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CISPA passes House (again), White House threatens veto (again)

CISPA passes House (again), White House threatens veto (again)
  • Posted April 19, 2013, 3:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is once again making the rounds. The bill passed the House on Thursday with a 288-127 vote. Although there appears to be a fair amount of bi-partisan support for the bill, it may…

Nevada is first state to legalize online gambling

Nevada is first state to legalize online gambling
  • Posted February 22, 2013, 3:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web, Gaming
  • Nevada's governor has signed into law a bill which legalizes Internet gambling. Consequently, Nevada has become the first U.S. state to legalize online gambling. The AB114 bill (pdf) also authorizes Nevada to make deals with other states, allowing them to…

CISPA cybersecurity bill returns, still ignores privacy rights

CISPA cybersecurity bill returns, still ignores privacy rights
  • Posted February 14, 2013, 3:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in IT Security, The Web Breaking News
  • It's back. The U.S. House Intelligence Committee has reintroduced its controversial "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" in a second attempt to pass the bill. Originally unleashed last year, CISPA slipped passed Congress but was aborted by the Senate following a…

Skype calls purportedly being tapped, Skype-based malware spreads

Skype calls purportedly being tapped, Skype-based malware spreads
  • Posted January 24, 2013, 5:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in IT Security
  • In terms of security, privacy and trust, it looks like 2013 is shaping up to be a tough year for Skype. The latest ding against the Microsoft-owned company comes from Reporters Without Borders' online censorship project leader Grégoire Pouget, who…

Banning sex offenders from social media sites violates free speech, Federal court rules

Banning sex offenders from social media sites violates free speech, Federal court rules
  • Posted January 23, 2013, 6:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • Due to First Amendment concerns, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has invalidated an Indiana law barring registered sex offenders from using social network sites. "The Indiana law targets substantially more activity than the evil it seeks to redress,"…

Amazon to begin collecting sales tax in Massachusetts, Nov 2013

Amazon to begin collecting sales tax in Massachusetts, Nov 2013
  • Posted December 12, 2012, 4:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Industry News, The Web
  • Slowly but surely, it appears Amazon is losing the battle against collecting state sales tax on purchases made through its website. Massachusetts is the latest in a growing list of places where Amazon must charge sales tax on the goods it…

Congress passes resolution condemning U.N. Internet "takeover"

Congress passes resolution condemning U.N. Internet "takeover"
  • Posted December 6, 2012, 4:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • In response to a set of Internet eavesdropping standards recently adopted by the International Telecommunications Union, Congress has voted unanimously(!) in favor of a resolution which opposes any sort of U.N. Internet "takeover". Finally, something which American legislators seem to…

Internet "Bill of Rights" proposed by anti-SOPA lawmakers

Internet "Bill of Rights" proposed by anti-SOPA lawmakers
  • Posted June 11, 2012, 5:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • Congress critter and California republican Darrell Issa is working on the first draft of what may eventually become the "Digital Bill of Rights" -- legislation which could possibly shape online freedoms and the expectations afforded to citizens of the Internet.…

Internet Defense League seeks to protect online freedom

Internet Defense League seeks to protect online freedom
  • Posted May 28, 2012, 3:00 PM by Jose Vilches | Filed in The Web, Industry News
  • A group of online activists, headed by Tiffiniy Cheng of Fight for the Future and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, have formed the Internet Defense League to warn web users of damaging legislation being crafted and organize website owners to protest…

Congress aims to outlaw employers from requiring Facebook passwords

Congress aims to outlaw employers from requiring Facebook passwords
  • Posted May 10, 2012, 3:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • In response to a recent (and dubious) phenomenon where employers require employees to fork over the proverbial keys to their online accounts, U.S. House Democrats are working to pass legislation which will prohibit this practice all together.

UK government considers Internet porn filter, requires users to opt-out

UK government considers Internet porn filter, requires users to opt-out
  • Posted May 7, 2012, 2:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • UK Prime Minster David Cameron will be consulting with major ISPs about devising a scheme which will block adult content for UK customers. If such a content filter does materialize from the talks, it is expected to be an optional…

House approves CISPA cybersecurity bill, Microsoft backpedals support

House approves CISPA cybersecurity bill, Microsoft backpedals support
  • Posted April 30, 2012, 3:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in Microsoft, The Web
  • Despite the administration's threat to veto the bill, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the controverisal cyber-survellience legislation late last week by a vote of 248 to 168. CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, encourages companies to freely share…

SOPA is dead, but CISPA may give Internet citizens a new cause

SOPA is dead, but CISPA may give Internet citizens a new cause
  • Posted April 13, 2012, 2:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in IT Security, The Web
  • Although the demise of SOPA is behind us, citizens of the Internet may have new cause for concern. The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) has been gaining momentum and while it is distinctly different than SOPA, some argue…

FTC praises 'Do Not Track' initiatives, refreshes privacy framework

FTC praises
  • Posted March 26, 2012, 3:00 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • In a new report published by the FTC (pdf), the commission attempts to lay a new framework to protect the privacy of citizens and refreshes its own views on how to accomplish those goals. Some of the ideas outlined include Do…

Reddit prepares for anti-SOPA blackout, others may follow

Reddit prepares for anti-SOPA blackout, others may follow
  • Posted January 11, 2012, 5:30 PM by Rick Burgess | Filed in The Web
  • As SOPA looms, a controversial bill which aims to give private actors and authorities more authority over the web, some websites are preparing to protest the pending legislation by staging a blackout. Reddit.com announced it will be joining an unknown…

GoDaddy loses over 37,000 domains due to SOPA stance

GoDaddy loses over 37,000 domains due to SOPA stance
  • Posted December 26, 2011, 8:53 AM by Jose Vilches | Filed in The Web, Industry News
  • It's been a hell of a Christmas weekend for GoDaddy. The hosting and domain registrar company lost more than 37,000 domains in the past couple of days due to its shaky stance on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act. According…

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