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European Union regulators want Google to make changes to its new privacy policy to protect the rights of its users, the EU's national data protection regulators said in a letter to the company.
Leading the inquiry on behalf of Europe, France's data protection watchdog had already questioned the legality and fairness of Google's new privacy policy, introduced in March. This consolidated 60 privacy policies into one and pooled data collected on individual users across its services, including YouTube, Gmail and its social network Google+. Users cannot opt out. The regulators' letter said: "Combining personal data on such a large scale creates high risks to the privacy of users." "Therefore, Google should modify its practices when combining data across services for these purposes," the letter said. It was signed by 24 of EU's 27 data regulators plus those of Croatia and Liechtenstein.
EU data chiefs ask Google to change privacy policy
The following item has been deleted from the list of agenda items scheduled for consideration at the FCC’s October 17, 2012, Open Meeting. The FCC will NOT consider a Second Report and Order to streamline reporting requirements for international phone traffic, significantly reducing overall filing burdens while ensuring collection of the data needed to protect consumers and competition in international markets.
FCC Deletes International Phone Traffic Reporting from October Agenda
Viacom has come under fire lately for cluttering some of its channels with extra commercials in order to make up for advertising revenue shortfalls caused by lower ratings. But one little-noticed effect of squeezing in more ads is that networks such as TV Land and Nick at Nite are actually running fewer episodes of series in many dayparts, sometimes running only five episodes of sitcoms like King of Queens and George Lopez in a three-hour block rather than the six 30-minute episodes that normally fill a programming grid.
With Too Many Ads, TV Land Subtracts Content
The Center for Digital Democracy and Commonsense Media have launched an online petition drive to get parents to push the Federal Trade Commission to stay the course on its proposed changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act enforcement regime.
They say the only way to compete with media lobbyists working to weaken the privacy laws is to enlist parents in the effort. "The Federal Trade Commission has proposed rule changes that will update the law and keep parents in control even in this new digital era of social media networks, mobile apps, gaming sites and tracking that goes on while kids are web browsing," the petition says. "There is already mounting industry opposition to these rule changes which will provide parents with another tool to stay in control. Parents must make their voices heard so that the FTC knows that we support these important rule changes that keep parents in charge."
Groups Ask Parents to Promote FTC Kids Online Privacy Proposals
T-Mobile has two markets that are officially iPhone ready, but unofficially there is a lot of upgrade activity going on nationwide. Unlocked iPhone owners in Las Vegas and Kansas City can now access T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. By year end that list should be far greater.
T-Mobile’s iPhone-friendly network overhaul: 2 cities down, 227 to go
Leaders in Kansas City (MO) are taking advantage of Google Fiber and leveraging a new program in an effort to promote local tech startups. The new program, called Launch KC, is a collaboration between government and local businesses in Kansas City interested in finding the best way to foster local growth. The city's support of tech startups is a big part of why Google chose Kansas City for its fiber project in the first place.
KC Embraces Fiber, Launches Startup Support
President Barack Obama’s gone further than any president to keep lobbyists out of the White House — even signing executive orders to do it. But the mood on K Street is brightening. Industry insiders believe that Mitt Romney will unshackle the revolving door and give lobbyists a shot at the government jobs their Democratic counterparts have been denied for the past four years, a dozen Republican lobbyists said in conversations with POLITICO.
"I've heard they are likely not to black ball anybody from any particular sector," said Republican lobbyist Sam Geduldig at Clark, Lytle & Geduldig. "I assume, everyone is welcome to apply. I'm sure they are interested in getting the best people possible." Allowing lobbyists back into the White House could be a PR nightmare early on in a new administration, some Republicans fear. Romney would have to toss out Obama’s orders, which shook up how President George W. Bush did business and let Obama claim his agenda wouldn’t be hijacked by special interests.
Lobbyists ready for a comeback under Romney
Brian Ahladas should be cheering. The local ad inventory he supervises at NBC affiliate WWBT in Richmond (VA) is in high demand, thanks to the coming election. He's fielded a heady influx of advertising from political organizations and, in recent weeks, the presidential candidates themselves. But instead of sleeping easy at night counting his political ad dollars, Ahladas has to constantly monitor ad rates and juggle schedules, trying to ensure his local advertisers -- at least those unafraid of their spots running in a sea of attack ads -- aren't kept completely off the air. Legal requirements say that if a candidate requests time, the station is obligated to provide it. That can sometimes require replacing parts of an ad schedule already established by local sponsors.
Surviving the Political Ad Deluge
The public is fast learning how to dodge and ignore the hail of political e-mail, quickly diminishing the impact of what’s been a reliable and low-cost campaign tool. Open rates for marketing-related e-mails are now at historic lows — more than 80 percent go unread — a trend that is scary to campaign operatives who rely on it as their primary mode of communications with potential donors, voters and volunteers. “People aren’t opening candidates’ emails as much because campaigns have abused the tool so many times,” said former Barack Obama 2008 external online director Scott Goodstein of the online campaign firm Revolution Messaging. “Nobody should be shocked that their email response has deteriorated.”
E-mail overload dilutes message
[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission changed its rules on "basic tier encryption." There's some good and some bad in what the FCC did, but on balance, provided the benefits touted by the cable companies actually materialize, I think the Order is more good than bad. But some background is needed to put this in context.
Some Good, Some Bad in FCC Basic Tier Encryption Order