From News.com:
Days before a congressional committee is set to vote on an overhaul of the nation’s telecommunications policy, a broad coalition of media, consumer and Internet groups has organized behind a dramatic tagline: “Save the Internet.”
Dozens of organizations ranging from the conservative-to-libertarian Gun Owners of America to the liberal group Moveon.org to the American Library [...]
Archive of entries posted on April 2006
New group aims to ’save the Internet’
DOD agrees to hand over surveillance info
The Pentagon and Justice Department have agreed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request from a gay rights group about its domestic surveillance.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., reported in court papers filed Thursday, the Defense Intelligence Agency will respond by April 27 to a FOIA request filed by the Servicemembers Legal Defense [...]
George C. Minden, 85, Dies; Led a Cold War of Words
Now this is an interesting program. From the New York Times:
George C. Minden, who for 37 years ran a secret American program that put 10 million Western books and magazines in the hands of intellectuals and professionals in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, died on April 9 at his home in Manhattan. He [...]
Congress readies broad new digital copyright bill
The New York Times reports on the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006:
For the last few years, a coalition of technology companies, academics and computer programmers has been trying to persuade Congress to scale back the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Now Congress is preparing to do precisely the opposite. A proposed copyright law seen by CNET [...]
Artist’s family asks Google to take down Thursday’s `painted’ logo
I’ve got to say, this seems seems a bit off to me. I’ve never heard of Joan Miro until today. Seeing the Google logo introduced me to her style. Shouldn’t that be a good thing?
From the Mercury News:
After angering authors last fall with a wide-ranging book-copying project, Google may now be alienating some [...]
SEC Watchdog’s Data Request Snags on Fee Fight
From the Wall Street Journal:
A government watchdog may get the SEC records it wants — but may have to pay millions of dollars for them.
SEC Insight Inc., a Plymouth, Minn., firm that monitors the Securities and Exchange Commission, filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for SEC records into possible investigations of [...]
Google in China: The Big Disconnect
The NY TImes Magazine ran a great article over the weekend on Google’s experience in China. The article provides insights into the Internet market and China’s techniques in blocking access to certain content.
CIA Expands Operational File Secrecy
Secrecy News reports:
The Central Intelligence Agency conducted a review of its “operational files” last year, as it is required to do every ten years under the CIA Information Act of 1984, to see if any such files could have their “operational” designation rescinded, making them subject to Freedom of Information Act requests.
But instead of removing [...]
Keeping Internet pipes free of charge
From MacWorld:
As U.S. Congress debates on major telecommunications legislation, lawmakers are considering proposals that would prohibit large telecom providers from charging fees to online content companies that use their broadband networks.
The measures would prevent the vendors from blocking services or providing slower download times for other vendors’ services.
Archives Pledges to End Secret Agreements
From the Washington Post:
The National Archives will no longer enter into secret agreements with federal agencies that want to withdraw records from public access on Archives shelves and will do more to disclose when documents are removed for national security reasons.
The new policy cannot guarantee full disclosure, however, because in some cases federal regulations limit [...]