spamalot!

npr story on spam and spam filters...asking the age old question of whether or not there is good spam!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102800939

25% uk databases "illegal"

http://dooooooom.blogspot.com/2009/03/database-state.html

a story about databases...from a website about databases...


"The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust has this morning published our report on the UK Database State, which finds that:

* A quarter of all major public sector databases are fundamentally flawed and almost certainly illegal. These should be scrapped or redesigned immediately;...."


There is a link to major press articles about the same study from the link above.

ad icons for privacy

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/an-icon-that-says-theyre-watching-you/

Great article in a NY Times blog about ways in which data capture by advertisers on websites could identified through a simple coding system. The post features an interview with Annenberg U Penn Professor Joe Turow.

more articles re: privacy & data and surv.

these are from mainstream print and bcast news oputlets:


'NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls' 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm

this last story especially talks about telecom corporations giving data to the government in full coorperation of customers, unrelated to any particular cases or concerns about an individual or suspect.



'Viacom lawsuit: Google told to hand over all YouTube user detailsYouTube users to be revealed' 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/04/youtube.google?gusrc=rss&feed=media



'Democrats quiz telecom companies about spy program role' 2007
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9789709-7.html


canada story: 'Government moving to access personal info, sparking privacy fears'2007
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/09/12/tech-privacy.html

some links relatde to data and privacy and surveillance

at the risk of being too dogmatic or (fill in the blank here), here is a very unscientific set of links to a few specific cases of abuse of, mistaken identity or other people directly harmed by aspects of data retention and / or patriot act in us.

in developing our own individual views on the policies etc, we should properly consider a wide range of issues, benefits and consequences.

since we didnt do such a great job of providing specific examples of "good people" suffering negative consequences, i wanted to list some cases here.

the aclu is very involved in fighting the patriot act and has a lot fo information as to why and on what ground they are concerned. they also have a page of 'targets of illegal spying'

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/24287res20060227.html

these cases relate more to spying and surveillance stemming from individual participation or involvement in protests or activist groups or NGOs. One question these cases raise is one that is brought up in the US and that is what about the people who don't realise they are on watch lists. there were an unprecedented number of cases of people being held on account of being a terrorist suspect based on being arab, arab american, muslim, being of a darker complexion in general, having the same or similar name of someone who is wanted, or for far more random and even nonsensical reasons. the list include members of congress, a Catholic nun, a 6 year old, and nelson mandela. this link also has some of those stories:

watching the watch list
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/watchlistcounter.html

the patriot act and the name articles about its controversy are a good place to start for examples. but we talked also about other kinds of data retention by private companies.

good site for tracking these issues from privacy advocacy perspective. they have interesting privacy tool links and a good overview of some laws and policies:
http://epic.org/

www.privacyinternational.org is also worth looking at for more global perspectives.

an account of many forms of data issues in us
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs11-pub.htm

since i mentioned racial profiling and police activity, here is an interesting study:
http://www.racialprofilinganalysis.neu.edu/planning/

more a bit later. but hope this is of some use.

other articles on issues related to facebook and google already posted on this site.

mroe articles, privacy, journalism, etc

from benton headlines - see esp privacy articles in preparation for next week's class.


PRIVACY
Many See Privacy on Web as Big Issue, Survey Says
A Call to Legislate Internet Privacy
Tim Berners-Lee warns against website snooping

JOURNALISM
The State of the News Media
Stewart, Cramer TV battle royal draws big audience
As Markets Fell, Pundits Came Down On Obama
Google Chairman Pledges to Stand With Journalists, Increase Transparency
Knight Foundation Backs Plan to Hire 50 Laid-off Journalists to Teach 'News Literacy'
Capitalism Finds Voice in China TV

INTERNET/BROADBAND
TV goes overboard with Internet
Will The Social Media Revolution Be Twittered -- Or Squashed?
Widespread Telecommuting Could Save Consumers $228 Billion, Businesses $260 Billion
FCC's Rural Healthcare Program is Still Delayed
Maine expanding school laptop program with Apple
Bell Canada doesn't want to share next-gen fiber network

bits and pieces

WAL-MART PLANS TO MARKET DIGITAL HEALTH RECORDS SYSTEM
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
Wal-Mart Stores is striding into the market for electronic health records, seeking to bring the technology into the mainstream for physicians in small offices, where most of America's doctors practice medicine. Wal-Mart's move comes as the Obama administration is trying to jump-start the adoption of digital medical records with $19 billion of incentives in the economic stimulus package. The company plans to team its Sam's Club division with Dell for computers and eClinicalWorks, a fast-growing private company, for software. Wal-Mart says its package deal of hardware, software, installation, maintenance and training will make the technology more accessible and affordable, undercutting rival health information technology suppliers by as much as half.
http://benton.org/node/23139
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NEW JOB FOR THE MAN WHO EXPOSED COMCAST'S P2P THROTTLING
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
Robb Topolski, the man who helped to bring to light Comcast's throttling of P2P uploads, has a new job: Chief Technologist of the Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation. OTI is the New America unit headed by Sascha Meinrath. The move is significant because Topolski now serves in an official capacity with three of the main DC groups fighting for network openness and white spaces, New America, Free Press, and Public Knowledge. (He was already advising the latter two groups.) That combination of jobs should make Topolski an even more influential voice on network management issues in DC.
http://benton.org/node/23136
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SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER SAYS WORKERS TOLD JOBS WILL END
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Robert MacMillan]
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has told employees they might lose their jobs as soon as next week after a deadline for Hearst Corp to sell the newspaper passed on Monday. Hearst, which also may close the San Francisco Chronicle if the paper cannot cut costs, has not yet decided what to do with the Seattle paper. "These options exist: 1) Seek buyer. If no buyer, then 2) Go digital, or 3) Close. No decision has been made," Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer told the paper.
http://benton.org/node/23117
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CANADA REJECTS CUTBACKS ON US SERIES BUYS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Etan Vlessing]
The Canadian government has rejected a proposal by the country's television regulator to curb domestic broadcasters' spending on U.S. series. Domestic broadcasters contend that they require the profits generated by airing U.S. series to subsidize the production of expensive homegrown dramas. Canadian independent producers, unions and guilds favor the CRTC's proposal for a so-called 1:1 ratio on Canadian and non-Canadian program expenditures as a welcome measure to promote homegrown series production.

ads and privacy

ADVERTISERS GET A TROVE OF CLUES IN SMARTPHONES
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephanie Clifford]
The millions of people who use their cellphones daily to play games, download applications and browse the Web may not realize that they have an unseen companion: advertisers that can track their interests, their habits and even their location. Smartphones, like the iPhone and BlackBerry Curve, are the latest and potentially most extensive way for advertisers to aim ads at certain consumers. Advertisers already tailor ads for small groups of consumers on the Web based on personal information. But cellphones have a much higher potential for personalized advertising, especially when they use applications like Yelp or Urbanspoon with GPS to identify a person's location, right down to the street corner where they are standing. Advertisers will pay high rates for the ability to show, for example, ads for a nearby restaurant to someone leaving a Broadway show, especially when coupled with information about the gender, age, finances and interests of the consumer. "It's potentially a portable, personal spy," said Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, who will appear before Federal Trade Commission staff members this month to brief them on privacy and mobile marketing. He is particularly concerned about data breaches, advertisers' access to sensitive health or financial information, and a lack of transparency about how advertisers are collecting data.
http://benton.org/node/23140
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IN YOUR FACE WEB AD FORMATS POPPING UP ALL OVER
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Dan Fost]
They're bigger, they're bolder, and soon they'll be covering up large swaths of some of your favorite Web pages. The Online Publishers Association on Tuesday released several new in-your-face advertising formats designed to be both more obtrusive and interactive. Twenty-seven top Internet publishers -- including the New York Times, CNN, CBS Interactive, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal -- say they'll try the supersize ads in an attempt to get the attention of Web surfers who have learned to ignore banners. The websites, which collectively reach two-thirds of the U.S. Internet audience, must walk a fine line so they don't bug visitors so much that they stop returning.
http://benton.org/node/23132

uk police say wrong to film journalists

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/10/climate-camp-surveillance

extreme case of australian internet laws?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/baby-swinging-video-case-warning/2009/03/10/1236447185321.html

from yesterday's benton headlines

CARLOS SLIM HELU: THE RETICENT MEDIA BARON
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Marc Lacey]
Carlos Slim Helú, Mexico's richest man and now a major shareholder in and lender to The New York Times, has a complex relationship with the news media. He invests money in an array of television and newspaper companies and says he sees a bright future for those media companies that adapt. But when the news media focus their spotlight on him, he sometimes gives the impression that he wants to be left alone to make more money in peace.
http://benton.org/node/22133
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THE FUTURE OF MUSIC POLICY
[SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Mary Madden]
While the Internet can often be viewed as an unfriendly place for musicians' pockets, online radio has proven to be one of more lucrative digital channels for artists. Online radio stations are currently required to pay a performance royalty to musicians every time their song is played. Terrestrial radio, on the other hand, still benefits from an exemption that allows them to avoid paying performance royalties to musicians. The U.S. stands out in this regard, as many other parts of the world do not provide this exemption to broadcasters.
http://benton.org/node/22125
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CELL PHONE DEMAND TO STAY STRONG DESPITE DOWNTURN: U.N.
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Laura MacInnis]
Mobile telephones are seen as "a basic necessity" around the world and should enjoy persistent strong demand throughout an economic downturn, a United Nations agency said in a report published on Monday. "With or without a recession," millions of people in India, China, Nigeria, and other emerging markets will seek out mobile phones, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Increasingly cost-conscious households in Europe and North America are also expected to keep up their mobile use, and many will drop their fixed-line telephones as a way to save money, the ITU said in a report released for the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.
http://benton.org/node/22135
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DO WE NEED A NEW INTERNET?
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
[Commentary] There is a growing belief among engineers and security experts that Internet security and privacy have become so maddeningly elusive that the only way to fix the problem is to start over. What a new Internet might look like is still widely debated, but one alternative would, in effect, create a "gated community" where users would give up their anonymity and certain freedoms in return for safety. Today that is already the case for many corporate and government Internet users. As a new and more secure network becomes widely adopted, the current Internet might end up as the bad neighborhood of cyberspace. You would enter at your own risk and keep an eye over your shoulder while you were there. "Unless we're willing to rethink today's Internet," says Nick McKeown, a Stanford engineer involved in building a new Internet, "we're just waiting for a series of public catastrophes."
http://benton.org/node/22142
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STIMULUS STIRS DEBATE OVER RURAL BROADBAND ACCESS
[SOURCE: National Public Radio, AUTHOR: Howard Berkes]
Michael Katz bashed rural life last week when he addressed an American Enterprise Institute panel discussion on the broadband elements of President Obama's economic stimulus bill. "The notion that we should be helping people who live in rural areas avoid the costs that they impose on society ... is misguided," Katz said, "from an efficiency point of view and an equity one." Katz listed ways that the $7.2 billion could be put to better use, including an effort to combat infant deaths. But he also spoke of rural places as environmentally hostile, energy inefficient and even weak in innovation, simply because rural people are spread out across the landscape.
http://benton.org/node/22136
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privacy concerns in Britain

from the right wing press

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/4604985/Whatever-happened-to-free-speech.html

and the left wing press

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/14/medical-records-nhs-privacy

UK surveillance

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5683677.ece

"What data crunching did for Obama"

from Business Week.

Article here.

perhaps we should be a bit concerned here...!

Read this!

some surveillance articles

1) Surveillance of Skype messages found in China, reports human rights group.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/02/technology/02skype.php

skype responds: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10057580-83.html

2) IN BRAZIL, BUSINESS AS USUAL OFTEN INVOLVES WIRETAPPING

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122331824781908463.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

3) Who else reads your email?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1007/p09s03-coop.html

4) New Survellience program will turn military satellites on US
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081005-new-surveillance-program-will-turn-military-satellites-on-us.html