CyberLaw Blog

Archive for July 17th, 2009

HADOPI raises from the dead, still as flawed: “

After the groundbreaking decision1 from the Constitutional Council of France, last month against the three strikes law adopted in May, the Government is re-introducing a reworked version of the so-called ‘graduated response’. The inherent flaws of this system, aimed at fighting exchange of entertainment content through Internet, makes this new bill as dangerous as its predecessor.

1. 1. read more

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   (Via La Quadrature du Net -.)

   Posted in 3 Strikes out, France, Hadopi, P2P file sharing, Piracy | No Comments » | Read more..

CompuServe, Prodigy et al.: What Web 2.0 can learn from Online 1.0: “(Industry Standard)
Everyone’s abuzz about Web 2.0, and it’s no wonder. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are some of the Internet’s most popular destinations, offering users unprecedented freedom to share content, engage in conversations and exchange ideas like never before. How short our memories are. Before everyone connected to one massive Internet, a variety of smaller commercial online services with names like CompuServe, GEnie, Prodigy, Delphi and, of course, America Online (AOL) ruled the roost. Some were launched as long ago as the late 1970s, and many were text-based with nary a graphic to be found. Each charged hourly or monthly fees to a national (and sometimes international) audience in exchange for access to its private network. In addition, there were many smaller Bulletin Board Systems, or BBSs, that were also accessed by use of modems and phone lines. see also Timeline: The evolution of online communities.

(Via QuickLinks Update.)

NZ – Web filter will focus solely on child sex abuse images: “(Press release)
A filtering system to block websites that host child sexual abuse images will be available voluntarily to New Zealand internet service providers (ISPs) within a couple of months, Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary, Keith Manch, said today. The Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System, funded with $150,000, will be operated by the Department in partnership with ISPs, and will focus solely on websites offering clearly objectionable images of child sexual abuse, which is a serious offence for anyone in New Zealand to access. The Department has entered into a partnership with ECPAT New Zealand, part of a global organisation the purpose of which is the elimination of child prostitution and pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. ‘ECPAT is operating a hotline through its website so that members of the public can report suspect sites, not already identified by the Department.’ see also NZ Internet Filtering FAQ by Thomas Beagle.

(Via QuickLinks Update.)

CA – Facebook needs to improve privacy practices, investigation finds(Press Release)
In order to comply with Canadian privacy law, Facebook must take greater responsibility for the personal information in its care, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said in announcing the results of an investigation into the popular social networking site’s privacy policies and practices. See Michael Geist’s summary.

(Via QuickLinks Update.)

DNA database swells despite human rights ruling: “

5.6 million records and still growing

An average of 40,000 profiles per month have been added to the National DNA Database since judges ruled the retention of samples from innocent people was illegal under human rights laws.…

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(Via The Register – Public Sector.)

Child protection groups undermine Aussie Firewall: “

Gov.au attacks ’spurious claims’

You know your child protection policy is in trouble when even mainstream children’s charities speak out against it – and this is just the latest in a string of bad news to hit Australian Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy over the last seven days.…

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(Via The Register – Public Sector.)