international

Romanian Prime Minister Admits He Has No Idea Why Romania Signed ACTA

Stevie Converse — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:37:17 -0500

Full article: TechDirt
Mike Masnick
With Poland putting ACTA ratification on hold, and Slovenia apparently regretting its signature, now we've got Romania's prime minister, Emil Boc, admitting that he doesn't understand why the country signed ACTA.

China Cut Off Internet in Area of Tibetan Unrest

Stevie Converse — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:11:58 -0500

Full article: Guardian
Tania Branigan
Chinese officials cut off mobile phone and Internet connections to areas where Tibetans were shot dead amid unrest last month, state media has reported. Foreign reporters attempting to visit the region have been turned back, with officials blaming bad weather and the state of the roads.

Iran Clamps Down on Internet Use

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:32:34 -0500

Full article: Guardian
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Iran is clamping down heavily on Web users before parliamentary elections in March, with draconian rules on cybercafes and preparations to launch a national Internet. The moves have prompted fears among its online community that Iran intends to withdraw from the global Internet.

Soul Searching in Silicon Valley

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:19:44 -0500

Full article: Financial Times
April Dembosky
In the wake of social uprisings around the world this year, technology companies are responding to international human rights organizations' call for better facilitation of social movements in varying degrees. Some have begrudgingly reshaped internal policies to account for their wider role in society and a few are interpreting them as a strategic opportunity.

Philanthropist Funds Australian Public Internet Journalism Site

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:25:57 -0500

Full article: Guardian
Roy Greenslade
An Australian philanthropist is funding a not-for-profit online startup that is pledged to publishing public interest journalism. The new venture will not charge readers, will not sell ads and is not seeking more donors.

100 Italian Newspapers Facing Closure

Stevie Converse — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:22:40 -0500

Full article: Guardian
Roy Greenslade
Up to 100 newspaper titles in Italy are facing closure because of the government's subsidy cuts. The cuts, ordered by the previous government of Silvio Berlusconi, have been confirmed by Mario Monti's administration.

U.S. Responds to E.U. Comments on Data Protection

Stevie Converse — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:34:53 -0500

Full article: Washington Post
Hayley Tsukayama
The U.S. ambassador to the European Union, William Kennard told reporters in Brussels that he disagrees with European commissioner for justice and fundamental rights Viviane Reding's criticism that while the U.S. is interested in negotiating individual data sharing agreements with the E.U., it's dragging its heels on data protection.

Google May Face Scrutiny as EU Regulator Examines Search-Engine Antitrust

Stevie Converse — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:15:48 -0400

Full article: Bloomberg
Stephanie Bodoni
Google, owner of the world's most-used search engine, may face closer scrutiny as European Union regulators take a careful look at allegations of antitrust breaches in relation to Internet searches.

Google Defends Privacy Practices

Stevie Converse — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:07:05 -0400

Full article: National Journal
Juliana Gruenwald
Google responded to concerns raised by privacy ministers from 10 countries, saying the Internet firm has tried to be transparent and give users control over how their information is used. Last month, privacy commissioners from Canada, Israel, New Zealand and several European countries voiced concern that Google has failed to adequately ensure privacy in the rollout of its new products.

Italian Broadband Plan Unveiled

Stevie Converse — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:47:05 -0400

Full article: Wall Street Journal
Giada Zampano
Three Italian telecommunications providers said they plan to launch a €2.5 billion (about $3.2 billion) project to create a broadband network covering Italy's major cities. They have also asked the Italian government to start the process allowing for the creation of a fiber-optics company with both operators and public bodies as investors.