Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news.


And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Why the UN is Trying to Take over the Internet
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/08/09/why-the-un-is-trying-to-take-over-the-internet/

Reform ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee: Multi-stakeholderize it! by Milton Mueller
http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/08/08/reform-icanns-governmental-advisory-committee-multi-stakeholderize-it/

New multi-stakeholder forum established to help shape Australia's internet future
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-08082012/

au: Industry bodies unite to shape Internet's future
http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/56128-industry-bodies-unite-to-shape-internets-future

Judiciary Committee Leaders Ask ICANN for Further Details on New gTLD Program
http://internetcommerce.org/Judiciary_Letter_New_gTLDs

INTA Shares U.S. Congress?s Concerns About New gTLD Program 
http://www.inta.org/Press/Pages/INTASharesUSCongress%E2%80%99sConcernsAboutNewgTLDProgram.aspx

Enjoy your weekend ? ICANN extends new gTLD comment period
http://domainincite.com/10094-enjoy-your-weekend-icann-extends-new-gtld-comment-period

ICANN Extends New gTLD Application Comment Period by 45 Days
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/08/11/icann-extends-gtld-application-period/

Did Google withdraw three new gTLD applications?
http://domainincite.com/10089-did-google-withdraw-three-new-gtld-applications

Internet attacks from China and US increased in first quarter of 2012, report says [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230124/Internet_attacks_from_China_and_US_increased_in_first_quarter_of_2012_report_says


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GOVERNANCE
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Why the UN is Trying to Take over the Internet
Yet another anachronistic regulator is trying to flex its muscles over the Internet. But this time the U.S. government is actually the one trying to stop them.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/08/09/why-the-un-is-trying-to-take-over-the-internet/

My Comment on Forbes - Why Is the UN Trying to Take over the Internet by Suresh Ramasubramanian
Forbes just published this article that's being shared all over my facebook friends feed. I left a comment on the article that I've copied and pasted here, as it is just about long enough to qualify as a CircleID post by itself... The problem is that peering isn't always settlement free -- and even if it is, if and only if there's an equitable amount of traffic exchanged between two ISPs. And then there's transit, where you pay another network to carry your packets for you.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120810_my_comment_on_forbes_why_is_un_trying_to_take_over_the_internet/

Reform ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee: Multi-stakeholderize it! by Milton Mueller
Finally, what you?ve all been waiting for: the right way to fit governments into what is supposed to be ICANN?s bottom-up, multi-stakeholder policy development process. The ideas in this blog post came out of some fascinating discussions we had at the European Summer School on Internet Governance. In particular, I?d like to call out Thomas Rickert, Bertrand de la Chapelle, and Wolfgang Kleinwachter (Head Professor of the Euro-SSIG) as people whose challenges and ideas helped me to shape this proposal. Not that any of them should be held responsible for it.
http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/08/08/reform-icanns-governmental-advisory-committee-multi-stakeholderize-it/

Internet Society Board of Trustees Expresses Concern about the Potential Impact of the World Conference on International Telecommunications on the Internet
The Internet Society Board of Trustees, during its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada, discussed the upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) and expressed concern that some proposed changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) Treaty could have a negative impact on the Internet.
http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-board-trustees-expresses-concern-about-potential-impact-world-conference

New multi-stakeholder forum established to help shape Australia's internet future
The first Australian Internet Governance Forum (auIGF) will be held at the Hotel Realm, Canberra on the 11th and 12th of October.
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-08082012/

au: Industry bodies unite to shape Internet's future
A number of prominent Internet and telecoms organisations have joined forces to stage the first Australian Internet Governance Forum in Canberra in October with the hope of influencing future government policy.
http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/56128-industry-bodies-unite-to-shape-internets-future

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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A New Approach to Africa
With the support of AFRINIC, Africa's Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources, ICANN and leading members of its community are today announcing an initiative aimed at increasing African participation and influence within ICANN.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-10aug12-en.htm

Period of 09 ? 19 August 2012: Public Comment Periods Recently Opened and Approaching Closing Date
The Following Public Comment periods are Recently Opened or are approaching their Comment or Reply Period Close dates between 09 - 19 August 2012.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-09aug12-en.htm

Letter from Stacy Burnette, Director, Contractual Compliance, ICANN, to John He, Xin Net Technology Corporation
Updated Notice of Breach
http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/burnette-to-he-10aug12-en

Afilias exec returns to ICANN board
Afilias chief technology officer Ram Mohan has been reappointed to ICANN?s board of directors for a fourth year.
http://domainincite.com/10116-afilias-exec-returns-to-icann-board

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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ca: Online Scam Warning for Internet Users
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has received reports of an online scam, wherein ?renewdomain.ca? is sending out fake email renewal notices to .CA Registrants.
http://www.cira.ca/news/announcements/online-scam/

Canadian Web site owners targeted by new scam
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) today is warning dot-ca owners of a new online scan involving fake renewal notices sent via e-mail.
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=68504

cr: How to protect your children on the Internet - OpenDNS
Children cannot look after themselves and do not have the discretion to determine if the content they see on the Internet is appropriate for their age. For this reason, NIC Costa Rica wants to provide you with some practical advice on how to control the information that your children can access on the web through the implementation of DNS technology.
http://www.nic.cr/niccr_publico/showSimpleNew.do?id=30

HKIRC Reduces Registrar Price for .?? and .hk Domain Names by 20%
Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) today announced a 20% reduction in registrar price per domain bundle of the Chinese .?? and English .hk domain names, from HK$125 to HK$100.
https://www2.hkirc.hk/company_info/pressrelease.jsp?item=457

me: An Easy Fix To The Domain Name Problem
After you?ve found the guts to start your own venture, have assembled the right team, and have an initial product, you start brainstorming company names. As you?re brainstorming company names, you cross them with available domain names. You quickly realize the only decent length ?.com?s left are ?apsoif.com?. Sadly, even if you can figure out how to pronounce that, there?s no way your customer is going to remember it.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/zipfitme/2012/08/09/an-easy-fix-to-the-domain-name-problem/

mobi: Mobile Users Now and in the Future: A Snapshot
Like many of us in the technology industry, I am captivated by the growing adoption of mobile. It?s changing multiple industries at a pace that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
http://registrypro.pro/blogs/ram-mohan/mobile-users-now-and-future-snapshot

no: Domain name policy change 21 August 2012
In connection with the automatizing the submitting of the applicant's declaration, the declaration text gets clarified and clean-up.
http://www.norid.no/regelverk/forslag/2012-08-09/index.en.html

.Nz Registry Enables DNSSEC
The .nz domain registry has announced that they have enabled DNSSEC in the New Zealand namespace: New Zealanders will be able to better secure their web presence from today, thanks to a major technical security deployment by InternetNZ subsidiaries .nz Registry Services (NZRS) and the Domain Name Commission (DNCL).
http://www.internetnews.me/2012/08/07/nz-registry-enables-dnssec/

PIR Elects New Members To .ORG Advisory Council
Public Interest Registry (PIR), the not-for-profit operator of the .ORG domain, today announced the appointment of new members to its .ORG Advisory Council.
http://pir.org/pr/2012/acmembers

.Post Is In The Root
Yesterday a ?new? domain extension was added to the root nameservers. It?s not really ?new?, as it was approved ages ago, but hadn?t been delegated. The .post TLD will be run for post offices and only post offices, so don?t expect to see too many domain names using it.
http://www.internetnews.me/2012/08/08/post-is-in-the-root/

Beginning of the open registration of .??? domain names
On 1 August 2012, registrations opened with a Land Rush for the Serbian IDN .???. From now on, everyone can register a .??? domain name, regardless of whether or not they already have an equivalent .rs domain name.
http://rnids.rs/en/what-s-new/beginning-of-the-open-registration-of-???-domain-names/id/3897

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 - NEW TLDS
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Judiciary Committee Leaders Ask ICANN for Further Details on New gTLD Program
The Chairmen and ranking minority members of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees have sent a letter to ICANN requesting ?further details about the steps ICANN is taking to fulfill its commitment to ensure that the New gTLD process will provide ?a secure, stable marketplace? with input from ?the community as a whole.?
http://internetcommerce.org/Judiciary_Letter_New_gTLDs

INTA Shares U.S. Congress?s Concerns About New gTLD Program 
The International Trademark Association (INTA) supports the leaders of the Judiciary Committees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives in their call for ICANN to seek additional public comment concerning its new gTLDs program and to take further steps to assure a secure and stable online experience.
http://www.inta.org/Press/Pages/INTASharesUSCongress%E2%80%99sConcernsAboutNewgTLDProgram.aspx

Enjoy your weekend ? ICANN extends new gTLD comment period
ICANN has extended the public comment period on new gTLD applications by 45 days, after pressure from intellectual property interests and the US government.
http://domainincite.com/10094-enjoy-your-weekend-icann-extends-new-gtld-comment-period

ICANN Extends New gTLD Application Comment Period by 45 Days
ICANN announced Friday they extended the public comment period for new gTLDs applications for an additional 45 days. The new end date is 26 September 2012.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=18402
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/08/11/icann-extends-gtld-application-period/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-extends-new-gtld-application-comment-period-by-45-days.html

The (Limited) Importance of ICANN?s Decision to Extend the Public Comment Deadline
In a dramatic ? but woefully late ? move, ICANN has just announced that it has extended the 60-day deadline for public comments on new gTLD applications. Originally set for August 12, 2012, the new deadline has been extended for an additional 45 days, to September 26, 2012.
http://isenbergondomains.com/2012/08/10/the-limited-importance-of-icanns-decision-to-extend-the-public-comment-deadline/

Public Comment Period Extended
ICANN announced today that the new gTLD Public Comment period has been extended until September 26, 2012. This means that members of the public have an additional 45 days to submit comments on new gTLD applications with ICANN?s assurance that those comments will reach new gTLD application evaluators.
http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/public-comment-period-extended

The public comment period on gTLDs
With the close of the new gTLD public comment window approaching rapidly on Sunday 12 August 2012, one question that keeps on being raised again and again is ? ?Should I be interested in the public comments and what good will it do my brand??.
http://www.netnames.com/blog/2012/08/the-public-comment-period-on-gtlds/

Did Google withdraw three new gTLD applications?
Is Google behind the three new gTLD applications that have already been withdrawn?
http://domainincite.com/10089-did-google-withdraw-three-new-gtld-applications

Big hotel chains pick a side in .hotel gTLD fight
Many of the world?s major hotel chains say they plan to object to every .hotel new gTLD application but one.
http://domainincite.com/10101-big-hotel-chains-pick-a-side-in-hotel-gtld-fight

Infodump: what we learned about new gTLDs today
ICANN held a webinar today in which it detailed a whole lot of the current thinking about the evaluation phase of the new gTLD program, including some new deadlines and target dates.
http://domainincite.com/10069-infodump-what-we-learned-about-new-gtlds-today

Interview: Kieren McCarthy on .Nxt conference
The .Nxt conference on new TLDs is August 29-31 in London. I reached out to show organizer Kieren McCarthy for details.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/08/09/interview-kieren-mccarthy-on-nxt-conference/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Internet attacks from China and US increased in first quarter of 2012, report says [IDG]
China and the U.S. were the two largest sources of Internet-attack traffic in the first quarter of 2012, increasing to account for 16% and 11% respectively, according to Akamai Technologies.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230124/Internet_attacks_from_China_and_US_increased_in_first_quarter_of_2012_report_says
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/080912-internet-attacks-from-china-and-261520.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/260625/internet_attacks_from_china_and_us_increased_in_first_quarter_of_2012_report_says.html

Calls to curb cyber espionage after state-sponsored attack targets Lebanon
The international community has been urged to act quickly to curb cyber espionage after security researchers discovered the latest state-sponsored attack targeting financial systems in Lebanon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/09/cyber-espionage-state-sponsored-lebanon

Pentagon proposes more robust role for its cyber-specialists
The Pentagon has proposed that military cyber-specialists be given permission to take action outside its computer networks to defend critical U.S. computer systems ? a move that officials say would set a significant precedent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-proposes-more-robust-role-for-its-cyber-specialists/2012/08/09/1e3478ca-db15-11e1-9745-d9ae6098d493_story.html

Dept. of Energy wants electric utilities to create "cybersecurity governance board"
The Dept. of Energy (DoE) has issued a call for to electric-power companies that encourages them to make cybersecurity a top priority by setting up a cybersecurity governance board to oversee an internal cybersecurity program for protection and share information with the DoE.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/081012-dept-of-energy-wants-electric-261562.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/260770/cybersecurity_call_from_energy_department_involves_power_companies.html

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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The Internet IPv4 address business
Don't want to switch over to IPv6 yet? It's getting to be easier to switch IPv4 Internet address blocks from region to region and to buy them from the free market.
http://www.zdnet.com/the-internet-ipv4-address-business-7000002471/

IPv6 Market Has Liftoff - Now the Hard Part Begins by Bruce Sinclair
Starting last week there have been a number of sensational headlines about IPv6 user adoption using adjectives and phrases like, "explodes", "skyrocketing" and "conquering the world". Nice to hear for sure but what does that mean to vendors of IPv6 gear or anyone else studying the market?
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120809_ipv6_market_has_liftoff_now_the_hard_part_begins/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Go Daddy: 6% chance somebody else wants that available reg-fee domain too
If you?ve found an available, unregistered domain name, there?s at least a 6% chance that somebody else has also found it that very same day, according to Go Daddy.
http://domainincite.com/10084-go-daddy-6-chance-somebody-else-wants-that-available-reg-fee-domain-too

GoDaddy Responds To Front Running Claims
Over the last week several bloggers have posted accusing GoDaddy of ?front running?, which is a practice that was effectively blocked by ICANN several years ago. GoDaddy have responded and explained how people can confuse lack of originality (their chosen domain wasn?t really unique) with nefarious activity.
http://www.internetnews.me/2012/08/10/godaddy-responds-to-front-running-claims/

Profiting from your online presence ? the hidden benefits of staying one step ahead with corporate domain strategy
The online space today is a different world from 1994-5. In 1994-5 there were only two real concerns for a business to worry about: (1) what TLD should I register? and (2) what should I do with it?
http://www.netnames.com/blog/2012/08/profiting-from-your-online-presence-?-the-hidden-benefits-of-staying-one-step-ahead-with-corporate-domain-strategy/

RIPE: Independent Internet Number Resources ? Contractual Relationship Changes Between Sponsoring LIR and End User
The RIPE NCC has published a new version of the procedural document ?Independent Internet Number Resources ? Contractual Relationship Changes Between Sponsoring LIR and End User?.
http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/announcements/independent-internet-number-resources-2013

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Domains seized from Demonoid BitTorrent site up for sale
Three key Demonoid domains are now up for sale, less than two weeks after the BitTorrent site was taken down in a coordinated effort.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57491730-93/domains-seized-from-demonoid-bittorrent-site-up-for-sale/

Demonoid Domain Names Now Up For Sale
Bad news for those expecting the BitTorrent site Demonoid to somehow spring up from the ashes after last week's alleged bust. 
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408369,00.asp

Six-Figure Two-Letter .Com Sale Handled By Toby Clements Tops This Week's Sales Chart
The current streak of six-figure domain sales has been extended to three weeks thanks to a nice two-letter .com transaction handled by the Toby Clements Newsletter.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20120808.htm

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INTERNET USE
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The Internet is getting faster, but, is the last mile of the Internet getting faster fast enough?
The good news, according to Akamai, a high-performance Web and analytics company, is that ?the global average connection speed experienced a 14% quarter-over-quarter increase in the first three months of 2012, returning to 2.6 Mbps (Megabits per second).? The bad news is we want much faster connections than we're getting.
http://www.zdnet.com/the-internet-is-getting-faster-7000002402/

Vietnam ranks among world's top-20 countries for Internet users
Vietnam ranks the 18th place in the world's top 20 countries with over 30 percent of its population accessing the worldwide web, the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center said on Friday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2012-08/10/c_131776625.htm

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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au: Warning to firms on Facebook comments
Large companies that fail to remove false and misleading comments from their brands' Facebook pages within 24 hours face potential court action, the competition watchdog has said.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/warning-to-firms-on-facebook-comments-20120812-242vr.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/warning-to-firms-on-facebook-comments-20120812-242vr.html

The Very Real Perils of Rich Kids on Social Networks
Zachary Dell, the teenage son of PC magnate Michael Dell, earned his 15 minutes of Internet fame this week. He appeared on a Tumblr site called the Rich Kids of Instragram in a photo posted by his older sister Alexa. There Zachary sat on the family jet, devouring a Ritz-worthy buffet on his way to Fiji. (Update: Looks like someone took the photo down.)
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-10/the-very-real-perils-of-rich-kids-on-social-networks

40 percent of world's top brands already on Instagram
If you're still wondering why Instagram appealed to Facebook, consider how many of the world's top 100 brands are already on the photo-sharing service.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57489698-93/40-percent-of-worlds-top-brands-already-on-instagram/

au: Facebook in breach of local laws, says rights watchdog
Facebook is facing the wrath of Australia's human rights watchdog over its refusal to remove a page racially stereotyping Aboriginals as drunks and thieves.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/facebook-in-breach-of-local-laws-says-rights-watchdog/story-e6frgakx-1226447094331

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Should we step up online censorship? Andrea Leadsom says yes. Padraig Reidy says no.
Andrea Leadsom says yes: There is a need for drastic action to be taken to prevent young people being exposed to disturbing material on the internet.
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/voices/2012/08/should-we-step-online-censorship

nz: Prank pic on Twitter backfires
An outrageous picture of Chiefs rugby star Hika Elliot has been posted on the internet in the belief it might derail his All Black career.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/internet/news/article.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10826364
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10826364

nz: Cost of online dating scams soars
The amount of money Kiwis lost to online dating scams has doubled in the past year and now makes up almost two-thirds of all reported online fraud losses.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/cost-online-dating-scams-soars-5019975
http://domainincite.com/10101-big-hotel-chains-pick-a-side-in-hotel-gtld-fight

nz: NetSafe reports $1m Kiwi cyber losses
Netsafe has published figures showing almost $1m in losses over the past year due to online cyber attacks.
http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/netsafe-reports-1m-kiwi-cyber-losses/24392/2/

Online dating scams cost Kiwis $674K last year
New Zealanders lost $674,000 to online dating scams last year, making it easily the biggest internet fraud category in new figures released by Netsafe, which totaled $982,000 in total losses.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/almost-1m-losses-reported-netsafes-orb-website-ck-125667

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Google's Opaque New Policy Lets Rightsholders Dictate Search Results
Earlier this summer, we applauded Google for releasing detailed stats about content removal requests from copyright holders. Now that we know how they are going to use that data, we are less enthusiastic. Today, Google announced that it would use copyright takedown notices made under the DMCA1 as what it calls a "signal? on search results. Specifically, those "signals" will demote certain websites in search results.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/08/googles-opaque-new-policy-lets-rightsholders-dictate-search-results

Google alters algorithm as Hollywood lobbyists win latest copyright battle
Google is to make a significant change to its search algorithm from Monday, downgrading websites that persistently breach copyright laws.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/10/google-algorithm-hollywood-lobbyists-copyright

Google to Alter Search Results to Reflect a Site?s History of Copyright Infringement
Big media companies won a battle in the fight to combat online piracy on Friday when Google said it would alter its search algorithms to favor Web sites that offered legitimate copyrighted movies, music and television.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/google-to-alter-search-results-to-reflect-a-sites-history-of-copyright-infringement/

Google to drop search rankings of sites with many takedown notices
In a Friday morning blog post, Google said it will change its search algorithm next week to take into account ?the number of valid copyright removal notices? it receives for any site. High rates of removal notices are likely to drop a site down in the search results, which Google says ?should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily.?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/08/google-to-drop-search-rankings-of-sites-with-many-takedown-notices/

au: AFACT defends French three-strikes regime
The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) has come out in defence of France's controversial three-strikes law to combat copyright infringement, citing the regime's success in the country despite a pending review of the underpinning legislation.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/311143,afact-defends-french-three-strikes-regime.aspx

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Over-the-top phone services: Mobile operators are trying both to repel and to imitate invaders
The rise of the smartphone has been a mixed blessing for operators of mobile networks. People have been pleasingly eager to buy smartphones and to clock up data charges by playing games, watching videos and dawdling on social networks, as well as to make calls and send text messages. Yet smartphones have also opened the door to disruptive newcomers. Suppliers of ?over the top? (OTT, or ?value added?) services have been pinching the network operators? customers by offering messaging and voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) calls via smartphone apps.
http://www.economist.com/node/21560298

**********************
DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
India to trigger economic boom by giving mobiles to the poor
The Indian government is considering plans to give millions of mobile phones to its poorest families to help lift them from penury.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9466626/India-to-trigger-economic-boom-by-giving-mobiles-to-the-poor.html

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
**********************
'Dark net' drug deals boom on cyber Silk Road
Underground online drug marketplace Silk Road is doing an estimated $22 million a year in sales but, in light of evidence of its growing popularity among Australians, police and customs officials are starting to crack down.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/dark-net-drug-deals-boom-on-cyber-silk-road-20120809-23wdj.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/dark-net-drug-deals-boom-on-cyber-silk-road-20120809-23wdj.html

Greenpeace Wins Against Oil Company in Parody Site Trademark Infringement Case
Swedish web hosting provider Binero is prepared to defend itself against legal action from oil company Neste Oil should it seek damages for trademark infringement, according to an announcement by the web host on Thursday.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/greenpeace-wins-against-oil-company-in-parody-site-trademark-infringement-case

**********************
SECURITY
**********************
Internet attacks from China and US increased in first quarter of 2012, report says [IDG]
China and the U.S. were the two largest sources of Internet-attack traffic in the first quarter of 2012, increasing to account for 16% and 11% respectively, according to Akamai Technologies.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230124/Internet_attacks_from_China_and_US_increased_in_first_quarter_of_2012_report_says
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/080912-internet-attacks-from-china-and-261520.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/260625/internet_attacks_from_china_and_us_increased_in_first_quarter_of_2012_report_says.html

Calls to curb cyber espionage after state-sponsored attack targets Lebanon
The international community has been urged to act quickly to curb cyber espionage after security researchers discovered the latest state-sponsored attack targeting financial systems in Lebanon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/09/cyber-espionage-state-sponsored-lebanon

Pentagon proposes more robust role for its cyber-specialists
The Pentagon has proposed that military cyber-specialists be given permission to take action outside its computer networks to defend critical U.S. computer systems ? a move that officials say would set a significant precedent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-proposes-more-robust-role-for-its-cyber-specialists/2012/08/09/1e3478ca-db15-11e1-9745-d9ae6098d493_story.html

Dept. of Energy wants electric utilities to create "cybersecurity governance board"
The Dept. of Energy (DoE) has issued a call for to electric-power companies that encourages them to make cybersecurity a top priority by setting up a cybersecurity governance board to oversee an internal cybersecurity program for protection and share information with the DoE.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/081012-dept-of-energy-wants-electric-261562.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/260770/cybersecurity_call_from_energy_department_involves_power_companies.html

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PRIVACY
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Facebook agrees to govt audits of privacy practices [AP]
A United States government agency has finalised its settlement with Facebook, resolving charges that the social network exposed details about users' lives without getting the required legal consent.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10826483

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CENSORSHIP
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Korea Policing the Net. Twist? It's South Korea.
A government critic who called the president a curse word on his Twitter account found it blocked. An activist whose Twitter posting likened officials to pirates for approving a controversial naval base was accused by the navy of criminal defamation. And a judge who wrote that the president (?His Highness?) was out to ?screw? Internet users who challenged his authority was fired in what was widely seen as retaliation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/13/world/asia/critics-see-south-korea-internet-curbs-as-censorship.html

Europe's quixotic plan to "clean" the Internet of terrorists
Delegates from Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Europol?the European Union's criminal intelligence agency?will gather in London this September as part of a project to cleanse the Internet (or at least the European section of the Internet) from "terrorist websites." And they have European Union money to do it.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/08/europes-quixotic-plan-to-clean-the-internet-of-terrorists/

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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FTC Fines Google $22.5 Million for Safari Privacy Violations
The Federal Trade Commission fined Google $22.5 million on Thursday to settle charges that it had bypassed privacy settings in Apple?s Safari browser to be able to track users of the browser and show them advertisements, and violated an earlier privacy settlement with the agency.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/f-t-c-fines-google-22-5-million-for-safari-privacy-violations/

Google fined over Safari cookie privacy row
Google has agreed to pay the largest fine ever imposed on a single company by the US Federal Trade Commission.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19200279

Google to pay record $22.5m fine to FTC over Safari tracking
Google is to pay a record $22.5m (?14.4m) fine to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US after it tracked users of Apple's iPhone, iPad and Mac computers by circumventing privacy protections on the Safari web browser for several months at the end of 2011 and into 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/09/google-record-fine-ftc-safari

Google settles FTC privacy case for $22.5 million, agency?s largest penalty
Google and the Federal Trade Commission Thursday announced the company has agreed to a $22.5 million settlement ? the agency?s largest penalty ever ? on charges that Google misrepresented its actions to users of Apple?s Safari browser.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/google-settles-ftc-privacy-case-for-225-million-agencys-largest-penalty/2012/08/09/e048f6a2-e236-11e1-a25e-15067bb31849_blog.html

FTC Approves Final Settlement With Facebook: Facebook Must Obtain Consumers' Consent Before Sharing Their Information Beyond Established Privacy Settings [news release]
Following a public comment period, the FTC has accepted as final a settlement with Facebook resolving charges that Facebook deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/08/facebook.shtm

Letting Companies Settle While Denying Guilt Reconsidered by F.T.C.
The Federal Trade Commission finished a settlement with Facebook on Friday over allegations that the company had violated its privacy policy, and in the process said it would re-examine its own practice of allowing companies to settle charges of wrongdoing while denying that they had done anything wrong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/business/facebook-settlement-on-privacy-is-finalized-by-ftc.html?_r=1&ref=technology

au: Data retention proposals put on hold?
Controversial data retention reforms have reportedly been put on hold until after the next election, which could happen as early as August next year.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/433238/data_retention_proposals_put_hold_/

au: Roxon puts web surveillance plans on ice
A CONTROVERSIAL internet security plan to store the web history of all Australians for up to two years has been stalled by the federal government until after the next election.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/roxon-puts-web-surveillance-plans-on-ice-20120809-23x9l.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/roxon-puts-web-surveillance-plans-on-ice-20120809-23x9l.html

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Telecommunications in Brazil: A swamped mobile-phone network could choke Latin America?s biggest economy
After an 11-day partial ban on signing up new customers, TIM, Oi and Claro, three of Brazil?s four big mobile-phone firms, are back in business. On July 23rd the telecoms regulator, Anatel, imposed the sanctions as a wake-up call about the need for better management and more investment. State by state, it punished the company most complained about: TIM, a subsidiary of Telecom Italia, in 18 states and the Federal District; Oi, which is partly owned by Portugal Telecom, in five; and Claro, which belongs to Mexico?s Am?rica M?vil, in three. Vivo, a subsidiary of Spain?s Telef?nica that is the biggest operator, escaped by not being worst anywhere.
http://www.economist.com/node/21560271

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David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/
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"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery