The number of Internet user's will grow to 3.0 billion in 2016, up from 1.99 billion in 2010, or about 45% of the world's projected population that year, according to a new study from Boston Consulting Group.

Previously focused on protecting free speech worldwide, Twitter said Thursday it would start censoring tweets in specific countries, but publish them as usual throughout the rest of the world. In a blog post, the company explains how it had to develop technology before it could take down the content in some countries, while leaving it up in others. Twitter also said it inked an expanded agreement with Chilling Effects, a blog monitoring Internet legal activity and censorship, to increase Twitter's transparency on issued rated to free expression.

In the lead-up to the Daytona 500 next month Chicago-based MillerCoors has extended it's official partnerships with NASCAR and and Penske Racing. Part of the program makes Coors Light the "Official Beer" of NASCAR's three national series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks - and continue its Official Status Sponsorship of the motorsports sanctioning body, a title it's had since 2008. Prior to that the beer brand was primary sponsor of the #40 car for 14 years.

British paper The Daily Mail's MailOnline has overtaken the New York Times to become the world's biggest newspaper website, the paper said citing new figures from comScore.

Dominic Proctor, the longtime CEO of Mindshare Worldwide, has been named President of the shop's management oversight arm, GroupM. The position at the WPP-owned operation is new. Proctor will continue to report to GroupM Global CEO Irwin Gotlieb, who said the move is designed to strengthen the company's senior management team in order to successfully meet marketplace challenges and opportunities. Gotlieb will add the title of GroupM Chairman as part of the reorganization. At Mindshare, Proctor will be succeeded as Worldwide CEO by Nick Emery, currently the London-based Chief Strategy Officer for Mindshare. "These changes represent a logical and important …

Megan Riley has joined Horizon Media as vice president-associate managing director in the media shop's Brand Strategy Group. Riley, who reports to Senior Vice President-Managing Director of Retail Sean Smith, joins from vice president-connections director of strategic planning at Mediavest.

Better than expected earnings news from Netflix rocketed its stock up over 10% in mid-day Wednesday trading. Despite its well-noted Summer 2011 problems of proposed changes in its services -- much to the chagrin of loyal customers -- Netflix beat earnings estimates, pulling in $41 million in fourth quarter 2011 results. Analysts were expecting Netflix to record net quartely profits of 54 cents a share and $857.3 million in revenue. Instead, it posted 73 cents a share and $876 million. Netflix earnings results are down 13% from $47 million for the same time period a year ago. 

Interpublic has acquired FUSE, a digital and interactive agency based in the UK, that will become part of its GolinHarris network. Terms were not disclosed, but FUSE, which was launched in 2004 by three former architecture students, now has a roster of clients including Unilever, Bissell, Tia Maria, Top Trumps and Dove.

Google said Tuesday that it will revise its privacy policy to allow it to mesh together information about signed-in users across a variety of products, including Gmail, Android, and YouTube.

Chicago-based Clearstream will introduce a standard Wednesday for measuring video quality. Brian Mandelbaum, Clearstream cofounder, said the startup plans to introduce methods to support auditing and analytics technology already in place. Mandelbaum got his industry experience working at Razorfish, Saatchi & Saatchi, Cramer Krasselt and AdoTube. Educating brands and industry execs, Mandelbaum's company will introduce -- Clearstream Score -- a "seal of approval" for online site inventory will appear in two numbers (900/110). The technology tracks and scores each piece of content across the Web. The score - based on Video Quality Rating and a Content Index - should provide …