Google announced that it is dropping Google Checkout in favor of its more smartphone-friendly Google Wallet service. Businesses relying on Google Checkout to process online payments will have six months to transition to another payment processor. The company says it has partnered with other online payment processors, namely Braintree, Shopify… … Read More
Texas votes on its own CISPA-like cyber bill
Lawmakers in the State Senate are expected to vote Monday on a bill that, if passed, would compel Internet Service Providers (ISPs) anywhere in the world to fork over private Web records if that information could aid in a criminal investigation.Federal legislation already in place would likely trump any attempts from Texas prosecutors to pry personal ISP records or other online communications from the likes of social networking sites, but the efforts on behalf of Lone Star lawmakers to get the ball rolling on a new cyber-spy bill are indeed very real. Last week, its companion bill in the State House of Representatives passed unanimously, and similar outcome in the Senate is all now expected any moment. Now should SB 1052 proves victorious in the Senate, an Internet surveillance bill written in Texas but with international implications could be added to the law books later this year.Ben Sherman of the Burnt Orange Report cautioned in a blog post last week that the bill could be very dangerous to all Americans if passed because it would let local authorities seize electronic records held on servers outside of Texas.“The bill requires any Internet provider to people in Texas (that is – just about the entire Internet) to respond to search warrants for online communications in 4-30 days. That is an extremely narrow window which makes it difficult for Internet providers to keep users’ other information private,” he wrote.Following the failed attempts to pass cybersecurity bills on a national level, as seen most recently in the stalled Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a number of state and local governments have considered bills that would bring the tools asked for in aborted federal acts into the hands of prosecutors in Texas.Whereas CISPA sought to find a way to ease the sharing of potentially dangerous information between third-party businesses and the federal government, the efforts coming out of Texas would ensure that ISPs and any other businesses that operate over the Web would have to relinquish user data if a police officer argues there is probable cause it is pursuant to an investigation.“Internet communications companies often hold information and data vital to prosecute an offense under state law, particularly relating to Internet crimes. Although the certain electronic communications may take place within a state, law enforcement officers must apply for a local search warrant in an Internet company’s jurisdiction, often found out of state,” wrote the bill’s author, Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas). “This limitation hampers law enforcement’s efforts to obtain evidence on Internet criminals, who are able to remove or change identifying data much faster than law enforcement can obtain warrants.”Sherman, however, thinks the law could be used broadly to bring any sort of online evidence under the magnifying glass of prosecutors, causing a widespread fishing exhibition that will allow law enforcement to essentially request any sort of electronic communication of any business that operates online.“The electronic communications at risk include all online communication – emails, Facebook messages, tweets and messages on private list servers,” wrote Sherman. “Additionally, the bar is set extremely low for police officers to prove that they may find something important in a person’s online communications.”Indeed, SB 1052 only asks that probable cause “must be supported by the oath or affirmation of the authorized peace officer.”“That is almost not a standard at all,” insisted Sherman. “With a bar so low and a reach so broad, such legislation will lead to widespread abuse and exposure of private information, and enable politically motivated ‘investigations.’ This is government overreach and Texans of all political ideologies should oppose it. If this bill becomes law, any investigation that can be brought into the Texas jurisdiction would have all the tools of CISPA, in which any private online activity can be easily seized by the government, at its disposal. That is terrible news not only for Texans but for all Americans.”“The bill,” acknowledged Sen. Carona, “reciprocates the electronic data search warrant process with other states already implementing similar statutes, which would allow Texas to serve data search warrants directly to out of state companies as well.”Later in the text, the bill is described as extending “the jurisdiction of district judges by granting them privileges to issue data search warrants beyond the physical boundaries of the state for computer data searches only.”The House version of the bill — nearly identical to Sen. Carona’s version — passed on May 7 with no opposition. Rep. John Frullo (R-Lubbock) co-authored that bill and told lawmakers in the capital that passing the bill would be instrumental in stopping predators who stalk children online.”Under current law,” Frullo said, “Texas judges’ ability to order a search ends at the state line. In our technology-driven society, this limitation hampers law enforcement’s efforts to go after the evidence needed to prosecute those who commit these horrible crimes and exploit our children.”“Predators are hurting, exploiting and assaulting our children through the use of the internet. That needs to stop,” he said in a press release earlier this year. After this week’s vote, his colleagues in the Senate will decide if they are willing to join his side — and at what cost to privacy. … Read More
LinkedIn forbids prostitution listings, angering legal sex workers
The social network has never allowed “unlawful” profiles, which it categorizes as those advertising illegal services, but, as prostitution is not forbidden by law everywhere in the world or even everywhere in the United States, escorts have long taken advantage of the opportunity to bring attention to themselves. Under the section titled “Don’t undertake the following,” LinkedIn’s new privacy policy and user agreement stipulates, “Even if it is legal where you are located,” users must not “create profiles or provide content that promotes escort services or prostitution.” Legal sex workers displaced by the update have criticized LinkedIn for assuming the role of moral arbiter of the Internet. “What’s the problem? We have a license to do this stuff,” Dennis Hof, owner of multiple legal brothels including Nevada’s Moonlite Bunny Ranch, told NBC on Monday. “Our business is legal as theirs. We’re the good guys. We have no reason to be knocked off.” Hof said he hopes LinkedIn doesn’t try to remove his or his employees’ profiles as they, like so many other legal businesses in the information age, rely on social media to attract customers. “LinkedIn needs to realize they don’t need to filter out legal businesses in America,” he continued. “These are businesswomen, and some of them are making mid-six-figure incomes. If it’s okay to do that, is it okay to drop Dairy Queen too because it serves too much fat and calories?”A casual inspection of LinkedIn’s listings reveals that many young men and women, while not listing prostitution as one of their career skills, do advertise thinly-veiled massage services, independent escort professionalism, and companionship, among other professions. “I’m not saying we’re going to do a purge, though we very well may,” said Hani Durzy, LinkedIn’s director of corporate communications, during an interview with NBC. “In a nutshell, as we become aware of profiles that violate our policies we will take the appropriate actions. Does that mean shutting them down on day one? Or giving our members the benefit of the doubt, and telling them that’s a violation and you’ve got to change it? There is no hard and fast rule.” … Read More
Monsanto protests scheduled in 36 countries
Amid growing concerns over St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto and the impact the company is having on agriculture, activists have planned rallies for later this month in 36 countries.Monsanto, a titan of the emerging biotech industry, has come under attack from environmentalists, agriculturalists and average consumers over the company’s conduct in the realm of genetically-modified organisms and genetically-engineered foods. Despite research on the effects of GMO crops being largely considered inconclusive, Monsanto has lobbied hard in Washington and around the globe to be able to continue manufacturing lab-made foods without the oversight that many have demanded.In March, Congress passed a biotech rider dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act” by its critics that essentially allows that company and others that use GMOs to plant and sell genetically-altered products without gaining federal permission.“The provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of an illegal, potentially hazardous GE crop while the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) assesses those potential hazards,” dozens of food businesses and retailers wrote Congress before the bill was passed.In the weeks since the rider was approved within an annual agriculture spending bill, anti-Monsanto sentiment has only increased. The international day of protest scheduled for May 25 is now looking at becoming one for the record books, and even a number of celebrities have lent their star power to help raise awareness of the movement.“Here in America you don’t get the right to know whether you’re eating genetically modified organisms,” award-winning music performer Dave Matthews says in a video for the march that has been uploaded to the Web. Comedian Bill Maher and actor Danny DeVito also appeared in the clip to plead with people around the world to rally against GMO companies.But even as the anti-Monsanto movement increases in intensity, the company itself continues to generate record-setting profits. In April the company announced a 22 percent increase in net profits, and representatives for the companies said they expect to see that trend continue.”So our bottom line business outlook today means the momentum that we anticipated in our first quarter has clearly carried through into even stronger business results for the second quarter,” CEO Hugh Grant told analysts and reporters during a phone call last month.Earlier this year, Grant told the Wall Street Journal that despite an international backlash, venues around the world have been unable to link to his company with any concrete health risks caused by their products.“They’re the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen. Europe set up its own Food Standards Agency, which has now spent €300 million ($403.7 million), and has concluded that these technologies are safe,” Grant said in January. “France determined there’s no safety issue on a corn line we submitted there. So there’s always a great deal of political noise and turmoil. If you strip that back and you get to the science, the science is very strong around these technologies.”But despite those claims, anti-Monsanto actions are expected to continue as planned around the world — and in those very countries. Four demonstrations are scheduled for Britain, including events in London and Bristol, and two separate events are scheduled for May 25 in Paris. In the US, demos are planned in 48 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. … Read More
22 Facts That Prove That The Bottom 90 Percent Of America Is Systematically Getting Poorer
The mainstream media is not telling you this, but the truth is that most Americans are steadily getting poorer. The middle class is being absolutely eviscerated, and poverty is soaring to unprecedented heights. … Read More
Media companies reap benefits of higher network fees
NEW YORK (AP) — Media companies benefited from higher fees for cable television networks such as TBS, Comedy Central and CNBC in the first three months of the year.Time Warner Inc., Viacom Inc. and Comcast Corp. all saw growth in their cable network businesses, thanks to distribution fees they charge cable and satellite TV service providers for rights to carry their channels on subscribers’ lineups. Those fees get passed on to customers of cable and satellite service.The boost in television helped make up for weakness at two of the three movie studios that reported results Wednesday.The trends show how important such fees have become to the television industry. Revenue at Time Warner’s television business grew, even with a decrease in ad revenue. Even broadcast networks such as CBS are increasingly relying on distribution fees to ride out fluctuations in the ad market.The fees have become so vital that broadcasters are worried about the threat posed by a Barry Diller-backed startup called Aereo. The company sends over-the-air broadcasts over the Internet and bypasses traditional cable and satellite operators. Disputes over the fees have also led to high-profile blackouts of channels on cable and satellite lineups.Continue Reading… … Read More
20 Signs That The Next Great Economic Depression Has Already Started In Europe
The next Great Depression is already happening – it just hasn’t reached the United States yet. In fact, both Greece and Spain already have levels of unemployment that are greater than anything the U.S. experienced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. … Read More
