe
http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=15778
uk: BBC to show World Cup games online
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39272586,00.htm
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CENSORSHIP, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Stars join our fight to free web
Chris Martin, Martha Lane Fox, Bob Geldof and
Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among nearly 20,000 people
who have backed the Observer and Amnesty International
campaign to end repression on the internet. This
remarkable response to the launch of
irrepressible.info last week included support from
around the world.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1789993,00.html
uk: Focus: The school bully is moving into cyberspace
Siannii Roughley was sitting at a friend?s computer
after school in January when she came across the
website. At first it looked like any other teenage
girl?s home page, decorated with a pink background,
love hearts and glitter. As she scrolled down the page
Siannii, 13, was shocked to see a picture of herself
and the caption: ?Well, dis iz da slag Siannii athat
no one loikes coz shes a dirty greebo. Plz sign da
shout box of wt u think of her xx SHES A SLAGxx.?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2209828,00.html
au: Children at risk on the internet
THE FIRST thing many parents and grandparents would
have thought after attending a morning in Dandaragan
last week was "Is my child or grandchild safe when
using the Internet?"
http://moora.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=484596
au: Alarm over school porn
SCHOOL children have been expelled and suspended after
being caught downloading porn on classroom computers.
Education Queensland revealed schools have had to take
tough disciplinary action against primary and
secondary students who bypassed filtering software to
access X-rated websites.
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,19348827%255E2765,00.html
National Union of Journalists call for boycott of
Yahoo
The National Union of Journalists is advising its
40,000 members to boycott all Yahoo products and
services in protest of the search portal providing
information to Chinese authorities that helped
identify and prosecute several journalists and
pro-democracy writers.
http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=15817
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12413272
Study finds companies snooping on employee e-mail
Big Brother is not only watching but he is also
reading your e-mail.
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12412786
cn: Mob rule on China's Internet: The keyboard as
weapon
It began with an impassioned, 5,000-word letter on one
of China's most popular Internet bulletin boards, from
a husband denouncing a student he suspected of
carrying on an affair with his wife. Immediately,
hundreds joined in the attack. "Let's use our keyboard
and mouse in our hands as weapons," as one person
wrote, "to chop out the heads of these adulterers, to
pay for the sacrifice of the husband." Within days,
the hundreds had grown to thousands, and then tens of
thousands, with total strangers forming teams to hunt
down the student's identity and address, hounding him
out of his university and causing his family to
barricade themselves inside their home.
http://iht.com/articles/2006/05/31/business/chinet.php
cn: Cyber-dissident arrested, two others forced to
leave town
Reporters Without Borders today called for the release
on health grounds of cyber-dissident and human rights
activist Guo Qizhen, who was arrested at his home on
12 May and whose health, according to his lawyer, is
worrying.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17909
tn: Freedom of Expression Still Under Siege Six Months
After WSIS [press release]
According to a report prepared by members of the
International Freedom of Expression Exchange Tunisia
Monitoring Group, violations of freedom of expression,
freedom of the press, freedom of association and other
basic human rights are still rampant following the
WSIS in Tunisia.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605310171.html
sg: Bloggers say Net best left unregulated
Netizens believe that the Internet has its own checks
and balance, and is best left unregulated by the
Government.
http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=47023
Singapore says rules on use of Internet for political
discussions will remain
Singapore said rules governing the use of the Internet
to express political views during elections will
remain to avoid "undesirable situations" when false
information is posted for personal gains.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Technology/Singapore-says-rules-on-use-of-Internet-for-political-discussions-will-remain/2006/05/31/1148956414346.html
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/121842.asp
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/31052006/323/singapore-says-rules-use-internet-political-discussions-remain.html
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CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
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China to fine Internet pirates
China has announced a new law banning the uploading
and downloading of pirated material over the Internet
as well as the production, import and supply of any
technology that aids piracy.
http://www.chinaknowledge.com/news/news-detail.aspx?id=3213
uk: Police will not pursue ransom hackers
After a Manchester woman was held to ransom by
hackers, experts and senior police officers have
voiced concern that such cases are falling between the
cracks
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39272579,00.htm
Virus that holds PCs to ransom reaches Britain
The ransomware internet scam allows criminals to
access personal computers and encrypt files
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20409-2205691,00.html
my: Software piracy rate down slightly
The Malaysian software piracy rate has gone down by
one percentage point to 60%, according to a study by
the Business Software Alliance (BSA), released last
week.
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2006/6/1/technology/20060601154615&sec=technology
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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eu: Commission seeks to improve network and
information security in Europe
The European Commission adopted a policy document on a
new IT Security Strategy for Europe.
http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=15778
us: Kiddie Porn vs. Online Privacy
In a move that shouldn't really come as a surprise to
anyone, the Justice Department wants Internet
companies to keep records on where people surf and who
they e-mail. The most compelling part of this news
isn't how much it falls in line with other recent,
clumsy Big Brother attempts on surveillance, but that
they're throwing it under the guise of protecting
children.
http://www.newsfactor.com/blog/blog.xhtml?story_id=5242
us: Internet Firms Told to Keep Records on Customers
Longer
Top U.S. law enforcement officials have told Internet
companies that they must retain customer records
longer to help in child-pornography and terrorism
investigations and that they are considering asking
Congress to require that records be preserved.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/01/AR2006060102216.html
us: To fight terrorism, child porn: Feds want Internet
firms to track Web users
Top law enforcement officials have asked leading
Internet companies to keep histories of the activities
of Web users for up to two years to assist in criminal
investigations of child pornography and terrorism, the
Justice Department said
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/nationworld/14448.php
zw: Government Publishes Official Announcement of
Controversial Bill to Legalise Interception of
Communications [press release]
In a Government Gazette released on 26 May 2006, the
government has "gazetted" [made public] its proposed
Interception of Communications Bill, 2006. The bill,
if passed by parliament, will make it legal for state
agencies to spy upon and intercept telephone
conversations, postal items and e-mail messages of
private citizens.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605310175.html
eu: MEP pitches email and text message tax
Email users might soon have to pay for the privilege
of sending messages in Europe, according to a proposal
from a member of the Budgets Committee of the European
Parliament. A tax of ?0.0000001 per email has been
proposed by MEP Alain Lamassoure.
http://www.out-law.com/page-6969
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INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE
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au: Teens, tech and getting connected
Technology is changing the way teenagers keep in
touch: IF YOU sent notes around the class, got told
off for hogging the phone at home after school and
spent hours writing letters to your penpals, you won't
recognise the teenagers of today.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/teens-tech-and-getting-connected/2006/05/31/1148956356779.html
uk: BBC to show World Cup games online
The BBC says the move shows it is 'taking seriously'
what consumers have been calling for, but corporate
networks could face serious problems
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39272586,00.htm
us: Web users to 'patrol' US border
A US state is to enlist web users in its fight against
illegal immigration by offering live surveillance
footage of the Mexican border on the internet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5040372.stm
uk: BBC and ITV team up to launch mobile television
Some of the country's biggest broadcasters, including
ITV and the BBC, have formed an unprecedented alliance
to develop a TV service that will broadcast live to
mobile phones.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1789670,00.html
Home Broadband Adoption 2006 - Pew Internet
Adoption of high-speed internet at home grew twice as
fast in the year prior to March 2006 than in the same
time frame from 2004 to 2005. Middle-income Americans
accounted for much of the increase.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/184/report_display.asp
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FILE SHARING
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Russian Download Site Is Popular and Possibly Illegal
AllofMP3.com, a music downloading service based in
Moscow, is becoming a global success story, except for
one important detail: The site may well be illegal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/world/europe/01cnd-mp3.html
http://iht.com/articles/2006/06/01/yourmoney/mp3.php
Swedish police shut Web site in music piracy raid
Swedish police detained three people in raids and
closed an Internet site on Wednesday that the
entertainment industry said was a major source of
music and film piracy.
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2006-05-31T181501Z_01_L31264277_RTRUKOC_0_US-SWEDEN-PIRACY.xml
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SWEDEN_FILE_SHARING
http://news.com.com/Swedish+crackdown+on+Net+piracy+sparks+row/2100-1025_3-6079517.html
se: Hackers hit Swedish police site
Cyber vandals have attacked the website of the Swedish
police a day after raids against a BitTorrent site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5041848.stm
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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uk: Internet diva who sent Fleet Street into a spin
Sandi Thom's rise from online basement gigs to chart
success has called into question the role of the press
and PR machinery.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1789697,00.html
Why is eBay partnering with Yahoo?
Because both are scared of Google, which not only
dominates search, but is launching a payments system
and plans to take over the world's classified
advertising.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1786760,00.html
People power drives the new internet revolution
The internet has been around for only around 15 years,
but already it is on the brink of a second revolution.
No less a figure than Sir Tim Berners-Lee, credited by
many with the invention of the web, told the recent
WWW 2006 conference in Edinburgh that developments
such as blogs, "wikis" (sites such as the online
encyclopedia Wikipedia, which allow users to edit
content) and community websites are transforming the
internet. And it is no longer the big names -
Microsoft, Yahoo! or AOL - that are in control.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article624549.ece
Google Fumbles Offline
The search giant admits that its traditional media
efforts are proceeding more slowly than expected
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jun2006/pi20060601_474265.htm
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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au: Telstra's transformation - the need for speed
Leading commentators slam short-sighted politicians
for getting in the way of plans for new broadband
networks.
http://nowwearetalking.com.au/Home/Page.aspx?mid=218
nz: Unbundling benefits facing threat from technician
shortage
A shortage of telecommunications engineers could be a
serious obstacle for Telecom's competitors as they
seek to benefit from local loop unbundling.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3689909a13,00.html
Convergence to spur tech deals, analysts say
PricewaterhouseCoopers has predicted a boom in the
information technology sector, driven by digital
convergence.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6078505.html
Telecom service providers bank on broadband
Telecommunications service providers in the Asia
Pacific region are focusing more on broadband and
mobile segments to sustain growth and revenues.
http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2006/106060112.asp
Vodafone Premium content (sub req'd)
Telecoms has changed dramatically, but a wireless
pioneer has not
http://economist.com/business/displayStory.cfm?story_id=7013391
Digital convergence: a whole new way of life: a speech
by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission
responsible for Information Society and Media
My vision is of an Information Society in which
personalised devices that automatically advice to our
preferences or abilities. For example, the so-called
?avatars? that can translate TV programs in real-time
into the sign language of choice for deaf people or
ICT that can help elderly people stay longer in their
own home while still enjoying a high level of
healthcare, security and social networking. I also
want to see technologies are available to everyone and
that help everyone. I want above all to see
technologies that bring people together and facilitate
participation in society. It is for these reasons that
I am launching actions on eInclusion and
eAccessibility with a European initiative in 2008 that
will bring together the different efforts in these
areas; an i2010 flagship on ?independent living in an
ageing society? contributing to a better quality of
life for older people ? at home, at work and in their
social networks; and the intelligent car flagship that
will make road transport safer, smarter and cleaner.
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/commission_barroso/reding/docs/speeches/dle_20060530.pdf
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VoIP
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Internet Phones: Please Wait for the Next Available
Opportunity
The telephone and the PC are ubiquitous desk mates,
but connecting home phones to the Internet remains a
challenge.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/business/yourmoney/04digi.html
ph: House approves VoIP deregulation bill
THE House of Representatives has approved a proposed
measure to deregulate VoIP in the Philippines
http://news.inq7.net/infotech/index.php?index=1&story_id=77624
us: Survey Finds VOIP Satisfaction, Despite Some
Disconnect
With voice over IP consumer usage poised to become a
mass market, existing users are fairly satisfied with
their service, according to a new survey released on
May 31 by SupportSoft.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1970053,00.asp
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Man jailed over computer child porn offences
A Brisbane man charged with possessing child
pornography on his home computer has been sentenced to
three years in jail.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1653869.htm
nz: Fine for child porn hoard
A computer systems administrator was found with more
than 115,000 objectionable files on his computer, some
of which he shared with a girlfriend via email.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3685914a10,00.html
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(c) David Goldstein 2006
David Goldstein
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AUSTRALIA
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