Daily Bits

Internet

Obama Administration Targets Online Privacy

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Protecting one’s privacy is perhaps one of the biggest issues that “online dwellers” face today. With everyone and their mom spending a considerable amount of time online on a daily basis, it is inevitable for privacy issues to crop up left and right. We don’t even have to talk about Facebook, and privacy is already a big issue.

Naturally, a problem that exists on such a large scale is bound to catch the attention of the big wigs. So now, the Obama administration is embarking on a project to regulate Internet privacy. There are no concrete details as of yet, but The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Commerce Department is due to release a report soon. More than spewing out a report, though, the government has already created a task force that will ensure that the recommendations from the report will be converted into policy.

The United States is rather a late comer in this regard. Other countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada have had systems in place to protect the online privacy of their citizens. Surprisingly, there is a serious lack of a comprehensive system in the U.S. – well, until now.

Naturally, there are opposing views on this move. On the one hand, we have people like Rep. Joe Barton who says: “Better late than never. I am glad more and more folks, in the government and otherwise, are beginning to realize that there is a war against privacy.”

On the other hand, entities such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau are not too happy with the idea of having new laws as they believe that they already employ sufficient measures to ensure the privacy of consumers.

Let me ask you – do you think new laws are necessary to address privacy issues in America?

Internet Week Europe 2010

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We have all sorts of celebrations every month throughout the year – why not Internet Week? This is not a novel concept, but this year, the people in Europe are celebrating it for the first time in London. From the 8th of November till the 12th, the creme de la creme of Europe’s digital industry come together to celebrate the wonder that is the Internet.

There are over a hundred events lined up, with big names such as The BBC, Yahoo!, Creative Review, Google, Lonely Planet, and Channel 4 joining in on the fun. While the event is already halfway through, there are still plenty of events that you can participate in. Here are some of them:

  • The Science of Search
  • Virtual Goods Summit
  • No-nonsense Social Media
  • Social Gaming Summit
  • Yelp London’s Curry Night
  • Introduction to Google Enterprise
  • Tokyo Innovation
  • Interactive Street Game

And, that is literally just a few of the numerous events left for the week.  Lest you think that only couch potatoes are going to participate in the huge event, there is actually a Bike Ride going to be held tomorrow for cycling enthusiasts.  Who said that geeks do not like physical activity at all?

The cool thing about the whole event is that you do not need to register for the Internet Week.  You just need to visit the Internet Week web site and pick out the events that you want to participate in.  There are different instructions for each event, and some are paid, while some are free, depending on who is hosting it.  It’s not too late – if you have a bit of free time this week, go check it out!

Internet Soon to Have 2 Billion Users

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It’s World Statistics Day, did you know that? In keeping with that spirit, let’s take a look at some numbers today. Did you know that soon, there will be 2 billion users on the Internet? And, by soon, I mean by the end of this year. It is not a surprising figure, if you think about it. Access to computers and the Internet is becoming easier by the day, and more and more people have their own computers and Internet connection at home. This is even more applicable for those in the developing countries (for the lack of a better term), as most of the new Internet users come from those areas.

This information – and more – was released in a report by the International Telecommunication Union, which was published in The World in 2010: ICT.

162 million of the 226 million new Internet users in 2010 will be from developing countries, where Internet users grow at a higher rate. By the end of 2010, 71% of the population in developed countries will be online compared to 21% of the population in developing countries. While in developed countries 65% of people have access to the Internet at home, this is the case for only 13.5% of people in developing countries where Internet access in schools, at work and public locations is critical. Regional differences are significant: 65% of Europeans are on the Internet, compared to only 9.6% of Africans.

With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed broadband connections.

Needless to say, there are still big gaps in Internet and computer access in developed and developing countries. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, if the numbers skyrocket in the next five or so years. For sure, developing countries will work towards providing better access in the coming years.

So, if you are feeling that the Internet is getting a little too crowded, don’t be surprised – 2 billion isn’t nothing! 😉

Photo credit: mararie

Beware of Scareware!

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I’ve heard of malware, but scareware?  Apparently, scammers are now playing on the fears of Windows users – fear of viruses and other malware.  In order to make money, they dupe people into thinking that their system is suffering from a relentless malware attack, hence the term scareware.  As the scammers prey upon those fears, they prompt users to download security updates that can “keep users safe.”

Obviously, they will charge for these updates.  The problem is that, one, the threat is almost always fake; and two, the security updates are just as fake.  The user who falls for this trick will end up being at least $50 poorer, without having anything to show for it!

This tactic was exposed earlier this week by Parveen Vashishtha from Symantec.  In a blog post, he outlined the modus operandi of this new breed of scammers. The trick is in knowing that browsers DO NOT ask you to download security updates via malware threat warnings.  If you do see something like the image below, chances are you are the target of a scareware scam.

If you’re thinking that people who are dumb enough to fall for this trick deserve it, think again.  The truth of the matter is that the trick seems to work so well – even some experienced users fall for it.  In fact, the scareware business has already made more than $100 million, according to the FBI.  Don’t laugh just yet.

Your safest bet is NOT to click the download button, obviously.  Of course, you also ought to make sure that your OS, security software, and browser/s are updated on a regular basis.

Internet Surveillance in America’s Future?

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Talk about Big Brother. As if the capability to run (legal) wiretaps weren’t enough, the United States government is now aiming to set in place systems that would allow them to (legally) wiretap electronic communication such as e-mail and Facebook messages! What the Congress wants is that if the government sends a provider a wiretap order, they should be able to provide the required information.

The implications are huge. Bottom line: anything you send online (whether you’re using a wired connection or a wireless one) can be retrieved and reviewed.

Of course, the average person should not have anything to hide (aside from potentially embarrassing private messages), but the idea that the government can take a look at private information/communication if it wishes is not something that people will welcome any time soon. From a technical point of view, this proposition also poses a lot of risks. According to James X. Dempsey, Vice President of the Center for Democracy and Technology, the government is “asking for the authority to redesign services that take advantage of the unique, and now pervasive, architecture of the Internet. They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function.”

The underlying reason for the government’s plan is that the Internet is being used as a venue for communication by terrorists and other individuals/groups that are threats to society. If they have the ability to monitor and scrutinize this venue, then the world might just be safer for it. While this is indeed a serious concern, I am not so sure that wiretapping is the best solution. The system might just open up a whole new can of worms.

What do you think?

Happy 2nd Birthday, Google Chrome!

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Time does fly, doesn’t it?  Not that we spend our days counting just how “old” web browsers are, but one cannot help but notice the hoopla surrounding Google’s celebration of the second anniversary of Google Chrome.  I cannot remember the exact date that I heard about Chrome, but I clearly remember my excitement.  Two years later, I have to say that Chrome has lived up to my expectations. (Although I have to admit that I still use Firefox more.  Chrome is always ready, though, in case Firefox crashes.)

So anyway, if you happened to check the Google Chrome Blog yesterday, you’d know all about the new stuff they’ve done to Google Chrome – manifested in the latest version.  The new version is much faster and even more streamlined.  You thought that Chrome was the simplest of all browsers out there?  Think again!  The guys at Google worked extra hard to make this new Chrome simpler than ever!

Some of the changes are:

  • Two menus have been combined into one.
  • Buttons have been moved.
  • The URL box and Omnibox have been cleaned up.
  • JavaScript performance is three times faster than it was two years ago.

Well, I’ll stop rattling on about it – why don’t you download the newest Google Chrome (2nd birthday edition, if you will) yourself?

By the way, that image up there is by Mike Lemanski and was used in the official announcement in the Google Chrome Blog.  Isn’t it awesome?