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Submission + - Survey shows support for new privacy laws (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday June 28, 2011 @08:07PM

GovTechGuy writes: Two-thirds of consumers want the government to safeguard their privacy online and 81 percent want to add their names to a Do Not Track list, according to a May poll released Tuesday by Consumers Union. In addition, over 80 percent of respondents were concerned that companies may be sharing their personal information with third parties without their permission. The survey's release comes just one day before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where lawmakers will hear testimony on three data privacy bills currently in front of the Senate.

Submission + - FCC ups penalties for caller ID "spoofing" (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Thursday June 23, 2011 @01:05PM

GovTechGuy writes: The FCC adopted new rules on Thursday that would significantly increase the penalties for individuals or organizations that alter their caller ID information to commit fraud or with other harmful intent. The new rules allow the FCC to fine violators $10,000 per violation plus more for every day it continues. Users can still change their caller ID info as long as it's not for fraud or harmful purposes.

Submission + - FCC plans to stop cell phone bill mystery fees (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Monday June 20, 2011 @04:02PM

GovTechGuy writes: FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said Monday that his agency is going to make it harder for mobile carriers to hit customers with mystery fees on their monthly bills. The practice, known as "cramming," typically involves charging customers between $1.99 and $19.99 per month for services they either didn't use or didn't request. The FCC last week announced fines totaling nearly $12 million against four carriers for cramming last week.

Submission + - Universal Goes To War Against Hip Hop Blogs (techdirt.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 20, 2011 @03:29PM

An anonymous reader writes: It's not clear why, but it appears that Universal Music has decided that the hip hop blogs it regularly uses to promote its music are now evil pirate sites that must be banned. Many of the top websites in the hip hop world, including the famed Vibe Magazine website have been put on a list of domains that advertising giant GroupM is no longer allowed to show ads on. GroupM asked its "content creating clients" to help put together the list, and Universal Music is a big client, who apparently supplied a bit list of popular hip hop sites. The sites are responding by saying they'll stop promoting Universal Music artists, but they're at a loss as to why Universal has suddenly decided to go to war with them.

Submission + - Senators wants answer on Playstation Network (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday April 26, 2011 @02:34PM

GovTechGuy writes: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Sony Tuesday calling the firm's lack of updates or disclosure on the attack that took down the Playstation Network last week "troubling." Blumenthal wants Sony to pay for free credit reports and insurance for affected consumers for up to two years.

Submission + - Bill would mean free WiFi in all federal buildings (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Saturday December 04, 2010 @03:48AM

GovTechGuy writes: Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced legislation on Friday that would require all public federal buildings to install WiFi base stations in order to free up cell phone networks.

The Federal Wi-Net Act would mandate the installation of small WiFi base stations in all publicly accessible federal buildings in order to increase wireless coverage and free up mobile networks. The bill would require all new buildings under construction to comply and all older buildings to be retrofitted by 2014. It also orders $15 million from the Federal Buildings Fund be allocated to fund the installations.

Submission + - FCC to vote on net neutrality on December 21 (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Wednesday December 01, 2010 @01:27AM

GovTechGuy writes: The FCC just released its tentative agenda for the December 21st open meeting, where the Commission will vote on whether to adopt rules to preserve net neutrality. According to the agenda the FCC will consider "adopting basic rules of the road to preserve the open Internet as a platform for innovation, investment, competition, and free expression." House Republicans have already promised to oppose any solution put forth by FCC chairman Julius Genachowski.

Submission + - Palin e-mail hacker sentenced to a year in halfway (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday November 12, 2010 @04:24PM

GovTechGuy writes: The former University of Tennessee student that hacked into Sarah Palin's e-mail account has been sentenced to a year and a day in custody. Federal Judge Thomas Phillips recommended that David Kernell, who was 20 years old when he guessed the correct answers to security questions and breached Palin's e-mail account, be allowed to serve his time in a halfway house rather than prison.

Submission + - Tea Party win spells doom for net neutrality (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Thursday November 04, 2010 @11:25AM

GovTechGuy writes: Experts say the Republican takeover of the House means a likely end to the campaign for rules to enforce net neutrality. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski could still reclassify broadband as a telecom service, but doing so may cost his agency now that the GOP is holding the purse strings.

Submission + - Lawmakers divided over whether NBC-Comcast merger (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Wednesday October 27, 2010 @11:21AM

GovTechGuy writes: Lawmakers are increasingly divided on whether Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBC Universal would help or harm the amount of diversity in the media. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently added his name to the list of minority lawmakers backing the transaction, but only after pocketing $5,500 from Comcast for his re-election efforts. Most of the minority lawmakers and groups that have backed the merger have received some form of financial support from Comcast.

Submission + - FCC wants free gadgets - The Hill's Hillicon Valle (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday October 26, 2010 @04:14PM

GovTechGuy writes: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Tuesday that it is accepting donations for its "technology experience center" where staff and invited guested will gain "hand-on experience with technology." The FCC sounds woefully out of touch with the industries it regulates or like its building a massive game room.

Submission + - Ray Ozzie of Microsoft retires

Submitted by techfilz on Tuesday October 26, 2010 @03:33PM

techfilz writes: Ray Ozzie succeeded Bill Gates at the Chief Software Architect of Microsoft in 2005. Prior to that he was known as the creator of Lotus Notes. In his last memo to the Company entitled "The Dawn of a New Day" he shares his vision for the future : ... "It’s the dawn of a new day – the sun having now arisen on a world of continuous services and connected devices." The memo is on his blog : http://ozzie.net/docs/dawn-of-a-new-day/

Submission + - Rockefeller questions Facebook, MySpace on privacy (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday October 26, 2010 @03:25PM

GovTechGuy writes: Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) on Tuesday questioned whether Facebook and other social networking sites are protecting their users' privacy.

In a letter Tuesday to the leaders of MySpace and Facebook, Rockefeller said he was concerned about reporting in the Wall Street Journal alleging privacy leaks on Facebook and MySpace. Recent reports by the newspaper said third-party app companies provided some user data from the sites to advertisers, violating official policies of MySpace and Facebook.

Submission + - FCC demands answers in Fox-Cablevision dispute - T (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday October 22, 2010 @02:26PM

GovTechGuy writes: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has stepped up the agency's involvement in an ongoing dispute between Cablevision and Fox Broadcasting that has left about 3 million people in the New York area without access to Fox channels, meaning they are missing major sports events and other entertainment. In a letter to the the presidents of the two companies, FCC media bureau chief William Lake gave the two companies the weekend to submit information detailing exactly what their negotiating efforts have entailed.

Submission + - NASA astronaut 'checks in' on Foursquare from spac (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday October 22, 2010 @02:07PM

GovTechGuy writes: NASA astronaut and International Space Station Commander Doug Wheelock became the first person to "check in" on Foursquare from space on Friday when he registered his location at the International Space Station.

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