- EU - Commission proposes changes to JLS databases +/-
(RAPID) With a view to achieving a higher level of EU internal security the European Commission today adopted a package of measures consisting of: (a) a proposal for a Council Decision concerning the access for consultation to the Visa Information System (VIS) to authorities of Member States responsible for internal security and to Europol for the purposes of the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offences and of other serious criminal offences, and (b) a communication on the medium- and long-term development of the three common European databases in the field of justice and home affairs: the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS) and EURODAC, the database containing fingerprints of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
- EU - The clock is ticking for EU administration's compliance with data protection +/-
(RAPID) The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) sends a paper to the heads of the EU administration, in which he addresses the Data Protection Officer's (DPOs) role as a strategic partner in ensuring compliance with the data protection regulation (45/2001) without delay. One of the key messages is that also all EU bodies need to appoint a DPO, although the appointment in itself does not automatically mean full compliance with the regulation. A second key message is that the DPOs must be notified more adequately of personal data processing within their entity and that they must notify the EDPS of any processing which entails specific risks for the people concerned and therefore need a prior check.
- UK - ID Card Bill powers need more scrutiny, says Select Committee +/-
(out-law) The Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform has concluded that Parliamentary scrutiny of the ID Card Bill needs to be enhanced. It described powers being sought in the Bill by the Home Secretary as 'inappropriate.' Unlike three other Parliamentary Committees which have criticised the substance of the Government's ID Card proposals, this Committee was established in the 1990s to counter 'the considerable disquiet over the problem of wide and sometimes ill-defined order-making powers which give Ministers unlimited discretion'. In other words, the Committee looks at whether the executive arm of Government is seeking excessive powers or whether the powers being sought are subject to sufficient scrutiny by Parliament.
- US - FTC approval of application for revised safe harbor program +/-
(FTC) The Commission has approved an application submitted by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) asking that it be allowed to revise its safe harbor program in accordance with the Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Under COPPA and the FTC?s COPPA Rule, the Commission may approve self-regulatory guidelines that are substantially similar to those in the Rule and that ensure adequate monitoring and enforcement. An organization that is in compliance with such an FTC-approved "safe harbor" program is considered to be in compliance with the Rule.
- DK - Filter blocks Danes from accessing child pornography +/-
(DPA) Some 1,200 Internet users in Denmark try to access child pornography websites each day, but a month-old blocking filter, so far only available to customers of telecommunications group TDC, has has thwarted most attempts. Danish police, Internet service provider TDC and child advocacy group Save the Children Denmark have developed the filter to block access to child pornography sites. Similar filters are in use in neighbouring Norway and Sweden. Norway introduced the system a year ago, Sweden put its system online in May. When a customer attempts to access a website known to contain child pornography, a blocking site automatically pops up, containing information about the filter, as well as a link to the police. About two thirds of the Danish surfers who are blocked give up quickly, while a third spend more than five minutes trying to access the material before giving up, police said. Danish police have listed some 1,300 sites containing illegal child pornography. All are based outside Denmark.
- Google fixes glitch that unleashed flood of porn +/-
(CNET News.com) A technology glitch temporarily turned Google's new personal listings service, Google Base, into a vast, virtual red-light district. Google Base is the search company's foray into free classified listings and other user-generated content. Anyone can use the service to classify and post all kinds of information, from business services and used cars for sale to recipes and photos. Google Base allows adult content but should filter most of it if visitors use the company's SafeSearch feature, which blocks pornographic material from appearing in search results. That wasn't the case earlier this week, however, due to a technical glitch that allowed porn to leak into Google Base search results.
- More Swedes seek net child porn +/-
(Australian IT) The number of Swedes seeking out sexual images involving children on the internet is on the rise, the Swedish chapter of the anti-child pornography group Ecpat said. Ecpat, which stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, has joined forces with Swedish police and 12 internet operators to block access across Sweden to sites containing child pornography.
- Sony plans parental controls for PS3 +/-
(News.com) Parents concerned about the kind of material their children are exposed to should be resting a little easier today. Sony has decided to implement parental controls on its next-generation video game console, PlayStation 3.
- Tests des logiciels de contrôle parental +/-
(Action Innocence) Le projet Filtra a pour but de tester les logiciels de contrôle parental. Publication des tests septembre 2005 ! Notre nouvelle session de tests est terminée. Nous avons publié les résultats qui sont très satisfaisants dans l'ensemble. Il n'y a vraiment aucune raison de ne pas installer un logiciel de contrôle parental sur l'ordinateur familiale. Une protection incontournable ! Le top 5 1. eye.KIDZ V2.4.2 2. Zenbow-Internet Protection Key 3. Optenet PCFilter 9.4 4. Enologic NetFilter 3.0.0.2 5. Trend Micro Internet Security 12