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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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**********************
GOVERNANCE
**********************
FCC to Congress: U.N.'s ITU Internet plans 'must be stopped'
Today, U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell will testify
to Congress in a joint U.S. House subcommittee hearing on international
Internet governance, that the free and open Internet is under attack ? and
inaction is not an option.
<http://www.zdnet.com/fcc-to-congress-u-n-s-itu-internet-plans-must-be-stopp
ed-7000010835/>

After WCIT, US lawmakers look for ways to advance Internet freedom [IDG]
Countries pushing for international regulation of the Internet through the
U.N. International Telecommunication Union will not quit after a partial
victory at an ITU meeting in December, some Internet government experts told
U.S. lawmakers.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020513-after-wcit-us-lawmakers-look-2
66436.html>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236530/After_WCIT_US_lawmakers_look
_for_ways_to_advance_Internet_freedom>

Internet ?Under Assault? by Censoring UN, Regulator Says
International proposals to control the Internet will continue after a United
Nations conference in Dubai and the U.S. should be ready to fight such
efforts, lawmakers and a regulator said.
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-05/un-internet-oversight-should-be-fo
ught-by-u-s-lawmakers-say.html>
<http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/internet-freedom-under-assaul
t-says-lawmaker-20130206-2dxf3.html>

No one should control Web: Berners-Lee
The creator of the World Wide Web warned not to hand over power of his
invention to the government. Speaking last night at a lecture hosted by
Sydney?s University of Technology, Tim Berners-Lee said the Internet should
remain independent in the same way as journalism.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452897/no_one_should_control_web_be
rners-lee/>

**********************
DOMAIN NAMES
**********************
**********************
 - ICANN
**********************
Europe Regional Registry/Registrar Meeting Exceeds Expectations
The recently completed Europe Regional Registry/Registrar Meeting held in
Amsterdam exceeded all previous regional meetings in local and remote
participation. The meeting was attended by 240 current or prospective
registries and registrars and observers. There were over 200 remote
connections during the two-day event with a peak of 57 remote participants
at one time. This is more than triple the attendance of the next largest
regional meeting.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/europe-regional-registryregistrar-meeting-exc
eeds-expectations/>

Webinar: Examining the UX Implication of the Active Variant TLDs
IDNs serve as powerful tools for broadening the Internet's capacity and
accessibility; however, they also raise novel issues. One important issue
concerns "variants" which occur when a single character can be identified
with two or more different Unicode Code Points with graphic representations
that may or may not be visually similar. IDN variants contain one or more
such characters and therefore, if not handled correctly, might result in
user confusion or a poor user experience.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-01feb13-e
n>

Initial Root Zone Growth Statistics Published
In December 2012, ICANN announced the start of work to collect and publish
data which would help correlate performance of L-Root with growth in the
root zone. The first set of measurements concerned with identifying growth
in the root zone, was published last month.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/initial-root-zone-growth-statistics-published
/>

Interim Report IDN ccNSO Policy Development Process
Purpose (Brief): The purpose of the IDN country code policy development
process (IDN ccPDP) Interim Report is to report on and seek feed-back on
feasible recommendations for overall policy for the selection of IDN ccTLD's
and the inclusion of IDN ccTLD managers in the ccNSO.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/idn-ccpdp-05feb13-en.htm>

Re: Closed Generic Top-Level Domains
Dear Dr. Crocker and Messrs. Chehad? and Chalaby: We are writing to express
our concern, similar to concerns expressed by Australia and Germany in their
respective Early Warnings, regarding private, exclusive ownership of closed
generic TLDs. As you are aware, a small number of companies have applied for
TLDs that consist of generic industry categories and seek to control them in
closed fashion. Examples of generic TLDs that are being pursued as closed
include .insurance, .app, .jewelry, .search, and .book, among others.
<https://www.myicann.org/news/articles/23374/related/23375>

CEO Roundtable II: The Registries by Fadi Chehad?
On Monday, I was very pleased to host more than a dozen leaders from the
registry community; participants in our latest CEO Roundtable series focused
on key issues and trends within the Domain Name System sector.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/02/ceo-roundtable-ii-the-registries/>

"Closed Generic" gTLD Applications
Purpose (Brief): To receive stakeholder views and suggestions on the topic
of "closed generic" gTLD applications.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/closed-generic-05feb13-en.htm>

Interim Report IDN ccNSO Policy Development Process
Purpose (Brief): The purpose of the IDN country code policy development
process (IDN ccPDP) Interim Report is to report on and seek feed-back on
feasible recommendations for overall policy for the selection of IDN ccTLD's
and the inclusion of IDN ccTLD managers in the ccNSO.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/idn-ccpdp-05feb13-en.htm>

Revised New gTLD Registry Agreement Including Additional Public Interest
Commitments Specification
Purpose (Brief): To receive community feedback on the revised New gTLD
Registry Agreement that includes certain updates and changes, including a
Public Interest Commitments Specification
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/base-agreement-05feb13-en.htm

I'm Impressed by Fadi by Pinkard Brand
I could have ignored yesterday's ICANN New gTLD Applicant Update Webinar and
just read summaries from the usual respected news and industry sources.
However, with three hours slotted and likely questions regarding ICANN CEO
Fadi Chehad?'s somewhat eyebrow-raising comments at the regional ICANN
Registry-Registrar meeting in Amsterdam last week -- led me wanting to hear
it all myself.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130206_i_am_impressed_by_fadi/>

**********************
 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
**********************
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority has a Pinterest account
Strangely, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority actually has a
Pinterest account.
<http://o.canada.com/2013/02/06/the-canadian-internet-registration-authority
-has-a-pinterest-account/>

Increase in .ie domain registration in 2012
Irish web domain registrar Register365 has reported a 14pc increase in the
registration of .ie domains since 2010.
<http://www.businessandleadership.com/business/item/39462-increase-in-ie-dom
ain-regi>

Verisign raises .name prices
Verisign plans to add 10% to the price of a .name domain name, judging by
published correspondence.
<http://domainincite.com/11775-verisign-raises-name-prices>

Sunrise for .pw extended by a week
The sunrise period for the liberalizing ccTLD .pw has been extended by a
week until February 15.
<http://domainincite.com/11790-sunrise-for-pw-extended-by-a-week>

**********************
 - NEW TLDS
**********************
IP lawyers gird for trademark issues amid domain name expansion
Intellectual property attorneys are focused on guarding against misuse of
their clients' brand names and trademarks ahead of the massive expansion of
Internet domain names, which is expected to begin by the end of 2013.
<http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2013/02_-_February/IP_l
awyers_gird_for_trademark_issues_amid_domain_name_expansion/>

How the Registrar Cash Flow Model Could Collapse with New ICANN gTLDs by
Thomas Barrett
New TLD applicants are getting plenty of advice nowadays about how to launch
their new Registry. In addition to thinking about their branding and
distribution, they should also be thinking about their business practices
with Registrars. What many of them do not realize is that their cash flow
practices, with respect to Registrars, may be a factor of whether ICANN
Registrars even support their Registry.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130204_how_registrar_cash_flow_model_could_
collapse_with_new_icann_gtlds/>

The favoured new TLD registrar payment model by Chris Wright, Chief
Technology Officer, ARI Registry Services
This week, Thomas Barrett ? the President of US based registrar EnCirca ?
published a timely article about how the registrar cash flow model could
collapse with the imminent release of hundreds of new TLD.
<http://www.ariservices.com/blog/the-favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-mode
l/>
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19777>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/07/favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-mo
del/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/the-favoured-new-tld-registrar-payment-model-b
y-chris-wright-ari-registry-services.html>

Microsoft Is Latest to Come Out Against Closed Generic New gTLD?s In Letter
To ICANN
ICANN just published a letter it received from Microsoft.com which is
objecting to closed generic strings.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/06/microsoft-is-latest-to-come-out-agains
t-closed-generic-new-gtlds-in-letter-to-icann/>

ICANN Publishes Pricing for Trademark Clearinghouse
As ICANN moves toward its expansion of Internet TLDs, trademark owners
should consider strategies to protect their brands.
<http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/icann-publishes-pricing-for-trademark-cl-6
7329/>

New TLDs a boon for domain registrars
A report published by Melbourne IT's digital brand services unit provides
ammunition for those who suspect the expansion in the number of TLDs
benefits the domain name industry rather than the Internet community as a
whole.
<http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/core-dump/58631-new-tlds-a-boon-
for-domain-registrars>

Petition to Preserve Open Internet New gTLD Namespaces Launched [news
release]
A petition has been launched at Change.org to preserve open New gTLDs for
consumers and users.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/07/petition-preserve-open-internet/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/petition-to-preserve-open-internet-new-gtld-na
mespaces-launched.html>

Closed generic gTLD applications under attack as ICANN seeks views
[registration]
This week, ICANN opened a 30-day public comment period seeking feedback on
whether particular requirements should be imposed on closed generic gTLD
applications. The call for comment was issued following increased concern
over the potential for companies to gain significant market advantage
through closed gTLDs.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=7be56061-2229-412c-
8f71-55bc20932cd8>

ICANN New gTLD Committee Not Sure How To Handle Closed Generic Applications
Its seems pretty clear that the New gTLD committee of ICANN doesn?t know
what they should do about what is fast becoming one of the biggest issues of
the new gTLD program, applications for closed generic strings.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/05/icann-new-gtld-committee-not-sure-how-
to-handle-closed-generic-applications/>

NewgTLDSite.com Starts Petition Asking ICANN To Stop Closed Generic New
gTLD?s From Being Awarded
Tom Gilles of NewgTLDSite.com just started an online petition to be sent to
ICANN to stop closed generic strings from being awarded and is hoping to get
100,000 signatures.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/05/newgtldsite-com-starts-petition-asking
-icann-to-stop-closed-generic-new-gtlds-from-being-awarded/>

Frank Schilling?s Uniregistry gets accredited as a registrar
Portfolio new gTLD applicant Uniregistry has taken the first step towards
bringing its proposed new gTLDs to market by getting accredited as a
registrar by ICANN.
<http://domainincite.com/11778-frank-schillings-uniregistry-gets-accredited-
as-a-registrar>

Top Indian companies line up with Rs 1 crore for new web suffixes
With over one lakh dotcoms being registered daily, time now seems to be ripe
for website suffixes like '.com' and '.org' making way for suffixes like
we.indians, gaddi.tata or my.baby. ICANN, an international agency
responsible for the naming process, is all set to give out new website
suffixes. And first in the line, paying about Rs 1 crore each, are at least
21 top Indian businesses houses like RIL, Bharati Airtel, State Bank of
India, Tata Industries, HDFC.
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/internet/Top-Indian-compa
nies-line-up-with-Rs-1-crore-for-new-web-suffixes/articleshow/18343795.cms>

**********************
 - DNS SECURITY
**********************
Canada Joins The DNSSEC Party
So what is the big deal about Canada signing their .ca ccTLD? To Canada, it
is a big deal to configure their DNS server to respond to DNSSEC lookups
because they are the 99th country to do so.
<http://www.darkreading.com/blog/240147786/canada-joins-the-dnssec-party.htm
l>

EU Develops New Cybersecurity Rules
The European Union will propose new cybersecurity rules Thursday, requiring
search engines, energy providers, banks and other companies to report
disruptions to government authorities.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578284102192561208.h
tml>

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes
A secret legal review on the use of America?s growing arsenal of
cyberweapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order
a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a
major digital attack looming from abroad, according to officials involved in
the review.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/broad-powers-seen-for-obama-in-cyberst
rikes.html>

us: Editorial: Cyberwar, out of the shadows
A PLANNED FIVEFOLD increase in the staff of the U.S. Cyber Command is
indicative of how conflict is moving toward center stage for the military, a
domain similar to land, sea, air and outer space. The anticipated growth,
described in an article by Ellen Nakashima in The Post last week, is
intended to protect the country and its private sector from attack, an
urgent mission. But now that the United States is going beyond defense,
expanding forces for offensive attack, there?s a crying need for more
openness. So far, forces exist almost entirely in the shadows.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cyberwar-out-of-the-shadows/2013/02/
03/a35f9b96-6a4a-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html>

EU to order banks, energy firms to report cyber attacks
Around 42,000 firms in the European Union, including airports, banks and
hospitals, would have to inform regulators whenever their computers are
hacked, under a proposed EU law to be published on Thursday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/uk-eu-cybersecurity-idUKBRE91516B2
0130206>

Microsoft, Symantec Join Forces to Take Down Bamital Click-Fraud Botnet
Microsoft and Symantec have shut down a massive click fraud botnet known as
Bamital, numerous variants of which have been in circulation since 2009
amassing several million dollars in fraudulent profit for the attackers as
well as spreading more malware including scareware.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/microsoft-symantec-join-forces-take-down-
bamital-click-fraud-botnet-020613>

Massive search fraud botnet seized by Microsoft and Symantec
A botnet that redirected clicks from millions of PCs has been, at least for
the moment, shut down by Microsoft and Symantec. Based on the fraudulent
traffic generated by the Bamital botnet, the two companies estimate that its
operators netted more than $1 million a year by redirecting unsuspecting
computer users to websites they didn't intend to go, cashing in on the
traffic with online advertising networks.
<http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/02/massive-search-fraud-botnet-siezed-
by-microsoft-and-symantec/>

Microsoft, Symantec shutter another botnet
Microsoft and security software maker Symantec have revealed that they
collaborated on the take-down of a botnet that had infected hundreds of
thousands of computers.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57568067-83/microsoft-symantec-shutter-ano
ther-botnet/>

Microsoft, Symantec take down Bamital click-fraud botnet [IDG]
Microsoft and Symantec have dismantled a botnet that took over millions of
computers for criminal activities such as identity theft and click fraud.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236584/Microsoft_Symantec_take_down
_Bamital_click_fraud_botnet>

Rupert Murdoch tweets Chinese 'still hacking' WSJ
Rupert Murdoch has said that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper remains
under attack from Chinese hackers.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21360032>

Rupert Murdoch says Chinese hackers are still targeting Wall Street Journal
Rupert Murdoch has waded into the row over cyber-attacks from China, by
tweeting that hackers have continued their work.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/06/rupert-murdoch-chinese-hackers-
journal>

Cyberwar Name Game a Dangerous Play
The term ?cyberwar? is the ?zero day? of security jargon; it?s getting so
that every bug is a zero day and every attack is hash-tagged cyberwar.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/cyberwar-name-game-dangerous-play-020513>

DDoS Attacks Spur Concerns Over Infrastructure Weaknesses
The ongoing distributed denial-of-service attacks on banks have some
security professionals worried about the attacks moving to less prepared
industries
<http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability-management/167901026/security/peri
meter-security/240147949/ddos-attacks-spur-concerns-over-infrastructure-weak
nesses.html>

More Executives Worry About Cyberattacks, Study Says [subscription]
More corporate executives are concerned about cyberattacks and data breaches
than property damage and investment risk, according to a survey commissioned
by insurer American International Group Inc.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324590904578288012102025162.h
tml>

The poster child for cybersecurity done right: How Estonia learnt from being
under attack
In 2007, Estonia was the victim of a high profile campaign of
state-sponsored online attacks. Now, years later, the country is promoting
cybersecurity via a series of initiatives at home and abroad.
<http://www.zdnet.com/the-poster-child-for-cybersecurity-done-right-how-esto
nia-learnt-from-being-under-attack-7000010628/>

As cloud use grows, so will rate of DDoS attacks
The eighth annual Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report, from security
provider Arbor Networks, reveals how both cloud service providers and
traditional data centers are under attack. The report examined a 12-month
period and asked 200 security-based questions of 130 enterprise and network
operations professionals
<http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/cloud-use-grows-so-will-rate-of-
ddos-attacks-211876>

Malware: The Next Generation
If January is anything to go by, then 2013 should be another doozy of a year
for malware-plagued businesses. The year started off with the exploitation
of a previously unknown Java vulnerability -- a spot-on example of why
malware attackers are so successful these days.
<http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/240147637/malware-the-n
ext-generation.html>

None of the 100 largest e-commerce sites have fully implemented DNSSEC
The biggest brands in e-commerce are overlooking a critical security
technology that could reduce the risk of identify theft and credit card
fraud.
<http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=14358>

Petition To Have White House Recognize DDoS As Legitimate Protest Unlikely
To Draw Response
It looks like an online petition seeking to have distributed
denial-of-service actions against computer systems recognized as a
legitimate form of protest will not gain enough signatures to merit an
official response from the White House.
http://njtoday.net/2013/02/06/petition-to-have-white-house-recognize-ddos-as
-legitimate-protest-unlikely-to-draw-response/

**********************
 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
**********************
Global domain name disputes rise 4.3 per cent: report
Some of the world?s largest brands ? including those operating in Australia
? continue to fend off cyber squatters with the number of domain name
disputes rising by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, according to a report by
Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services.
<http://www.cio.com.au/article/453123/global_domain_name_disputes_rise_4_3_p
er_cent_report/>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/453123/global_domain_name_disputes_
rise_4_3_per_cent_report/>

Cyber-squatting on the rise: report
Cyber-squatting is on the rise however companies are getting better at
reclaiming their web addresses from would-be intruders, according to a new
report from Melbourne IT.
<http://www.technologyspectator.com.au/cyber-squatting-rise-report>

**********************
 - IPv4/IPv6
**********************
The Impact Of BYOD On IPv6 Introduction
IPv6 is coming, and BYOD is here: Brian Shorland, EMEA Product Manager from
Alcatel-Lucent tells us why businesses need to make sure they are ready now
<http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/comment/the-impact-of-byod-on-ipv6-106512>

Rapid Increase in IPv6 Penetration Increases Demand for Communication Test
Equipment, Finds Frost & Sullivan
IPv4 has produced four billion internet protocol (IP) addresses since its
introduction in 1984 and this pool has almost been depleted. The petering
out of IPv4 addresses has created a strong demand for IPv6 addresses and
bandwidth, generating significant opportunities for test equipment vendors
to develop products that test IPv6 on 100 Gigabit Ethernet networks.
<http://www.frost.com/sublib/display-press-release.do?ctxixpLink=FcmCtx1&sea
rchQuery=ipv6&bdata=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5mcm9zdC5jb20vc3JjaC9jYXRhbG9nLXNlYXJjaC5k
bz9xdWVyeVRleHQ9aXB2NiZwYWdlU2l6ZT0xMiZzb3J0Qnk9REB%2BQFNlYXJjaCBSZXN1bHRzQH
5AMTM2MDIwNDkzMDAyOA%3D%3D&ctxixpLabel=FcmCtx2&id=273443937>

**********************
 - MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
Go Daddy sued over revenge-porn site
Go Daddy has been named lead defendant in a Texas lawsuit filed by 17 women
whose nude photos were published without their permission on a "revenge
porn" website hosted by the Scottsdale-based company.
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/06/go-daddy-sued-over-rev
enge-porn-site/1897695/>

Go Daddy posts top sales after airing model-kissing-geek ad
The controversial Super Bowl commercial that shows a mismatched couple in a
deep kiss gets the company a record amount of new customers and overall
sales.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57567828-93/go-daddy-posts-top-sales-after
-airing-model-kissing-geek-ad/>

Kim Kardashian talks entrepreneurship and social media
Kim KardashianOversee.net CEO Debra Domeyer had a fireside chat with Kim
Kardashian at Webfest today in Santa Monica. Kardashian related her stories
about early entrepreneurial ventures and how she?s leveraged social media to
build her brand.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/02/06/kim-kardashian-talks-entrepreneurship-
and-social-media/>

Oversee.net CEO kicks of Webfest conference in Los Angeles
The last time she took stage at a Webfest conference, it wasn?t even called
Webfest. One year after her debut domain conference talk, Debra Domeyer is
now CEO instead of co-CEO of Oversee.net, and the conference is called
Webfest instead of DOMAINfest.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/02/05/oversee-net-ceo-kicks-of-webfest-confe
rence-in-los-angeles/>

**********************
 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Enhancing AdWords for a constantly connected world
Today we?re upgrading AdWords, by rolling out enhanced campaigns. This is a
first step to help you more simply and smartly manage your ad campaigns in
today?s multi-device world.
<http://adwords.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/introducing-enhanced-campaigns.html>

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
Global ecommerce sales topped $US1 tn in 2012 [AFP]
Global internet retail sales topped $US1 trillion ($962bn) for the first
time in 2012 with the United States holding the top spot but China rising
fast, a market research firm has said.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/global-ecommerce-sales-topped
-us1-tn-in-2012/story-e6frgakx-1226571280513>

**********************
SOCIAL MEDIA
**********************
Survey: Most Americans take breaks from Facebook
Facebook follows you everywhere. It's on phones and computers, at work and
home, and in the news. So it's understandable that people might need a
little rest from the social network.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/05/tech/social-media/facebook-breaks-pew/ind
ex.html>

Most Facebook Users Have Taken a Break From the Site, Study Finds
Facebook is the most popular social network in America ? roughly two-thirds
of adults in the country use it on a regular basis.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/most-facebookers-have-taken-a-brea
k-from-the-site-study-finds/>

Facebook: two thirds of users log off for weeks at a time
Two thirds of Facebook users have taken a voluntary break from the site for
several weeks or more, citing reasons ranging from "excessive gossip or
drama from their friends" to "concerns about privacy", according to new
research.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/05/facebook-two-thirds-users-
log-off>

Pew report shows some Facebook users dialing down usage [IDG]
Facebook makes it easy to connect with people online, but some of its users
say they got burned out on the site or grew tired of their friends' "drama,"
a new survey shows.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452877/pew_report_shows_some_facebo
ok_users_dialing_down_usage/>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236522/Some_Facebook_users_dialing_
back_usage_Pew_survey_says>
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020513-pew-report-shows-some-facebook
-266430.html>

Coming and Going on Facebook
Overview: Two-thirds of online American adults (67%) are Facebook users,
making Facebook the dominant social networking site in this country. And new
findings from the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project
indicate there is considerable fluidity in the Facebook user population:
<http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Coming-and-going-on-facebook.aspx>

Anger Directed at Applebee's Is More Likely to Hurt Than Help Workers
Admit it. The Web campaign against Applebee's is getting gratuitous. It all
began when a St. Louis pastor who dined there got upset at the tip added to
her bill. "I give God 10 percent," she wrote on her receipt. "Why do you get
18 percent?" Waitresses were understandably offended and amused, and one
uploaded a photo of the receipt to the Internet, where it went viral,
causing the customer to be harassed after Internet sleuths deciphered her
signature and identity. ... But the anti-Applebee's rage is arbitrary and
out of all proportion to the events that transpired, and that's problematic
for reasons that transcend unfairness to Applebee's, a chain that could
disappear tomorrow without me minding. The extraordinary anger being
generated has more to do with the incident's viralness than the magnitude of
the company's bad behavior. As a result, corporations across America aren't
thinking, "We'd better avoid perpetrating really bad behavior," they're
thinking, "We'd better avoid any situation that involves our company getting
viral publicity."
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/anger-directed-at-app
lebees-is-more-likely-to-hurt-than-help-workers/272861/>

*********************************
CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
Safer Internet Day marks 10th anniversary
Today is the 10th anniversary of Safer Internet Day, a global initiative to
raise online safety awareness. This year?s theme, ?Online Rights and
Responsibilities ? Connect with Respect?, focuses on online privacy, digital
reputation and citizenship, and is held in more than 90 countries around the
world.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452815/safer_internet_day_marks_10t
h_anniversary/>

Industry Coalition's 'safer Internet' Plan Criticized on All Sides
Civil liberties activists and a prominent child protection advocate have
criticized the work of an industry coalition to make the Internet a safer
place for children.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728246/Industry_Coalition_39_s_39_safer_Internet
_39_Plan_Criticized_on_All_Sides>

Safer Internet Day 2013: "Connect with Respect" [news release]
On 5th February, Safer Internet Day 2013, the Commission has presented the
results of joint work of media, technology, telecoms and online companies
undertaken since their December 2011 commitment to make the internet a
better and safer place for kids (see IP/11/1485).
<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-86_en.htm>

Google Offers Security Tips for a Safer Internet
Google today joined with a group of prominent organizations to mark "Safer
Internet Day," offering an updated menu of tips for safe Web surfing.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728305/Google_Offers_Security_Tips_for_a_Safer_I
nternet>

Ceop warns over 'alarming new trend' in online sex abuse
Children are increasingly being groomed over the internet for the sole
purpose of online sexual abuse, research by a child protection watchdog
suggests.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21314585>

Children are 'upset' by online violence, study finds
Children are as upset by violent videos on YouTube that feature animal
cruelty or beheadings and by insensitive Facebook messages from divorced
parents as they are by online bullying and pornography, according to the
biggest survey of young British people and their internet use.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/03/children-upset-online-viol
ence-study>

YouTube study shows children 'three clicks away from explicit material'
Children who view clips of Sesame Street and Peppa Pig on YouTube are on
average just three clicks away from explicit adult material on the site,
including nudity and violence, according to research.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/05/youtube-study-explicit-mat
erial>

ACMA and the AFP team up to fight online child abuse material
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Communications and
Media Authority (ACMA) have signed an agreement to help fight the
distribution of child abuse material on the Internet.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452821/acma_afp_team_up_fight_onlin
e_child_abuse_material/>

Aussie consumers more proactive with cyber safety than US: Index
Australian consumers take more cyber safety precautions than their American
counterparts according to a new study.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452830/aussie_consumers_more_proact
ive_cyber_safety_than_us_index/>

in: Internet firms launch cyber safety campaign
Data Security Council of India (DSCI), in association with Facebook, Google,
Kaspersky and Microsoft, has launched the India edition of -- Stop, Think
and Connect, as part of the Internet safety campaign -- to help all digital
citizens stay safer and secure online.
<http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/internet
-firms-launch-cyber-safety-campaign/article4386423.ece>

Irish cyberbullying 'highest in EU'
Incidences of cyberbullying among teenagers in Ireland are among the highest
in Europe, according to a new report.
<http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0204/breaking43.html>

Snoop on your child's Facebook, expert claims
Parents should snoop on their children?s Facebook accounts to protect them
from the dangers of online predators, a child protection expert has said.
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9846440/Snoop-on-your-childs
-Facebook-expert-claims.html>

nz: Warning for lonely hearts ahead of Valentine's Day
Singles searching for love online are being warned to stay on the lookout
for scammers, otherwise they could be left with a broken heart and an empty
bank account this Valentine's Day.
<http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/warning-lonely-hearts-ahead-valentine-s-day
-5335808>

How parents can make cyber-bullying worse
Parents who buy into their children's online disputes can continue the
tirade long after their children have made up, warn bullying experts.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8264790/How-parents-can-ma
ke-cyber-bullying-worse>
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/childish-behaviour-as-p
arents-worsen-cyberbullying-20130204-2duj2.html>

Vine raises age rating amid porn concerns
The age rating for new mobile video-sharing app Vine has been raised to 17+,
meaning appropriate for users 17 and older, after it was flooded with
pornographic images.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/06/tech/mobile/vine-porn-rating/index.html>

**********************
ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
**********************
Telstra tests P2P throttling, deep packet inspection
Telstra will trial deep packet inspection and slow down peer-to-peer (P2P)
traffic over its network for a select number of ADSL customers in Victoria,
the telco has confirmed today.
<http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-tests-p2p-throttling-deep-packet-inspection
-7000010831/>

Telstra to clamp down on peer-to-peer
Telstra is planning to slow the speed at which its ADSL customers download
content through P2P networks in peak periods as part of a trial.
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-o
n-peertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html>
<http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/telstra-to-clamp-down-on-p
eertopeer-20130205-2dvus.html>

**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Mobile Internet data traffic to grow 13-fold by 2017, says Cisco
There are a number of different predictions floating around about how many
Internet-connected devices there will be worldwide within the next few
years. But regardless of those numbers, we can all be sure that mobile
Internet data traffic is going to explode exponentially as well.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57567967-94/mobile-internet-data-traffic-t
o-grow-13-fold-by-2017-says-cisco/>

Rain tracked with mobile network
A way to measure rainfall using mobile phone network signals has been put
into practice across a whole country.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21290976>

Apple to lose iPhone trademark in Brazil: source
Brazil's copyright regulator will strip Apple Inc of the right to use its
iPhone trademark in Latin America's biggest market and granted the trademark
to a local company that registered it first, a source familiar with the
decision said on Tuesday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/uk-brazil-apple-copyright-idUKBRE9
1417I20130205>
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-brazil-apple-copyright-idUSBRE
91417G20130205>

**********************
ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
**********************
au: Google wins High Court appeal over sponsored links
The High Court of Australia has dismissed a misleading and deceptive
conducts case brought against search engine giant Google, ruling that Google
does not create sponsored links.
<http://www.zdnet.com/google-wins-high-court-appeal-over-sponsored-links-700
0010876/>

Google claims victory in ACCC court battle
Google has won its legal battle with the consumer watchdog, after the High
Court overturned a ruling that the company had engaged in misleading and
deceptive conduct.
<http://www.theage.com.au/business/google-wins-high-court-appeal-on-ads-2013
0206-2dyq6.html>
<http://www.smh.com.au/business/google-claims-victory-in-accc-court-battle-2
0130206-2dxi8.html>

Google wins ACCC High Court battle
Google has been cleared by the High Court of engaging in misleading and
deceptive conduct.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/google-awaits-high-court-judg
ment-in-six-year-old-case-launched-by-accc/story-e6frgakx-1226571463767>

ACCC behind the times on our Google habits
The ACCC's pursuit of Google over misleading advertisements demonstrates a
significant lack of understanding of the rapidity of change in the internet
world.
<http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4506150.html>

uk: 'Trial by Google' a risk to jury system, says attorney general
"Trial by Google" threatens to undermine the integrity of the British jury
system and "offends the principle of open justice", according to the
attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2013/feb/06/trial-by-google-risk-jury-system>

Sexual violence and the paradox of anonymity in the digital age
... This is the paradox of anonymity in the digital age. As women and their
defenders use the internet to out and fight their assailants, others use
anonymity to attack their efforts to do so. Women who draw attention to
sexism are castigated by strangers in the most sexist terms possible, abused
for daring to draw attention to their abusers.
<http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/20132411111433879.html>

Revenge porn is ?just entertainment,? says owner of IsAnybodyDown
The proprietor of one of the sleaziest "revenge porn" websites has gone
public in a big way. The 28-year-old Colorado Springs man who created the
site IsAnybodyDown, Craig Brittain, has been featured in a report airing on
Denver TV station CBS4. Reporter Brian Maass also interviewed two women who
were featured on the site against their will, and the station says it has
been in contact with a half-dozen Colorado women in the same situation.
<http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/revenge-porn-is-just-entertainme
nt-says-owner-of-isanybodydown/>

**********************
PRIVACY
**********************
Malaysia's data privacy Act slow to take off
Country's personal data protection Act was due to take effect last month,
but is still pending formalities. Despite that, many companies do not appear
to be ready yet.
<http://www.zdnet.com/my/malaysias-data-privacy-act-slow-to-take-off-7000010
827/>

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Steganography: Tinkering with Skype can allow people to send undetectable
messages
Skype is extremely popular. The service, owned by Microsoft, boasts more
than 600m registered users. By one estimate it accounts for more than a
third of international phone calls. One reason for its popularity is that,
because it avoids ordinary telephone networks, it is cheap. A subsection of
its users, though, prefer it for its security?for every conversation is
encrypted and therefore, in theory, difficult to eavesdrop upon.
<http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21571120-tinkering-sky
pe-can-allow-people-send-undetectable-messages-speaking>

Kenya tracks Facebook, Twitter for election "hate speech"
Every day, Kagonya Awori and her tech-savvy team trawl through Facebook and
Twitter for warning signs that Kenya's elections in March may unleash the
same ethnic violence that took the country to the brink of civil war five
years ago.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/uk-kenya-elections-socialmedia-idU
KBRE9140IN20130205>

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
au: Apple, Google facing tax crackdown
Global giants including Apple and Google will be forced to reveal how much
tax they pay the federal government, under a plan to name and shame firms
seen to be dodging their responsibilities by using tax havens.
<http://www.theage.com.au/business/apple-google-facing-tax-crackdown-2013020
4-2dufw.html>

German publishers say Google won't get the same deal it got in France [IDG]
German newspaper and magazine publishers said Monday that they won't give
Google the same copyright deal as it struck with French publishers to settle
a dispute over revenue lost when news article snippets appear in search
results.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236490/German_publishers_say_Google
_won_39_t_get_the_same_deal_it_got_in_France>

EU's Copyright Reform Talks a Waste of Time, Says Digital Rights Group [IDG]
Civil liberties activists attending the European Commission's new copyright
talks on Monday declared the process a "waste of time" and an "outrageous
attempt to avoid copyright reform."
<http://www.cio.com/article/728193/EU_39_s_Copyright_Reform_Talks_a_Waste_of
_Time_Says_Digital_Rights_Group>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452699/eu_copyright_reform_talks_wa
ste_time_says_digital_rights_group/>

EU wants to tackle money laundering on gaming sites
The European Union may try to counter money laundering through online
betting sites by extending legislation beyond casinos to include Internet
gambling.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/uk-eu-gambling-idUKBRE9140K3201302
05>

Google faces yet another EU antitrust complaint from tech group
While Google continues to work with European authorities to settle an
ongoing antitrust investigation, the search giant is facing yet another
complaint from a coalition of rival technology firms.
<http://www.zdnet.com/google-faces-yet-another-eu-antitrust-complaint-from-t
ech-group-7000010851/>

nz: Pat Pilcher: Software patent stoush could have huge impact
... Included amongst those concerned with the bills potential to negatively
impact New Zealand's software industry is Greg Dawes, Associate Professor of
Philosophy & Religion at the University of Otago who says that "Experience
elsewhere has shown that an "as such" clause will effectively undermine the
intention of the select committee, a fact that has been pointed out by many
IT professionals, including the Institute of Information Technology
Professionals, internetNZ, the NZ Open Source Society, and NZRise".
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=108636
04>

New York defends its "Amazon tax" in court
Major online retailers Amazon.com Inc and Overstock.com on Wednesday told a
New York state court that they should be allowed to not charge state sales
tax.
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/06/us-tax-amazon-court-idUSBRE9151C7
20130206>

**********************
MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
Tech Titans Clash in 'Cloud'
Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. have fought each other for
dominance in mobile gadgets and Web searches. The latest front in their war
is invisible: computing horsepower.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323926104578276012391924502.h
tml>

NZ ranks midway for innovation
New Zealand has been ranked 28th in an index of the world's 50 most
innovative countries.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10863
824>

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
us: Tech, telecom giants take sides as FCC proposes large public WiFi
networks
The federal government wants to create super WiFi networks across the
nation, so powerful and broad in reach that consumers could use them to make
calls or surf the Internet without paying a cellphone bill every month.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/tech-telecom-giants-take-
sides-as-fcc-proposes-large-public-wifi-networks/2013/02/03/eb27d3e0-698b-11
e2-ada3-d86a4806d5ee_story.html>

nz: Draft copper network pricing: too low, too high ? or just right?
Submissions on the Commerce Commission?s draft determination of unbundled
bitstream access (UBA) pricing are divided largely on expected lines into
?for? and ?against? camps
<http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/draft-copper-network-pricing-too-l
ow-too-high-or-just-right>
<http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=BDD23AFF-FA3A-48D2-CE8A7FC2029A3758>

InternetNZ calls for discussion on copper, fibre pricing
New Zealand internet advocacy group InternetNZ has called for a wider
discussion on how to secure the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout given
recent controversy around copper broadband pricing issues.
<http://www.telecompaper.com/news/internetnz-calls-for-discussion-on-copper-
fibre-pricing--923140>

nz: Broadband cost 'too high' - survey
More than 60 per cent of New Zealanders believe they're paying too much for
broadband.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=1086386
2>

nz: Draft copper network pricing: too low, too high -- or just right?
Submissions on the Commerce Commission's draft determination of unbundled
bitstream access (UBA) pricing are divided largely on expected lines into
"for" and "against" camps
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/draft-copper-network-pricing-too-lo
w-too-high-or-just-right

nz: Claim broadband speed improving
Broadband testing company TrueNet says average fixed-line broadband speeds
have improved about 6.5 per cent to an average of 11.5 megabits per second
over the past year.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8265733/Claim-broadband-sp
eed-improving>

au: Labor's NBN election sweeteners may turn saccharine
Labor is naturally keen to paint its NBN strategy as offering the most for
voters, but giving too much, too early could very well backfire on the party
by empowering Turnbull's alternative in the election run-up.
<http://www.zdnet.com/labors-nbn-election-sweeteners-may-turn-saccharine-700
0010898/>

What's life really like with the NBN?
Willunga, a one-hour drive south of Adelaide, is a rural town that was
announced as one of five first release sites for the National Broadband
Network.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452797/what_life_really_like_nbn_/>

------
David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/
         http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home

"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