September 2012

Facebook tightens privacy to satisfy Irish regulator

Facebook has tightened up its privacy controls sufficiently to satisfy a review by the body that regulates the social networking company outside North America, removing the immediate threat of legal challenges.

Facebook was told by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner last December to overhaul privacy protection for its users outside the United States and Canada after a probe found its privacy policies were too complex and lacked transparency. The regulator said it was particularly encouraged by the decision to turn off a piece of facial recognition technology, the so-called "tag suggest" feature, for new users in the European Union and by next month, existing users as well. The Irish watchdog, which oversees Facebook's activities because the group's non-U.S. business is headquartered in Dublin, said most of its instructions had been adopted, with progress still to be made on others over the next four weeks.

Divided Court OK's Facebook's Privacy Foundation

A divided federal appeals court ruled that Facebook can create a new privacy foundation in order to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from its defunct Beacon ad program.

A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to uphold the settlement, which was approved two years ago by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Seeborg. "We affirm the district court’s holding that the settlement was fundamentally fair," the majority wrote. The appellate court specifically rejected opponents' arguments that Facebook will exert too much control over the new organization, called the Digital Trust Foundation. The decision paves the way for Facebook to move forward with the new foundation, which is part of a $9.5 million settlement package. The deal calls for Facebook to pay $6.5 million to fund the Digital Trust Foundation, to be directed by a three-person board that includes Facebook's director of public policy, Tim Sparapani. The social-networking giant also will pay the 19 consumers who filed suit amounts varying from $1,000 to $15,000, and around $2.5 million to the attorneys who brought the case.

Get-Out-the-Vote Ad Campaign Focuses on Protecting the Right to Vote

In presidential election years, late September and early October usually bring a wave of conventional public service advertising campaigns that are intended to encourage Americans to vote in November. A new campaign, from the National Urban League, adds an element that is torn from today’s headlines. The campaign, created by the New York office of the DraftFCB advertising agency, which is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, carries the slogan “It’s time to be heard.” It is the next phase of an initiative from the organization under the “Occupy the vote” umbrella theme. The ads in the campaign include the usual appeal to stimulate turnout, in this instance celebrities – including Angela Bassett, Eric Benét, Kim Coles and Al Sharpton — who say: “Your vote is your voice. Stay silent, and your opinion is lost.” But the stars in the ads go on to say: “Your right to vote could be denied. Changes in state voting laws could affect you. Protect your right to vote.” They direct potential voters to a Web site, occupythevote12.org, as well as a toll-free phone number, 1-866- MYVOTE1 (1-866-698-6831).

It’s 2012, and Web Video Still Hasn’t Made a Dent in TV

Everyone watches a lot of Web video. So, obviously, the people who spend a lot of money advertising on TV are going to start spending that money on the Web. Except that TV ad spending hasn’t gone anywhere, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. Year in, year out, advertisers have been dumping around $70 billion into TV, and the Web video guys really haven’t captured any of it. The growth they have seen comes mostly from ad dollars moved out of other Web properties.

Twitter Throws Japan a Lifeline

The natural disaster that struck Japan in March of 2011 came with serious consequences — nearly 16,000 fatalities and upward of 2,800 people unaccounted for, at last count. Since then, the government of Japan has worked on disaster preparedness contingency plans in case of another massive earthquake. The country may have a little more help (outside of the Red Cross, that is). Twitter’s Tokyo team launched “Lifeline”, a feature that allows users in Japan to more easily locate Twitter accounts that deliver pertinent local information in the case of another disaster.

Iran blamed for cyberattacks on U.S. banks and companies

Iran recently has mounted a series of disruptive computer attacks against major U.S. banks and other companies in apparent retaliation for Western economic sanctions aimed at halting its nuclear program, according to U.S. intelligence and other officials. In particular, assaults this week on the Web sites of JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America probably were carried out by Iran, said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. US officials suspect Iran was behind similar cyberattacks on U.S. and other Western businesses here and in the Middle East, some dating as far back as December.

The pioneering online community The WELL buys itself

Four months after it was announced that the pioneering online community The WELL was up for sale, a group of long-time members have bought the company, and with it, their digital watering hole, themselves.

The WELL had been owned by Salon Media Group, which publishes Salon.com, for 13 years. On June 29 it was put up for sale and The WELL's hundreds of online residents began discussing how to save it. It was feared that Salon would sell the domain name well.com to a health care company and allow the community's 27 years of discussions to disappear forever. Those fears evaporated when it was announced that a private investment group composed of long-time WELL members has purchased the domain and the site. The purchase price was not made public. Their goal, they said on the site, was not to get rich quick, but to create a sustainable business model that would allow it to continue to provide the community with a place to be, while also bringing in new members. The WELL doesn't take advertising and is paid for solely through monthly subscriptions, $10 for access and $15 if it includes an e-mail address

Lawmakers introduce Pandora-backed music royalty legislation

A trio of lawmakers introduced legislation aimed at lowering the royalty fees paid by Internet radio stations so they become level with the rates paid by other digital radio services.

Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Jared Polis (D-CO) unveiled the long-awaited Internet Radio Fairness Act, which has received the endorsement of online radio service Pandora. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a companion measure in the Senate. The three lawmakers argue that Internet radio stations unfairly pay higher royalty rates than satellite and cable radio services do because they're placed on a different royalty-setting rate. They claim that these current royalty rules hamper innovation and discriminate against Internet radio stations. The bill proposes to put online radio services like Pandora on the 801(b) standard of the Copyright Act, which is the same standard used to set the royalty fees paid by cable and satellite radio.

New AP chief stresses news, business cooperation

Gary Pruitt, the new president and CEO of The Associated Press, pledged to continue close cooperation with member news organizations on news collection, open government efforts and generating online advertising revenues.

In remarks at the annual Associated Press Media Editors convention, Pruitt noted that the AP Mobile news app presents a key area where the cooperative and members can "be business partners today in a way we couldn't before." "You can be our local partner," said Pruitt, the 13th person to head the news cooperative since its founding in 1846. "AP can supply the national news, the international news - you can supply the local news. And we'll share ad revenues." Pruitt also announced to the gathering of top editors and news executives that the AP will contribute $25,000 to the APME's touring journalism workshops called NewsTrain as the program enters its 10th year. As newsrooms face substantial budget cutbacks, he said, training "is a very tough issue these days."

Afghanistan Bans Pakistani Newspapers

Afghanistan banned all Pakistani newspapers from entering the country in an attempt to block the Taliban from influencing public opinion via the press. The order, issued by the Ministry of Interior, adds to the mounting tension between the neighboring countries. It focuses specifically on blocking entry of the papers at Torkham, a busy border crossing, and directed border police to gather up Pakistani newspapers in the three eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan. In a statement, the ministry said the newspapers were a conduit for Taliban propaganda.

Benton

Search