October 2010

Reps Ed Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX), co-chairs of the House Privacy Caucus, want Facebook's CEO to answer a lot of questions in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report of major privacy breaches in the social network powerhouse. They requested a reply by Oct 27.

"Given the number of current users, the rate at which that number grows worldwide, and the age range of Facebook users, combined with the amount and the nature of information these users place in Facebook's trust, this series of breaches of consumer privacy is a cause for concern," they wrote in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has found that Google violated Canadian privacy laws when the Internet firm collected personal information from unsecured Wi-Fi networks in that country.

Commissioner Stoddart launched the investigation earlier this year after Google revealed that its Street View cars, which take street-level photos for Google's mapping service, had mistakenly also collected personal information from unsecured Wi-Fi networks in Canada and other countries including the United States. Several U.S. state attorneys general also have launched probes of the Wi-Fi incidents. "Our investigation shows that Google did capture personal information - and, in some cases, highly sensitive personal information such as complete e-mails," said Commissioner Stoddart. "This incident was a serious violation of Canadians' privacy rights." In addition to complete e-mails, Commissioner Stoddard said her office's probe also found that Google's Street View cars collected e-mail addresses, usernames and passwords, names and residential telephone numbers and postal addresses.

Difficulties in adopting national standards to regulate online education programs sparked a lively debate during a panel discussion at the Oct. 12 Presidents' Forum on Online Learning in the 21st Century, hosted by Excelsior College.

The panel, moderated by Sally Johnstone of Winona State University, addressed the complexity of managing standards for online education programs across state lines. Panelists addressed struggles specific to their own states, as well as national issues to consider as the standards debate continues.

"I would characterize New York's interest as being one of concern about the quality of education that New York residents receive, whether that education takes place in a traditional classroom setting or online," said Byron Connell, associate commissioner in higher education for the New York State Education Department. "Therefore, our concern is that there be strong assurances of quality for online [education] programs across the country so we don't sit there and fret over the quality of the education that our residents are engaging."

David Dies, executive secretary for the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board, echoed similar sentiments regarding standards for online education programs. "It really boils down to a level of trust," Dies said. "Do we have faith in the other states' abilities, the functions that they're performing, and can we in some way accept the work that they've done to satisfy our requirements?" But regulating the industry has proven far more complex than some supporters originally thought.

[Commentary] Internet services and applications stem from a complex, decentralized network of computers and data transmission lines. This openness to a constant stream of innovations and new services is a defining feature of the Internet. At its core, the principle of "network neutrality" is freedom to access any legal, online content without restrictions from Internet service providers. In our country, we have had the luxury to take this virtually limitless power for granted -- despite the fact that it is not guaranteed by law.

In the wake of the Comcast decision, two clear paths to preserve an open Internet exist. First, the Federal Communications Commission should reinstate its limited authority over broadband access services by partially reclassifying Internet communications as a "telecommunications service" under Title II of the Communications Act. The goal would be to restore the status quo that existed before the Comcast ruling. Second, at this time of technological transformation to an increasingly mobile broadband era, Congress must reauthorize the Communications Act of 1996 and give the FCC new legal framework to ensure Network neutrality.