Facebook dominates UK mobile use

(BBC)
Facebook dominates the lives of mobile internet users in the UK, according to figures from a mobile industry body. The social network accounts for nearly half of all the time people in the UK spend going online using their phones. The data, from the GSM Association (GSMA), showed that people in the UK spent around 2.2bn minutes browsing the social network during December alone

Labels: Mobile_and_wireless, Social_networking, Statistics_and_research

Internet Addiction Spins Web of Depression

(WebMD)
Internet users who are compulsive about going online and have more social interactions in virtual worlds than the real one may be depressed, according to a new study. Some Internet users retreat from real-life interaction and opt for chat rooms and social networking sites, and this can have an adverse effect on mental health, researchers say in the Feb. 10 issue of Psychopathology. "This type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health," lead author Catriona Morrison, DPhil, of the University of Leeds, says in a news release. "The Internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side."

Labels: Health

Teen blogging replaced by Facebook status updates

(IDG)
Blogging is becoming a thing of the past for teens and young adults, who are now far more likely to keep in touch with friends on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, according to a new study Social Media and Young Adults by Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Labels: Social_networking

An engineer's perspective on privacy

(European Public Policy Blog)
Ever wondered what data Google's search engine collects and why we retain search logs for certain periods of time? Here's a hint: it's not to personalise advertising as many people wrongly assume. Our first ever Brussels Tech Talk was about this and other questions on online privacy, given that it was Data Protection Day. Dr Alma Whitten, Google's engineering lead for privacy, addressed a full room of policy makers and other interested stakeholders. Alma demonstrated how we harness the power of data to "learn from the good guys, fight the bad guys, and invent the future." You can watch the video of the talk, and follow along with her presentation.

Labels: Data_protection_privacy

OSCE asks Turkey to change the laws allowing Internet blocking

(EDRI-gram)
OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Media Freedom representative Miklos Haraszti asked the Turkish Government to change their Internet law in order to observe OSCE commitments and other international standards protecting freedom of expression. A survey analyzing Turkey's Internet Law has shown that the Turkish authorities were able to block the access to Internet of about 3700 websites. These sites included foreign websites such as YouTube, Geocities, DailyMotion and Google, blocked by court orders and administrative blocking orders issued by the Telecommunications Communication Presidency (TIB). The study also shows a lack of transparency in relation to the blocking orders issued either by the court or TIB and the fact that TIB has not made public the blocking statistics since May 2009. The OSCE representative considers that some of the reasons for blocking sites are "arbitrary and political, and therefore incompatible with OSCE's freedom of expression commitments."

Labels: Filtering_and_blocking

A world of connections - a special report on social networking

(Economist)
Online social networks are changing the way people communicate, work and play, and mostly for the better.

Labels: Social_networking

EU - Commission launches legal action against Italy over databases for telemarketing purposes

(RAPID)
The European Commission has taken legal action against Italy for not respecting EU ePrivacy rules. According to EU law, subscribers who are included in a public subscriber directory must be informed about the objectives of the directory and consent to the use of their personal data contained therein for marketing purposes. As Italy failed to comply with this obligation, the Commission decided to send a letter of formal notice (the first step of an infringement proceeding).

Labels: Data_protection_privacy

EU - New Telecoms Regulator gets to work

(RAPID)
The telecoms regulators of the 27 EU countries have met for the first time in Brussels as members of the new Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). The new European telecoms regulator BEREC has been established following the adoption by the Council and Parliament of the new EU Telecoms rules in December 2009. See also speeches at the first meeting of the Board of Regulators of BEREC and the Management Committee of the Office 28 January 2010, Egmont Palace Brussels: The important role of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications by Neelie Kroes and Viviane Reding

Labels: Telecommunications

CA - Privacy Commissioner launches public consultations on emerging technologies

(Press Release)
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced an upcoming consultation with Canadians on privacy issues related to the online tracking, profiling and targeting of consumers by marketers and other businesses. This will be the first in a series of public consultations focused on emerging technological trends that are likely to have a significant impact on the privacy of Canadians. A second consultation on the privacy issues emerging from the growing movement toward cloud computing will be announced in the near future.

Labels: Data_protection_privacy

EU - Privacy: the challenges ahead for the European Union

(RAPID)
Keynote Speech at the Data Protection Day by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media, 28 January 2010, European Parliament, Brussels. See also Press Release

Labels: Data_protection_privacy

Google publishes privacy principles

(Google Public Policy blog)
Known as Data Privacy Day in North America and Data Protection Day in Europe, 28 January is meant to increase public awareness about privacy in the information age. To mark this occasion, on the Official Google Blog we've unveiled our Privacy Principles, which guide the decisions we make as we create products and services that offer transparency and control.

Labels: Data_protection_privacy

CA - Web Filters Cause Name Change for a Magazine

(New York Times)
In 1920 the Hudson's Bay Company, which owed much of its early fortune to the trade in beaver pelts, began publishing a magazine for its 250th anniversary, The Beaver. This evolved into a respected magazine about Canadian history, and last week Canada's National History Society, the nonprofit group that now publishes it, decided that the Internet required the magazine to undergo a name change. To be more precise, the title was doomed by a vulgar alternative meaning that causes Web filters at schools and junk mail filters in e-mail programs to block access to material containing the magazine's name.

Labels: Filtering_and_blocking

UK - Tim Berners-Lee unveils government data project

(BBC)
Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee has unveiled his latest venture for the UK government, which offers the public better access to official data. A new website, data.gov.uk, will offer reams of public sector data, ranging from traffic statistics to crime figures, for private or commercial use. The target is to kickstart a new wave of services that find novel ways to make use of the information. Sir Tim was hired by PM Gordon Brown in June 2009 to oversee the project.

Labels: Digital_content, E-government

2010-05-05 AT, Krems - EDem10 - 4th international Conference on E-Democracy

(Danube University Krems)
EDem10 will take place at Danube University Krems, Austria, on 6th and 7th of May 2010. EDem is the leading E-Democracy conference in Europe and the keynote speakers will ensure an interesting event. On primary aim is to bring together researchers and practitioners. Deadline for Extended Call for Papers 1 March.

Labels: Forthcoming_events

FR - François Fillon veut lutter contre le racisme sur Internet

(01net)
Le Premier ministre a reçu un rapport sur la lutte contre le racisme sur Internet. Il souhaite impliquer davantage les administrations et rappelle leur rôle aux hébergeurs. La France possède un arsenal répressif complet pour combattre le racisme, mais il est insuffisamment mis en œuvre sur Internet, souligne le rapport « Lutter contre le racisme sur Internet » remis au Premier ministre, François Fillon. Réalisé par Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, conseiller d'Etat, présidente du Forum des droits sur l'Internet, ce document d'une soixantaine de pages note la présence évidente de messages et contenus à caractère raciste, sans toutefois conclure à une augmentation de leur nombre.

Labels: Racism_and_xenophobia