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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Talking About Internet Governance at Davos by Fadi Chehad?
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/talking-about-internet-governance-at-davos/>

Expert panel to investigate internet governance
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/52327396-8359-11e3-aa65-00144feab7de.html>

Independent commission to investigate future of internet after NSA revelations
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/22/independent-commission-future-internet-nsa-revelations-davos>

Largest Domain Name Expansion in Internet's History Reaches Benchmark
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-21jan14-en.htm>

DNSSEC Surpasses 50%! by Richard Lamb
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/dnssec-surpasses-50/>

uk: Cartier sues Nominet hoping to set global domain name take-down precedent
<http://domainincite.com/15617-cartier-sues-nominet-hoping-to-set-global-domain-name-take-down-precedent>

Unusual DNS Error Leads to Internet Outage in China
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/unusual-dns-error-leads-internet-outage-china>

Bing: domains just not that relevant to SEO
<http://domainincite.com/15603-bing-domains-just-not-that-relevant-to-seo>


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GOVERNANCE
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Talking About Internet Governance at Davos by Fadi Chehad?
Greetings from the snowy Swiss Alps, where I am attending the World Economic Forum in Davos along with a few of my ICANN colleagues this week. I?m both energized and honored to be invited a second time to participate in the intense discussions and debate at this important gathering, and looking forward to engaging senior business leaders and policy-makers in Internet governance and ICANN?s role in this evolving ecosystem.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/talking-about-internet-governance-at-davos/>

Expert panel to investigate internet governance
An independent commission of top-level international policy makers and politicians will open a two-year investigation into the way governments use internet data following revelations of mass online surveillance by the US and its allies.
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/52327396-8359-11e3-aa65-00144feab7de.html>

Independent commission to investigate future of internet after NSA revelations
A major independent commission headed by the Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, was launched on Wednesday to investigate the future of the internet in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/22/independent-commission-future-internet-nsa-revelations-davos>

Global group to look at ways to preserve internet freedom
A group of 25 experts, including a Canadian think-tank, has been asked to find ways to preserve internet freedom at a time when privacy and security issues are causing public concern.
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/global-group-to-look-at-ways-to-preserve-internet-freedom-1.2506963>

Global Commission on Internet Governance [news release]
The Global Commission on Internet Governance is a two-year initiative that will present a comprehensive stand on the future of multi-stakeholder Internet governance. 
<http://www.chathamhouse.org/research/current-projects/global-commission-internet-governance>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Largest Domain Name Expansion in Internet's History Reaches Benchmark
ICANN's Generic Domains Division today announced that the number of new gTLDs delegated into the Internet's Root Zone has topped 100. Delegation is one of the final steps before the Registries that control the domains may begin accepting registrations for names that will use the new gTLDs.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-21jan14-en.htm>

Review of Trusted Community Representation in Root Zone DNSSEC Key Signing Ceremonies
Purpose (Brief): Based on feedback from the current TCRs and our experience from the first 14 ceremonies, we are reviewing what changes, if any, should be made to the current model of Trusted Community Representative participation.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/tcr-dnssec-key-signing-21jan14-en.htm>

DNSSEC Surpasses 50%! by Richard Lamb
Through the hard work of many in the Internet community, the majority of TLDs in the root now deploys DNSSEC.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/dnssec-surpasses-50/>

Extension of Deadline - Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Public Interest Commitment Dispute Resolution Procedure (PICDRP) Standing Panel Members
On 19 Dec 2013, ICANN invited interested individuals to submit their Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the PICDRP Standing Panel. Please read the Call for Expressions of Interest here: newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-4-19dec13-en. In consideration of the low number of applications received to date, the deadline is now extended to 19 Feb 2014 ? 23:59 UTC.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-21jan14-en>

Extension of Deadline - Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Public Interest Commitment Dispute Resolution Procedure (PICDRP) Standing Panel Members
On 19 Dec 2013, ICANN invited interested individuals to submit their Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the PICDRP Standing Panel.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-21jan14-en>

Review of Trusted Community Representation in Root Zone DNSSEC Key Signing Ceremonies
Purpose (Brief): Based on feedback from the current TCRs and our experience from the first 14 ceremonies, we are reviewing what changes, if any, should be made to the current model of Trusted Community Representative participation.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/tcr-dnssec-key-signing-21jan14-en.htm>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.eu dispute resolution fees further discounted in 2014
The fee for a basic .eu Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedure will be cut by a further 50%, according to the .eu registry EURid and the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC), the institution appointed to rule on Alternative Dispute Resolution proceedings for the .eu TLD.
<http://www.eurid.eu/en/news/jan-2014/eu-dispute-resolution-fees-further-discounted-2014>

uk: Warning over misleading .uk registration offers
Nominet is warning registrars and registrants to be vigilant regarding misleading offers to secure the .uk version of their existing .co.uk domain name. Such offers are inaccurate and unnecessary. Existing registrants don't need to take any immediate action regarding reservation of an equivalent .uk domain name or to pay any up front reservation fees to secure .uk domain names.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/warning-over-misleading-uk-registration-offers>

uk: Nominet defends claim by Cartier International AG
Nominet has filed a defence against a high court injunction claim by Cartier International AG. The claim centres around 12 websites which contain content Cartier believes infringe their intellectual property (IP) rights. If successful, the injunction would have the effect of forcing domain registries such as Nominet to automatically suspend web addresses based on a private company?s belief that the associated websites infringe its IP.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/nominet-defends-claim-cartier-international-ag>

uk: Cartier sues Nominet hoping to set global domain name take-down precedent
Luxury watchmaker Cartier has taken .uk registry Nominet to court, hoping to set a precedent that would enable big brands to have domain names taken down at a whim.
<http://domainincite.com/15617-cartier-sues-nominet-hoping-to-set-global-domain-name-take-down-precedent>

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 - NEW TLDS
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More than 100 gTLDs added to the root so far
The Internet's name space continues to expand, with ICANN, the organisation that manages the Domain Name System ? this morning announcing that more than 100 gTLDs have been added to the root zone.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/536567/more_than_100_gtlds_added_root_far/>

Sell Bikes? There?s a Web Domain for That
Starting Jan. 29, the first of hundreds of new top-level Web domains?the suffixes that appear at the end of website addresses like .com and .net?will become available. The new domains are expected to draw interest from entrepreneurs and small-business owners seeking Web addresses that more closely relate to their products and services.
<http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-433474/>

Monash university wins own domain name, claiming a world internet first
Monash university?s websites will begin to operate under its own .monash domain name, a world first, the university said on Tuesday.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/monash-university-wins-own-domain-name>

Islamic TLDs and the Challenge of Good Governance by St?phane Van Gelder
As governments ask themselves whether they should not be the only ones in charge, and everyone else is more determined than ever to stay involved, Internet governance is now a front-page topic. But away from the theoretical debates about which model is best, one real-life situation may end up looking strangely like a vindication of the multi-stakeholder model by governmental organisations. The situation in question is that of Islam and Halal. Two applications that look like they are caught in a kind of new gTLD program groundhog day.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140120_islamic_tlds_and_the_challenge_of_good_governance/>

.LUXURY And .BUILD On Their Way Online To Serve Luxury And Construction Sectors
The gTLDs .luxury and .build moved a step closer to being available online with ICANN delegating the strings.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/21/luxury-build-on-their-way/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/luxury-and-build-on-their-way-online-to-serve-luxury-and-construction-sectors.html>

We?re Live! .CLUB Has Been Delegated To The Internet!
We?ve been rooting for this day to arrive for a long time, and now it is here! The TLD ?.CLUB? has been ?delegated to the root? which means that a web address (URL) with the extension .CLUB can now be recognized and resolve to a working website.
<http://dotclub.com/live-club-delegated-internet/>

Donuts has bad luck of the draw, loses .ski as well
Earlier today I wrote about how Donuts lost a community objection brought against its .sports TLD application.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/22/donuts-has-bad-luck-of-the-draw-loses-ski-as-well/>

TKO: There will be no .sports TLD in the first round
Objection panel rules that the the sport community would face material detriment for a .sports domain name.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/22/tko-there-will-be-no-sports-top-level-domain-in-the-first-round/>

DCA Trust Takes '.africa' Case With Icann to Independent Review Process Panel
The DotConnectAfrica Trust (DCA Trust), one of the two organizations which applied to ICANN to be mandated to manage the ".africa" TLD, has now taken its case with the global body in charge of internet to the Independent Review Process (IRP) Panel.
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201401221336.html>

DotConnectAfrica files for ICANN independent review
Failed .africa gTLD applicant DotConnectAfrica has filed an Independent Review Process appeal against ICANN, it emerged today.
<http://domainincite.com/15607-dotconnectafrica-files-for-icann-independent-review>

What WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg said about domain names at NamesCon
One of the nice surprises at NamesCon last week was a last-minute appearance by Matt Mullenweg. Mullenweg created WordPress and is CEO of Automattic, which runs the hosted WordPress.com platform.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/20/what-wordpress-founder-matt-mullenweg-said-about-domain-names-at-namescon/>

Pool.com gets contract for .wien and .tirol auction services
Pool.com announced today that it will handle auction resolution for the sunrise and landrush phases for Austrian TLDs .wien and .tirol.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/20/pool-com-gets-contract-for-wien-and-tirol-auction-services/>

Panel: .Kosher TLD application is Kosher
An International Chamber of Commerce panelist has ruled that a community objection against .kosher has failed.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/20/kosher-top-level-domain-name/>

How to Keep Track of the New TLDs Now Appearing Weekly by Dan York
How do you keep track of what new gTLDs are now available? Particularly when there seem to be new ones being announced weekly? Because I've written about newgTLDs here previously, someone recently asked me those questions... Now, these are the newgTLDs that have been delegated by ICANN, meaning that they now appear in the "root zone" of DNS. This does NOT mean that you can go right now and register a domain underneath one of these new TLDs.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140120_how_to_keep_track_of_new_generic_top_level_domains_newgtlds/>

'.brands' become reality as first branded gTLD delegations take place
This weekend ?.brands? became a reality with Monash University making a little bit of history, becoming the first such application to be delegated to the DNS root.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=a491c08c-3fc6-4062-87ce-b2936ff3ba4e>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Unusual DNS Error Leads to Internet Outage in China
Around 3 pm local time across many localities in China, a number of domestic service providers were unable to establish contact with China?s Domain Name System servers, leaving millions of Chinese internet users offline for hours.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/unusual-dns-error-leads-internet-outage-china>

EU cyber security Agency ENISA calls for secure e-banking and e-payments: non-replicable, single-use credentials for e-identities are needed in the financial sector [news release]
Different tokens, devices, mobile phones, e-signatures, etc. are used to authenticate our e-identities. Yet, some financial institutions are still not considering the risk of inadequate authentication mechanisms according to a new study by the EU Agency ENISA.
<http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/enisa-calls-for-secure-e-banking-and-e-payments>

>From transparency to trust in the Cloud: EU Cyber security Agency ENISA advises how to implement incident reporting in cloud computing
ENISA underlines the importance of incident reporting in cloud computing, particularly in critical sectors, as a way to better understand security and foster trust. ENISA presents a practical approach which results in a ?win-win? scheme for customers and providers.
<http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/from-transparency-to-trust-in-the-cloud-eu-cyber-security-agency-enisa-advises-how-to-implement-incident-reporting-in-cloud-computing>

us: Congress: Get serious on cybersecurity
The massive Target data breach is a warning of a persistent problem that needs to be confronted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-needs-to-get-serious-about-cybersecurity/2014/01/20/048be97c-7eec-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html

us: Target Malware Origin Details Emerge
Kaptoxa POS malware cited as culprit behind sophisticated, two-stage operation that moved 11 GB of stolen Target data via FTP to a hijacked server in Russia
<http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/target-malware-origin-details-emerge/240165491>

Politically-Motivated Cyber Attackers Adopting New Tactics, Report Says
Organized cyber groups from China, Syria, and Russia are finding new ways to breach enterprises, CrowdStrike reports
<http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/politically-motivated-cyber-attackers-ad/240165539>

Target, Neiman Marcus Malware Creators Identified
Eastern European team developed memory-scraping Kaptoxa (BlackPOS) malware, sold it at least 40 times, says cyber-intelligence firm
<http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/target-neiman-marcus-malware-creators-id/240165558>

Cisco Study Links Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals to Growing Attacks
Organizations are struggling to monitor and secure networks due to a worldwide shortage of nearly one million skilled security professionals, according to Cisco?s 2014 Annual Security Report released last week.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/cisco-study-links-shortage-of-cybersecurity-skills-to-attacks>

Outdated energy, water and transport Industrial Control Systems without sufficient cyber security controls require coordinated testing of capability at EU levels, says the EU?s cyber security Agency ENISA [news release]
Today, the EU?s cyber security Agency ENISA published a new report to give advice regarding the next steps towards coordinated testing of capability of the often outdated Industrial Control Systems (ICS) for European industries. Among the key recommendations is the testing of ICS is a concern for all EU Member States and could be dealt with at EU levels according to ENISA.
<http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/ics-without-sufficient-cybersecurity-controls-require-coordinated-testing-of-capability-at-eu-levels>

Analysts blame faults in ?Great firewall? for China web outage
A high-level malfunction in China?s internet architecture put as many as two-thirds of the country?s domain websites out of action for several hours this week, hackers and analysts said, though a report on government media blamed the outages on a large-scale cyber attack.
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/08197e6e-8343-11e3-aa65-00144feab7de.html>

Big Web Crash in China: Experts Suspect Great Firewall
The story behind what may have been the biggest Internet failure in history involves an unlikely cast of characters, including a little-known company in a drab building in Wyoming and the world?s most elite army of Internet censors a continent away in China.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/big-web-crash-in-china-experts-suspect-great-firewall/>

Microsoft Maps Out Malware Haves And Have-Nots
Malware infections declined an average of 23.3 percent overall in 2011-2012 among more than 100 countries, but the story was very different for developing nations with fast-growing Internet connectivity.
<http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability/microsoft-maps-out-malware-haves-and-hav/240165549>

German internet security website crashes after alert over 16m accounts
Germany's internet security agency has said an analysis of hijacked computer networks has revealed that as many as 16 million online accounts have been compromised.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/germany-internet-security-alert>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Domain name registrars not secondarily liable for cybersquatting [registration]
In Petroliam Nasional Berhad v GoDaddy.com Inc, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has addressed, in a case of first impression, the issue of whether the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act created a cause of action for contributory cybersquatting which would have extended liability to neutral domain name registrars. Full text
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=1c824d3e-0657-4cca-97f2-76ebed64dbf8>

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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nz: What you need to know about IPv6
IPv4 Exhaustion is here. In the IT industry we all (or we all should) know about it but some are experiencing it faster than others. For us here in New Zealand we are part of APNIC, the regional RIR who provide IP addressing.
<http://techday.com/it-brief/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-ipv6/177447/>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Bing: domains just not that relevant to SEO
Anyone who thinks that having a exact-match keyword domain automatically promotes their web site to the top of search results is in for a rude awakening, according to a top guy at Bing.
<http://domainincite.com/15603-bing-domains-just-not-that-relevant-to-seo>

Network Solutions auto enrolls customers into $1,850 ?WebLock? service
Domain name registrar Network Solutions, part of Web.com, is taking some heat today for notifying a customer that it is auto enrolling him into a program that will cost $1,850 per year.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/21/network-solutions-auto-enrolls-customer-into-1850-weblock-service/>

How Does the Internet Actually Work? by: Peter W. Singer and Allan Friedman
Editor's note: In an excerpt in Medium from their new book Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know, co-authors Peter W. Singer and Allan Friedman examine the information pathways through which the Internet functions: Internet protocol addresses and the domain name system.
<http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2014/01/17-how-does-internet-actually-work-singer-friedman>

Web.com: WebLock program will be opt-in, not opt-out
Web.com, parent company of Network Solutions and Register.com, came under fire yesterday after informing some customers they would automatically be opted-in to a security program that costs $1,850.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/22/web-com-weblock-program-will-be-opt-in-not-opt-out/>

Domain registrar auto-enrolls customers into $1,850 security service
A software developer who willingly pays about $80 a year for the registration of two domains was unwillingly "opted in" to another charge of $1,850, and it seems he's not alone.
<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/domain-registrar-auto-enrolls-customers-into-1850-security-service/>

A Recap: My week at NamesCon
In case you weren?t one of the close to 600 people who experienced it in person, everything you?ve heard is spot on: it was a home run. Richard Lau, Jodi Chamberlain, and Jothan Frakes did a fantastic job pulling this conference together in a short period of time. They saw a hole in the domain conference circuit and filled it with zeal.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/21/a-recap-my-week-at-namescon/>

6 Domain Name Industry Developments to Lookout for in 2014 by Siddharth Taliyan
2013 was one of the most exciting and forward-looking year for our Industry, and here we are, right at the beginning of 2014. Shall we look into the crystal ball and see what the horizon up ahead likely holds for us? We hope and foresee that a lot of everyone's hard work will eventually begin to pay off this year. We also believe that the industry will witness a huge change; opportunities and possibilities that were never before thought of.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140121_6_domain_name_industry_developments_to_lookout_for_in_2014/>

A price comparison of domain name escrow services
There are a lot of options when it comes to domain name escrow. Naturally, price is a variable when selecting an escrow service. So I put together a simple chart that compares prices of 7 escrow services at different transaction values.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/21/domain-escrow-price-comparison/>

NameCheap: a top ten registrar?
eNom reseller NameCheap is actually in the top 10 largest registrars in terms of domains under management, judging by data in regulatory documents filed by eNom parent Rightside.
<http://domainincite.com/15601-namecheap-a-top-ten-registrar>

China.com, among world's most costly domain names, relaunched to boost Beijing's voice
China Radio International, a state-owned media conglomerate and new owner of one of the world?s most-coveted internet domain names, China.com, has relaunched the site in an effort to boost the nation?s media presence abroad.
<http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1409641/chinacom-among-worlds-most-costly-domain-names-relaunched-boost>

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 - WEBHOSTING
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GoDaddy Offers Localized Hosting Services, Support in Latin America
GoDaddy is offering its full suite of hosting services localized in both Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese in order to grow its Latin American presence.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/godaddy-offers-localized-hosting-services-support-latin-america>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Harvard Business School Study: Display Ads Drive Search Clicks After Two Weeks
Greg Sterling wrote an article on Search Engine Land today that related to a study showing display ads drive search clicks with a delayed effect. The study was conducted by Harvard and Ozyegin University researchers. Ozyegin is located in Turkey.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2014/01/22/harvard-business-school-display-ads-drive-search-clicks-after-two-weeks/>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Facebook could fade out like a disease, lose 80 per cent of users, say US researchers
Facebook is like an infectious disease, experiencing a spike before its decline, according to US researchers who claim the social network will lose 80 per cent of users by 2017.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-23/facebook-could-fade-out-like-a-disease-researchers/5214524>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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'Fastest ever' broadband passes speed test
The "fastest ever" broadband speeds have been achieved in a test in London, raising hopes of more efficient data transfer via existing infrastructure.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25840502>

Google-backed venture uses shape-shifting code to defeat hackers
A new company backed by Eric Schmidt and Google Ventures is promising to use constantly morphing computer code to transform the fight against cyber criminals.
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b14c42a0-7fc4-11e3-94d2-00144feabdc0.html>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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au: Canberra eyes child e-safety commissioner
THE Abbott government has called for public submissions on its intention to appoint a child e-safety commissioner, legislate a new cyber bullying offence and create a rapid takedown mechanism for offensive material published on social media networks.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/technology/canberra-eyes-child-esafety-commissioner/story-e6frgakx-1226807657826>

au: Social media crackdown
Major social networks will be directed to remove bullying and other "harmful" online content under a federal government proposal.
<http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/facebook-twitter-to-remove-harmful-content-under-proposed-government-crackdown-20140122-3189k.html>

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PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE
**********************
Top German Prosecutor Considers NSA Investigation
Germany and the US appear to be edging closer to political confrontation. The Federal Prosecutor says there is sufficient evidence to open a politically explosive investigation into NSA spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone.
<http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/nsa-syping-scandal-a-944415.html>

Human Rights Watch annual report 2014 criticises NSA mass surveillance
Surveillance overreach by the US government could have a disastrous long-term effect on internet freedom and free speech, Human Rights Watch warns in its latest report.
<http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jan/21/human-rights-watch-report-criticises-nsa-mass-surveillance>

The NSA, Metadata and Straw Men
For the people expecting President Barack Obama to announce sweeping changes to the NSA?s surveillance programs, his speech on Friday likely was a major disappointment. Obama laid out some new controls and limits for some of the more controversial programs, specifically the phone metadata collection system, but much of the speech focused on why the NSA?s programs work and why the existing oversight keeps it in check. Many privacy advocates and former intelligence officials decried the changes as window dressing, but in the wake of his speech, it?s become clear that some key government officials support Obama?s position and see little need for reform.
<http://threatpost.com/the-nsa-metadata-and-straw-men/103729>

Microsoft lawyer suggests non-US data storage for overseas users -FT
Microsoft Corp's head lawyer has suggested that overseas customers will be allowed to have their personal data stored in non-U.S. data centers, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/23/usa-security-microsoft-idUKL2N0KX03C20140123>

uk: Mobile phone networks challenge government over text message trawling
All four British mobile phone networks are to ask the government to explain how spy agencies have been able to tap into a secret US database to trawl through the text messages of UK citizens without their knowledge.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/22/ee-o2-vodafone-three-challenge-government-nsa-gchq-text-messages>

Google's Eric Schmidt denies knowledge of NSA data tapping of firm
Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, has insisted he had no knowledge of the US National Security Agency's tapping of the company's data, despite having a sufficiently high security clearance to have been told.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/21/google-eric-schmidt-nsa-tapping-knowledge>

Yahoo's Mayer Calls for Greater NSA Transparency
Marissa Mayer, Yahoo Inc.'s chief executive, called on the Obama administration to provide greater transparency on the data collected by the U.S. National Security Agency.
<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304856504579336040493276248>

Privacy tools used by 28% of the online world, research finds
The gathering crisis of trust around consumer web services and the fallout from Edward Snowden's revelations is fuelling a significant uptake in anonymity tools, new research shows, as internet users battle censorship and assert their right to privacy online.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/21/privacy-tools-censorship-online-anonymity-tools>

us: Verizon Releases First Transparency Report, Says Government Requests Increasing
After months of public calls from privacy advocates and security experts, Verizon on Wednesday released its first transparency report, revealing that it received more than 164,000 subpoenas and between 1,000 and 2,000 National Security Letters in 2013. The report, which covers Verizon?s landline, Internet and wireless services, shows that the company also received 36,000 warrants, most of which requested location or stored content data.
<http://threatpost.com/verizon-releases-first-transparency-report-says-government-requests-increasing/103770>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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TPP: Partnership or Putsch?
In 2010, I sat across the table from Assistant US Trade Representative Barbara Weisel, who was responsible for negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the mega-regional free-trade treaty among Vietnam, Malaysia, and ten other Pacific Rim countries that President Barack Obama?s administration wants to conclude in the coming weeks. At the time, I was Senior Policy Adviser for the US House of Representatives? Committee on Education and Labor ? a position that made me the top congressional staff member responsible for upholding labor standards in international trade treaties.
<http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/gordon-lafer-calls-attention-to-the-frighteningly-anti-democratic-implications-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership>

US tech firms make eleventh-hour attempt to halt tax avoidance reforms
Silicon Valley has launched a last-ditch attempt to derail plans devised by the G20 group of countries to close down international loopholes that are exploited by the likes of Google, Amazon and Apple to pay less tax in the UK and elsewhere.
<http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/19/tech-firms-attempt-halt-tax-avoidance-reforms>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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How can Google feather its Nest with the internet of things?
Looking past the glitter, big names, and big money ($3.2bn), a deeper look at Google's Nest acquisition doesn't yield a good theory. Perhaps because there isn't one
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/20/google-nest-aquisition-learning-thermostat>

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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The internet's rub
The Economist has always championed free trade, open markets and vigorous competition in the physical world. And we have argued that the same principles should be applied on the internet. Yet whereas research on trade barriers in the offline world abounds, much less is known about what slows the free flow of information online and the effect this has on economic growth. A new study by the Boston Consulting Group, to be presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, sheds some light on the issue. Entitled ?Greasing the Wheels of the Internet Economy?, its purpose is to make it easier to identify points of friction that hold back the digital economy.
<http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/01/digital-trade>

David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com / http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 phone: +61 418 228 605 ? mobile / +61 2 9663 3430 - 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