Thursday 28 July 2016

Why Turkey issued a social media ban during a coup attempt—and promptly lifted it | The Daily Dot

Why Turkey issued a social media ban during a coup attempt—and promptly lifted it | The Daily Dot: "A source within Turkey’s censorship mechanism, who would like to remain anonymous due to government pressure, confirmed to the Daily Dot that Turkish ISPs received an email from the government’s internet authority (TİB) at 1:35am asking them to “urgently” lift the ban on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

This unprecedented turnaround can be explained by Erdoğan’s need to mobilize his supporters quickly against the coup attempt. Technology proved pivotal in getting his message across. 

 As an information security researcher known by the Twitter handle @thegrugq explains, Erdoğan had to use FaceTime to broadcast his message as his plane circled in the air away from the danger of pro-coup fighter jets bombing security structure in Turkey’s capital Ankara.

 Later, tweets from his personal account and presidential account were further broadcast by tweets from official news agency and even from the national police force. All called for the nation to march towards city squares and defy the coup—which countless citizens did." 'via Blog this'

Brazil prosecutor freezes $11.7 million of Facebook funds due to WhatsApp case | Reuters

Brazil prosecutor freezes $11.7 million of Facebook funds due to WhatsApp case | Reuters: "In the most recent decision, the court rejected Facebook's defense that the data of users was the responsibility of telephone and internet service operators in the United States and Ireland, which would require international cooperation.

Prosecutor Alexandre Jabur, author of the order, said Facebook has shown enormous disregard for Brazilian institutions, especially the courts, prosecutors and police in not meeting court orders.

 Brazilian courts have shut down the popular WhatsApp messaging service nationwide three times since December.

In the most recent case last week, a judge in Rio de Janeiro ordered local operators to suspend service to WhatsApp across the country until Facebook complied with an order to turn over information regarding a criminal process in the greater Rio area.

On the same day, Supreme Court President Ricardo Lewandowski ordered the service re-established." 'via Blog this'

Wednesday 27 July 2016

OPINION OF ADVOCATE GENERAL SAUGMANDSGAARD ØE delivered on 19 July 2016 (1) Joined Cases C‑203/15 and C‑698/15

CURIA - Documents: " Tele2 Sverige AB
v
Post- och telestyrelsen (C‑203/15)

and

Secretary of State for the Home Department
v
Tom Watson,
Peter Brice,
Geoffrey Lewis (C‑698/15)" 'via Blog this'

TeleFrieden: Preliminary Summary of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Network Neutrality Decision

TeleFrieden: Preliminary Summary of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Network Neutrality Decision: "By a 2-1 vote, reflecting vastly different legal philosophies and regulator expectations, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected all challenges to the FCC’s Open Internet Order. [1] The majority deemed limited its review function and opted to apply ample case precedent that defers to regulatory agencies on both procedural and substantive areas. [2] In a nutshell, the majority opted not to second guess the FCC and expressed support for the Commission’s interpretation of law and its assessment of how consumers access the Internet and what they expect from service providers. [3] This decision supports a rare instance where the FCC substantially expands its regulatory wingspan, despite the general trend toward less government oversight. [4]" 'via Blog this'

EU watchdogs permit Privacy Shield to run for one year - BBC News

EU watchdogs permit Privacy Shield to run for one year - BBC News: "The new EU-US data-sharing agreement will be able to run for at least a year, European regulators have announced.
The Privacy Shield allows companies to transfer personal data from the EU to the United States.

EU governments approved the pact earlier this month, but 28 data protection authorities had yet to comment. They have now said they will not challenge the deal for at least a year.
This means that no legal objection to the framework will be launched until it has had time to go through its first annual review next summer.

The Privacy Shield replaces an arrangement known as Safe Harbour, which was struck down in October 2015 after leaks showed data was subject to US surveillance." 'via Blog this'

Sunday 24 July 2016

Government must build on digital economy success, say MPs

Government must build on digital economy success, say MPs - News from Parliament - UK Parliament: "The report describes the UK as a "digital leader" with "significant growth in the digital economy". However, the Committee calls on the Government to set out in its forthcoming Digital Strategy the implications of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Issues that need addressing include the impact on UK tech firms employing digitally-skilled EU migrants and access to the European single digital market for British-based companies, the Committee says.

 Regulation

The report also urges the Government to clarify regulation for disruptive technologies, such as Uber and Airbnb, so as to promote productivity, innovation and customer choice and protection, while safeguarding workers and ensuring fairness.

The report highlights how so-called digital disruptor businesses can get a competitive advantage because they often do not have to comply with the same regulations as the businesses they are disrupting. Airbnb providers are not bound by the health and safety regulations of hotels, for example." 'via Blog this'

Thursday 21 July 2016

Crime rate set to double after extent of online offences is laid bare: ONS via The Guardian

Crime rate set to double after extent of online offences is laid bare | UK news | The Guardian: "The ONS says one in 10 adults have been victims of cybercrime in the past year. The chance of being a victim is the same regardless of social class or whether someone lives in a deprived or affluent, urban or rural area.

The 5.8m offences were made up of 3.8m fraud offences, including 2.5m incidents of bank and credit card fraud, and 2m computer misuse offences, including 1.4m virus attacks.

The remaining 600,000 estimated offences related to unauthorised access to personal information, such as hacking of email, social media or other online accounts.

The latest overall figures, excluding online crime, in the 12 months to March 2015 show there were an estimated 6.3m offences – 6% fewer than in the previous year." 'via Blog this'