• Have Web Sites Cut Back On Flash Cookies?
    Some Web companies are still using Flash cookies to recreate HTTP cookies that users have deleted -- activity that thwarts users' privacy choices -- but the prevalence of this practice might be declining.
  • Facebook Sued, Again, For Kicking Off User
    For at least the second time in recent months, Facebook has been hit with a lawsuit for allegedly shutting down a user's account. In the latest case, Staten Island resident Mustafa Fteja, who is Muslim, alleges that Facebook discriminated against him based on his religion, according to the New York Post.
  • Privacy Advocates: Commerce Department's Call For Self-Regulation Falls Flat
    The Department of Commerce recently issued a privacy report recommending that online ad industry groups and consumer advocates should jointly develop self-regulatory privacy principles, and that the administration add a privacy czar who would convene industry groups, advocates and others to develop new self-regulatory codes. Not surprisingly, some privacy advocates are saying these proposals don't go nearly far enough.
  • Study Confirms Apple Apps Track Users' Info
    Last year, a professor at Bucknell University caused a stir with research showing that a majority of the most popular applications available for iPhones use the devices' serial numbers to track users.
  • Senator Cantwell Introduces Net Neutrality Bill
    The latest proposed Net Neutrality bill, introduced today by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would bar broadband providers from blocking applications or sites and also would explicitly ban paid prioritization deals, which involve content providers that pay extra for fast-lane treatment.
  • Justin.tv Sued For Copyright Infringement
    In a move reminiscent of Viacom's attempt to sue YouTube for copyright infringement, Zuffa's Ultimate Fighting Championship has sued Justin.tv for allegedly not taking enough proactive steps to prevent users from uploading pirated streams.
  • Verizon's New Challenge Highlights FCC's Failure To Reclass Broadband
    The same day that the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to enact neutrality regulations, Verizon vowed to challenge the move in court. This week, the telecom made good on its threat.
  • Will Do-Not-Track Become Law This Year?
    The online industry is vocally opposing the Federal Trade Commission's recent proposal for a voluntary do-not-track mechanism, but some privacy experts seem convinced that the initiative will move forward.
  • Copyright Troll Righthaven Suing Posters To Google Groups, Other Forums
    The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently ran a column outlining how airport security officials' screening process humiliates elderly and disabled passengers. After the piece appeared, a Google Groups user who goes by the name -- or screenname -- Jim Higgins posted the article to soc.retirement. Now, copyright troll Righthaven has filed an infringement suit against Higgins for posting the column.
  • Comcast Approved For NBC Deal, Set To Follow Open Internet Rules
    Regulators from the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice today cleared Comcast's merger with NBC, but with conditions. Among the most important is that Comcast has committed to follow open Internet principles for at least seven years.
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