Apple's mystifying decisions about which apps to allow on iPhones are helping fuel demands to allow people to jailbreak their devices.

AT&T today confirmed to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) that it has worked with behavioral targeting company Audience Science to advertise AT&T products and services to Web users since 2005. "Audience Science is one of a number of online marketing firms that assist AT&T in reaching potential customers and placing AT&T's advertisements on other website," writes chief privacy officer Dorothy Attwood. But Attwood's response is more notable for what it doesn't say.

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz recently warned online ad companies that they didn't have much time left to prove they could protect people's privacy. Now, he's added that he would like to see marketers get Web users' express consent before tracking them online in order to serve targeted ads. "Opt-out isn't illegal necessarily, but I think the better practice is opt-in," he said this weekend in an interview that aired on C-SPAN.

In 2000, the U.S. ranked 5th worldwide in broadband penetration, with 2.5 broadband lines per 100 residents. At the time, the No. 1 country was South Korea, with 8.4% penetration. By 2007, however, the U.S. had slipped to 22nd place, with 21.5 broadband lines per 100 residents, lagging behind countries such as Bermuda (36.7), South Korea (30.6) and Japan (22.5).

Faced with lurid newspaper headlines and the wrath of law enforcement officials, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster has taken to the company's blog to argue that plenty of criminals have used print classifieds to find crime victim.

It's safe to say that Facebook has had more than its share of privacy glitches. Now, Wired reports that the company has been snooping on private messages and censoring ones that contain file-sharing links.

There's no question that the Megan Meier tragedy left many people outraged. But this widespread indignation has also spurred some very questionable legal and policy decisions.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has become the latest law enforcement official to target Craigslist for allegedly facilitating prostitution.

Trent Reznor is considered one of the most innovative pioneers in digital music. He has famously released tracks for free, made bootleg footage available for fans, and was among the first to offer music available through an iPhone app. So when the musician gets into a dispute with Apple, industry observers take note.

Some lawmakers are talking about enacting new online privacy laws, but at least one U.S. Supreme Court Judge has indicated that such laws might not be constitutional.