- DE - Webmaster-Verband will gegen Jugendschutz.net vorgehen +/-
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(Heise) Der Interessenverband europäischer Webmaster (IVEW) wirft der Kommission Jugendmedienschutz (KJM) vor, sie gebe Empfehlungen, die an der Realität vorbeigehen. Torsten Wenzel hat als Betreiber des Altersverifikationssystems xpass.de ein Schreiben von Jugendschutz.net erhalten, in dem der Schutz über eine Personalausweisabfrage als nicht ausreichend bezeichnet wurde. Empfehlungen der KJM erweckten den Anschein, als seien sie eine gesetzliche Vorgabe, meint Rechtsanwalt Daniel Kötz. Der KJM fehle aber die Grundlage, Jugendschutzsysteme zu bewerten und die Nutzung nicht empfohlener Systeme zu untersagen.
- US - California court upholds security rules for Internet cafes +/-
(Recorder) A California state appeal court ruled in Thany Thuy Vo v. City of Garden Grove that cities aren't violating the First Amendment by forcing Internet cafe owners to implement extreme security measures, such as security guards and video surveillance cameras. But the decision, upholding an ordinance ostensibly aimed at curbing gang-related violence, drew an unusually sharp dissent from one justice, who accused the majority of blessing Orwellian "Big Brother" governmental oversight.
- US - Florida Lawmakers Take Aim at Violent Video Games +/-
(Reuters) Bolstered by outrage from Haitian Americans and parents over a top-selling game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," in which players are urged to "kill the Haitians" and score points for rape and murder, a group of Florida lawmakers is moving to stiffen penalties for retailers that sell or rent violent or sexually explicit computer games to minors. But retail associations are urging lawmakers to shelve their plans because the proposals ignore the Entertainment Software Rating Board system that already ranks video games based on content. Furthermore, the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association, an industry group including such retailers as Wal-Mart and video chain Blockbuster, agreed to have procedures in place by next Christmas to stop the sale of mature and adult video games to minors.
- US - Woman sues over Janet Jackson's breast +/-
(Reuters) A Tennessee woman has sued Janet Jackson and others involved in her breast-baring Super Bowl halftime show, saying millions of people are owed monetary damages for exposure to lewd conduct, court records show. The suit, filed earlier this week in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, also names pop star Justin Timberlake, who performed with Jackson, CBS Broadcasting, show producer MTV, and the parent of those two companies, Viacom. It also asks the court to declare the matter a class action for purposes of damages. see also The Jackson stunt: What now? (CNN) and Politicos React to Wave of Smut (Wired).
- EU celebrates Safer Internet Day 6 February +/-
(RAPID) On 6th February 2004, the Safer Internet Day will be celebrated across Europe. This event focuses on children's rights to a safer Internet as part of the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme. It showcases existing safer Internet projects, videos and awards developed with the backing of the programme. These programmes involve actors from the private, public and voluntary sectors. Safer Internet project members have contributed to several remarkable achievements. In October 2003 a worldwide child-porn ring was broken up following a tip from the Internet hotline association INHOPE. In November 2003 the new Internet Content Rating Association content filtering platform ICRAplus was launched. Events will be staged simultaneously in 12 European countries (Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), as well as in Australia. These events involve public authorities, the Internet industry and hundreds of other organisations. Press coverage: see English, Italian, German and French
- AU - Australians Urged to Surf Safely on Safer Internet Day +/-
(Media Release) Australia's Internet safety advisory body NetAlert is urging Australians to take 15 minutes on Safer Internet Day (6 February) to safely explore web sites with their children. "Safer Internet Day promotes children's rights to a safer Internet and there is no more fundamental element of Internet safety than the involvement of parents," Chair of NetAlert Karyn Hart said. By taking the time to share just 15 minutes of a child's Internet experiences on Friday parents will have the opportunity to find out what interests their children online and to flag potential dangers.
- EU - Día Internacional para una Internet Segura +/-
(MadridPress) Un total de dieciséis países de la Unión Europea celebran el 'Día Internacional para una Internet Segura', promovido por el programa Internet Segura, iniciativa del proyecto europeo SafeBorders , en el marco del programa 'Safer Internet' de la Comisión Europea. Esta jornada, que se celebra en Australia, Austria, Alemania, Bélgica, Dinamarca, España, Francia, Grecia, Irlanda, Islandia, Italia, Luxemburgo, Noruega, Países Bajos, Portugal, Reino Unido y Suecia, persigue garantizar el derecho de los niños a disfrutar de una Red segura, según informa Internet Segura, programa coordinado por la Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca, que cuenta con la colaboración de la Universidad de Cádiz y UNICEF, entre otras entidades. Búsqueda en Google: "Internet Segura".
- UK - Children ignore net chat dangers +/-
(BBC) Children are still arranging face-to-face meetings with people they talk to online despite warnings about the dangers of internet chatrooms. And 60% of children do not know that people they chat to online might not be who they say they are, a study shows. The findings came to light in research carried out to support Safer Internet Day that is being held on 6 February. see Emerging Trends Amongst Primary School Children's Use of the Internet Executive Summary | Full Report. See also Slipping through the net (Guardian) by Rachel O'Connell.
- EU - Security research: action to improve protection of citizens +/-
(RAPID) The European Commission presented a Communication explaining why security research needs to be co-ordinated at the EU level in key priority areas such as: protection against terrorism (including bio terrorism); improving crisis management; and enhancing the security, reliability, protection and interoperability of communication systems. A €65 million budget has been earmarked for the initial phase (2004 2006). The Preparatory Action should lead to a full European Security Research Programme starting in 2007.
- OECD Launches Global "Culture of Security" Web site +/-
(OECD) There is no 'silver bullet' to rid the world of computer viruses and hackers, but a new OECD web site is dedicated to help combat these and other security risks to information systems and networks. In a year that has seen a record number of computer virus attacks, including 'Win32.Blaster', causing an estimated US $2 billion damage, the site is designed to help governments, businesses and the public understand the risks and responsibilities attached to information systems and networks. The site provides information on initiatives that have been taken in response to the OECD Guidelines for the Security of Information Systems and Networks: Towards a Culture of Security, published last year. It also serves as a portal to other relevant websites as a step towards creating a global culture of security. In the future, the site will also centralise educational tools for the security of information systems and networks.
- Spyware cures may cause more harm than good +/-
(CNET News.com) A small army of angry Web users has set up a network of Web sites where they post reports of antispyware programs said to prey on consumers by installing offending files. Some of these charges could get a hearing soon, as public-interest group The Center for Democracy & Technology plans to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission against specific companies.
- US - FTC launches 'Operation Secure Your Server' +/-
(AP) The Federal Trade Commission and regulatory agencies in 26 countries warned hundreds of thousands of computer users that they were unwittingly helping people who send floods of unwanted e-mails. In a campaign called Secure Your Server, the FTC and others sent e-mail warnings to operators of computers that might be improperly configured to permit outsiders to route spam e-mails through them.
- File-swappers 'should be paid' +/-
(Reuters) Rather than being hit by lawsuits, file-sharers should be paid for converting their collections to legal formats, according to an industry trade group. Internet users could collect paychecks rather than lawsuits when they share music through 'peer-to-peer' networks like Kazaa, under a proposal outlined by an industry trade group, the Distributed Computing Industry Association.
- The Pornography Industry vs. Digital Pirates +/-
(New York Times) Let the music industry sue those who share files, and let Hollywood push for tough laws and regulations to curb movie copying. Playboy, like many companies that provide access to virtual flesh and naughtiness, is turning online freeloaders into subscribers by giving away pictures to other sites that, in turn, drive visitors right back to Playboy.com.
- TV-style adverts arrive on web +/-
(BBC) Net users may have to get used to watching TV ads between web pages, if trials currently under way on high profile websites are successful. The new video ads are being tested on 15 sites over the next five weeks. They are the result of a collaboration between online ad developers, Unicast, and software giant, Microsoft. But though users may find them annoying, they could ultimately reduce the overall number of web advertisements in the long term. [Ed: interesting reader feedback]