Information Policy

The lessons of tweeting; learning from social media

Social media is extremely popular, especially with young people. As a result the education world is exploring how that success can be used in the classroom.

But while students might think it is a good idea, some parents wonder if having fun on Facebook really can teach their children anything useful.

Internet Censorship in Cuba Backfires

Young Cuba (La Joven Cuba, LJC) has returned to the blogosphere after tearing down the barriers that denied it access to the Internet.

We had a feeling this would happen when we saw the authors of this blog from the province of Matanzas in a photograph, standing next to Cuba’s First Vice-President Miguel Diaz Canel.

Global eyes are watching: EFF condemns Australia’s new Internet filter

The global Electronic Frontiers Foundation has harshly criticised the Federal Government for allowing departments and agencies to unilaterally block websites suspected of containing illegal content, saying that it “beggars belief” that such a system could be in place after the previous mandatory filter policy was defeated.

Russia Retracts Commitment with Transparency, Leaves Open Government Partnership.

"Inevitably, there will be questions about what we are each prepared to sign up to," said British Prime Minister David Cameron in January 13, in his letter to fellow G8 leaders.  Four months later, Russia has made clear it clear what it wasn't willing to sing onto: the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The most recent update on Russia is that the Kremlin will be pursuing "open government" on its own terms.

Yahoo in talks to acquire Tumblr

Yahoo is in serious talks with Tumblr to acquire the social blogging site, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. The deal is not done, but could reach as high as $1 billion, Adweek has learned. Such an acquisition could be just what CEO Mayer has been looking for to turn around Yahoo's momentum; Tumblr has the potential to excite the engineering/Silicon Valley community (even though it’s based in New York) while recapturing the imagination of advertisers, who have grown to view Yahoo as big but stale

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/yahoo_in_talks_to_acquire_tumblr/

Brunei: ‘Slow Internet is Almost Like Censorship’

Brunei internet users are complaining against the slow and unreliable internet connection in their country.

Writing for The Brunei Times, Shareen Han cited a study by the World Economic Forum which listed Brunei as having one of the most expensive internet rates in Southeast Asia. But many Brunei netizens feel they are getting poor internet service for the high fees they are paying.

Through Twitter, The Brunei Times posted this question:

Are you satisfied with Internet services in #Brunei?

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/15/brunei-slow-internet-is-almost-like-censorship/

Google expected to start a competitor to Spotify

Google is set to introduce a subscription music feature to compete against fast-growing streaming services like Spotify, according to several people briefed on its plans. Google is planning to introduce the new service as early as Wednesday at Google I/O, the company’s annual conference for software developers. The subscription feature will be connected to Play, Google’s online media hub, complementing its download store and “locker” feature, which lets people store their digital entertainment collections online, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity before Google’s official announcement.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/google_expected_to_start_a_competitor_to_spotify/

New Book on Open Parliaments

By Tiago Peixoto

Cristiano Faria’s book on Open Parliaments has finally been translated from its original Portuguese to English. There are many reasons to read Cristiano’s piece, one of them being the scarcity of literature dealing with the usage of ICT by the legislative branch. I was honoured to be invited to write the preface to this book, in which I list a few other reasons why I think this book is very worthwhile reading. I have reproduced the preface below, with the addition of some hyperlinks.

Russia ratifies personal data protection “Convention 108”

The Russian Federation today strengthened its commitment to the protection of personal data by ratifying the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, also known as “Convention 108”.

Iran's "Halal Internet" Is Really A "Filternet"

By: Neal Ungerleider

Iran appears to have quietly launched their “Halal Internet”--a closed-off, heavily censored national Internet free of the corrupting influence of foreign websites. In preparation for the country's national elections on June 14, access speeds for foreign sites have slowed to a crawl. Access speeds for domestic sites, however, remain normal.

Continue reading "Iran's "Halal Internet" Is Really A "Filternet"" »

2013.05.15 in Infrastructure, Privacy/Security | Permalink | TrackBack (0)

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The Commission today unveiled plans for the Global Internet Policy Observatory (GIPO), an online platform to improve knowledge of and participation of all stakeholders across the world in debates and decisions on Internet policies. GIPO will be developed by the Commission and a core alliance of countries and Non Governmental Organisations involved in Internet governance. Brazil, the African Union, Switzerland, the Association for Progressive Communication, Diplo Foundation and the Internet Society have agreed to cooperate or have expressed their interest to be involved in the project.

The Global Internet Policy Observatory will act as a clearinghouse for monitoring Internet policy, regulatory and technological developments across the world.

It will:

• automatically monitor Internet-related policy developments at the global level, making full use of "big data" technologies;
• identify links between different fora and discussions, with the objective to overcome "policy silos";
• help contextualise information, for example by collecting existing academic information on a specific topic, highlighting the historical and current position of the main actors on a particular issue, identifying the interests of different actors in various policy fields;
• identify policy trends, via quantitative and qualitative methods such as semantic and sentiment analysis;
• provide easy-to-use briefings and reports by incorporating modern visualisation techniques;

The objective of GIPO is to increase expertise and understanding among all actors, including countries, NGOs and interest groups which may have so far been marginalised in Internet debates and decisions. The Commission fears that the vast range of policy areas impacted by the Internet, combined with a highly complex institutional framework, may cause disengagement from these discussions, which must be truly inclusive in order to ensure a globally legitimate and sustainable governance framework for the Internet.

GIPO will not replace existing mechanisms and fora where global Internet governance is discussed, such as the Internet Governance Forum. To the contrary, its objective is to be a tool-box for stakeholders and an instrument to strengthen existing Internet policy-making processes, making full use of modern technology.

The European Commission is 100% committed to supporting the open internet. It hopes to safeguard the open nature of global internet governance, including a model which is more inclusive of the needs and priorities of all actors, including those from the developing world. (see SPEECH/13/167).

In the coming months, the Commission will carry out a feasibility study into GIPO, and pending those results, the development of the online platform could commence in 2014.

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/commission-plans-guide-through-global-internet-policy-labyrinth

By Eli Dourado

Eli Dourado is a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Starting on May 14, the International Telecommunication Union – an agency of the United Nations – is kicking off a meeting for governments and telecom companies to discuss "international Internet-related public policy matters." Up for debate are six draft opinions on various aspects of Internet policy, but the unifying question is: how much should governments (and intergovernmental organizations) involve themselves in the building and running of the Internet? Under the current system, governments do very little – and the Internet has flourished because of it.

Facebook's worldwide penetration of active Internet users -- those who log on at least once per month -- reached 51% in the first quarter, leading all other social networks, according to a GlobalWebIndex report. Google+ had a 26% penetration and YouTube had 25%. Twitter was fourth, with non-U.S.-based social networks such as Sina Weibo, Tencent and Youku also in the top 10. Watching a video clip, sharing an article link and following a group or brand were the top three activities among PC users, but mobile users showed different activity preferences.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Social-Networks-Growing-Fastest-Worldwide/1009884

The latest Google Transparency Report was released on Thursday. The report is a disclosure of user data requests, removal requests, and real-time and historic traffic information requests by governments, courts, agencies, and copyright owners globally. The report indicates that government removal requests increased 25% between the first and second half of 2012 (from 1,811 to 2,285 requests, encompassing 24,179 total pieces of content requests for the second half of 2012).

Continue reading "Google Transparency Report: Government Censorship Up 25% in 2012 " »

BERLIN, GERMANY: News website The Huffington Post will launch a German edition this year, the US-based company and its media partner Tomorrow Focus, part of the Burda publishing group, said on Monday.

A newsroom staffed with German journalists will be set up in the southern city of Munich in the coming months, and the site for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is set to go live later this year, both companies said.

by PAUL WALDIE

A Russian businessman who has acquired a major stake in the country’s most popular social-media site is playing down concerns he has been brought in to crack down on activists who use the network to protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ghana's National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has entered into a collaboration deal with Microsoft to develop the government's capacity to use ICT to deliver services to the public. Director General of NITA William Tevie told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after holding discussions with Ali Famwawi, Vice President of Microsoft, that NITA is adopting an open software policy in addition to the procurement of volume product licences for government agencies from Microsoft. He said provision would also be made for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) which are using other open source software on the network.

He said the second phase of the expansion of the government network is under way to bring on board 60 new base stations to add to the 30 existing ones. Famwawi said Microsoft is going to collaborate with NITA to train government officials, build the technical capacity of NITA to support government ICT and to help Parliament with ICT services and training. He said Microsoft is working on delivering unique identifiers and assisting NITA to deploy MS SharePoint collaboration tools to enhance productivity within the MDAs. Other areas being considered are skilled support for government business.

WELLINGTON - Lawyers for Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom accused the US government Wednesday of launching a flawed prosecution against their client with "frightening" implications for all Internet users.

Facebook has published a beginner’s guide designed to entice journalists and companies within the media industry to use the social network as a platform for sharing original news and content. The guide published last week is significant because it’s one of the first instances whereby Facebook has actively courted members of the press into using the service. LinkedIn offers a similar service through adedicated group for journalists, as well as this webpage that offers tips for following companies and finding new sources.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/facebook_targets_the_press_with_best_practices_guide_for_engaging_readers_o/

Internet-search company Baidu Inc. said it would pay $370 million to acquire the online video unit of PPStream Inc., a popular streaming-television service in China, making Baidu one of the most significant competitors in the country's online video market. Chinese Internet companies have spent heavily in recent years to purchase original content, hurting their margins. But many analysts say that in the long term, online video will become highly profitable because of the strong demand for video ads that target specific segments of viewers

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/baidu_to_buy_online_video_service/

BY Miranda Neubauer

Against the backdrop of the German national election campaign, the Berlin Internet conference re:publica opened Monday with organizers calling on Chancellor Angela Merkel to oppose a controversial proposal by phone and Internet provider Deutsche Telekom to effectively eliminate its flat rate broadband service.

Deutsche Telekom, the leading German broadband provider with a market share of 45.2 percent at the end of 2012, says the pricing changes are necessary so it can invest in its infrastructure. Niek Jan van Damme, CEO of Deutsche Telekom's German operations, told Die Welt that currently average Internet users were subsidizing heavy users and so it would only be fair for the latter to pay more. In the interview, he also said that Telekom's revenue had shrunk while data volumes are projected to grow substantially by 2016.

Continue reading "The Net Neutrality Debate Returns in Germany, Rousing Activists" »

Google said it is disappointed with the court's decision

YouTube has lost its video block lawsuit filed against Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

by Margaret Looney

Independent news websites in the developing world tend to be on shaky ground, as they often oppose a corrupt regime or report in a censored environment. Their work attracts hacking attempts from the government and sends advertisers fleeing.

By Julian Clover

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has claimed that YouTube has already overtaken linear TV.

YouTube recently passed the milestone of one billion unique visitors a month with Schmidt claiming a figure of 6 or 7 billion was more than possible.

The UK government and police have requested removal of 124 videos and advertisements in 2012. According to a new Transparency Report by the internet giant, majority of requests involved the removal of YouTube videos that were believed to violate national security and hate speech laws, while Google rejected about half of the requests. The number of requests excludes court orders for offence and copyright infringement.

http://media.cbronline.com/news/uk-requests-removal-of-124-youtube-videos-030513

In Serbia, 3,000,000 people over the age of 15 use the internet but 57 percent of them almost never or very rarely buy goods online, according to a survey by internet research firm Gemius. About 19 percent of internet users make several purchases a year, 9 percent of them once a month, a little less than 2 percent up to three times per month, once a week or more often. The internet is most used by people aged between 30 and 39 years, then the 20-29 year age group, followed by those aged over 40, and then the generation aged 15 to 19 years. Only 28 percent of respondents were prepared to use e-banking, while 71 percent do not do so.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/57-percent-of-serbians-do-not-shop-online--941409

Today, at the UNESCO World Press Freedom International Conference 2013, ARTICLE 19 launches The Right to Blog – a new policy paper that calls for lawmakers to better promote and protect the rights of bloggers domestically and internationally. The Right to Blog also gives practical advice to bloggers about their rights and explains how - and in what situations - they can invoke some of the privileges and defences that traditional journalists have found vital to the integrity of their work. 

“Blogging plays an invaluable role in the free flow of information worldwide and is a true example of the democratisation of publishing in the online world” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

“In the 21st century, many bloggers will take their place as watchdogs, alongside traditional media. The international community and individual states must develop protection for bloggers, just as they have developed protection for traditional media. Similar protection must be provided to bloggers. ARTICLE 19’s policy, The Right to Blog, offers recommendations on how this should be done in practice” added Callamard.

Over the last two decades, the Internet has transformed the way in which we communicate. Where the printed press and broadcast media were once the main sources of information, the Internet has made it possible for anyone to publish ideas, information and opinions to the entire world instantly.

Blogging and social media now rival newspapers and television as dominant sources of news and information. The emergence of these new forms of online expression has called into question the very definition of 'journalism' and 'media' in the digital age.

Difficult questions have been raised. How can the activities of bloggers be reconciled to existing models of media regulation? Should bloggers be held to the same professional and ethical standards expected of a professional journalist? In what circumstances can bloggers be held liable for what they say online? Should bloggers benefit from the kinds of protection programmes that are usually available to professional journalists in order to prevent them from being physically attacked? How would this work?

The Right to Blog answers to these and other complex questions through drawing on international standards of freedom of expression.

The Right to Blog argues that it is no longer appropriate to define journalism and journalists by reference to some recognised body of training, or affiliation with a news entity or professional body. International human rights law must protect bloggers just as it protects journalists.  

The policy suggests ways to address the key issues that bloggers are likely to face, including:

• Licensing
• Real-name registration (in contrast to anonymity)
• Accreditation
• The protection of sources
• Protection from violence
• Legal liability
• Ethical responsibility

Why is The Right to Blog important?  

The need for The Right to Blog policy is heightened by many cases of recent violations of bloggers rights.

• In Brazil, ARTICLE 19 documented cases of violence against journalists and human rights defenders. The most serious cases of violence against journalists were directed towards people who were writing for popular blogs (44%). Among those cases was the murder of blogger Décio Sáon on 23 April 2012 in São Luís. Sáon denounced the relationships between moneylenders and local politicians in his blog. Other bloggers who received death threats in 2012 include Neto Ferreira, Gilberto Leda, Júlio César de Lima Prates, Gerlice Nunes, Armando Anache and Marcio Rangel.

• In Tunisia, in March 2013, Olfa Riahi, a blogger and a university professor was charged with criminal defamation and the offence of “harming others or disrupting their lives through public communication networks” after posting information about alleged misuse of public funds by a former foreign minister, Rafik Abdessalem, before he stepped down from the post. She is facing a penalty of one to two years in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 dinars (app. £450).

• In Bangladesh, blogger Asif Mohiuddin, whose blog won the best social activism blog from the Deutsche Welle Best of Blogs Awards 2012, was brutally attacked by unknown perpetrators in January 2013.  The police later found out that he was attacked for his writing on the instruction of a religious extremist. In March 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission requested somewhereinblog.net - the largest blogging platform in Bangladesh - to remove Mohiuddin blog from their side. The platform complied with the request.

• In Chad, Jean Laokolé, author of one of the most popular blogs in the country, was arrested in March 2013 by the security forces in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital. He has been held without trial in an undisclosed location ever since. On his blog, Laokolé repeatedly criticized corruption, poor governance and nepotism in the country.

To read the policy paper in full, please click here

http://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3732/en/the-right-to-blog:-new-policy-calls-for-better-protection-for-bloggers

Conde Nast Entertainment is ramping up its digital video network, launching channels forVogue and Wired later this month. New weekly shows, including the network's first scripted series, are also being added to the channels Glamour and GQ debuted in March. The announcements were made at Conde Nast Entertainment's Newfront presentation Wednesday. Vogue's channel will launch on May 8; Wired's, on May 15. Vogue's lineup includes "From theVogue Closet"; "Elettra's Goodness"; and "Vintage Bowles," which follows Vogue International Editor at Large on his hunts for vintage garments.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/vogue_wired_to_launch_online_tv_channels_this_month/

by Amy Gesenhues

A new GlobalWebIndex study analyzing international social media behavior revealed that mobile use and older Internet users are driving growth for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. To conduct the Social Stream Q1 2013 study, GlobalWebIndex surveyed 31,779 consumers in 31 different countries, examining global social media behaviors during the first quarter of this year.

By Katherine Ginis

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest the world by population, falling only behind China and India, Global Agenda speaker Rebecca MacKinnon said.

European Commission plans guide through global internet policy labyrinth

The Commission today unveiled plans for the Global Internet Policy Observatory (GIPO), an online platform to improve knowledge of and participation of all stakeholders across the world in debates and decisions on Internet policies. GIPO will be developed by the Commission and a core alliance of countries and Non Governmental Organisations involved in Internet governance. Brazil, the African Union, Switzerland, the Association for Progressive Communication, Diplo Foundation and the Internet Society have agreed to cooperate or have expressed their interest to be involved in the project.

The Global Internet Policy Observatory will act as a clearinghouse for monitoring Internet policy, regulatory and technological developments across the world.

It will:

• automatically monitor Internet-related policy developments at the global level, making full use of "big data" technologies;
• identify links between different fora and discussions, with the objective to overcome "policy silos";
• help contextualise information, for example by collecting existing academic information on a specific topic, highlighting the historical and current position of the main actors on a particular issue, identifying the interests of different actors in various policy fields;
• identify policy trends, via quantitative and qualitative methods such as semantic and sentiment analysis;
• provide easy-to-use briefings and reports by incorporating modern visualisation techniques;

The objective of GIPO is to increase expertise and understanding among all actors, including countries, NGOs and interest groups which may have so far been marginalised in Internet debates and decisions. The Commission fears that the vast range of policy areas impacted by the Internet, combined with a highly complex institutional framework, may cause disengagement from these discussions, which must be truly inclusive in order to ensure a globally legitimate and sustainable governance framework for the Internet.

GIPO will not replace existing mechanisms and fora where global Internet governance is discussed, such as the Internet Governance Forum. To the contrary, its objective is to be a tool-box for stakeholders and an instrument to strengthen existing Internet policy-making processes, making full use of modern technology.

The European Commission is 100% committed to supporting the open internet. It hopes to safeguard the open nature of global internet governance, including a model which is more inclusive of the needs and priorities of all actors, including those from the developing world. (see SPEECH/13/167).

In the coming months, the Commission will carry out a feasibility study into GIPO, and pending those results, the development of the online platform could commence in 2014.

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/commission-plans-guide-through-global-internet-policy-labyrinth

Keep Your Government Hands Off the Internet

By Eli Dourado

Eli Dourado is a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Starting on May 14, the International Telecommunication Union – an agency of the United Nations – is kicking off a meeting for governments and telecom companies to discuss "international Internet-related public policy matters." Up for debate are six draft opinions on various aspects of Internet policy, but the unifying question is: how much should governments (and intergovernmental organizations) involve themselves in the building and running of the Internet? Under the current system, governments do very little – and the Internet has flourished because of it.

About half of all global active Internet users were on Facebook in Q1

Facebook's worldwide penetration of active Internet users -- those who log on at least once per month -- reached 51% in the first quarter, leading all other social networks, according to a GlobalWebIndex report. Google+ had a 26% penetration and YouTube had 25%. Twitter was fourth, with non-U.S.-based social networks such as Sina Weibo, Tencent and Youku also in the top 10. Watching a video clip, sharing an article link and following a group or brand were the top three activities among PC users, but mobile users showed different activity preferences.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Social-Networks-Growing-Fastest-Worldwide/1009884

Google Transparency Report: Government Censorship Up 25% in 2012

The latest Google Transparency Report was released on Thursday. The report is a disclosure of user data requests, removal requests, and real-time and historic traffic information requests by governments, courts, agencies, and copyright owners globally. The report indicates that government removal requests increased 25% between the first and second half of 2012 (from 1,811 to 2,285 requests, encompassing 24,179 total pieces of content requests for the second half of 2012).

Continue reading "Google Transparency Report: Government Censorship Up 25% in 2012 " »

BERLIN, GERMANY: News website The Huffington Post will launch a German edition this year, the US-based company and its media partner Tomorrow Focus, part of the Burda publishing group, said on Monday.

A newsroom staffed with German journalists will be set up in the southern city of Munich in the coming months, and the site for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is set to go live later this year, both companies said.

by PAUL WALDIE

A Russian businessman who has acquired a major stake in the country’s most popular social-media site is playing down concerns he has been brought in to crack down on activists who use the network to protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ghana's National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has entered into a collaboration deal with Microsoft to develop the government's capacity to use ICT to deliver services to the public. Director General of NITA William Tevie told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after holding discussions with Ali Famwawi, Vice President of Microsoft, that NITA is adopting an open software policy in addition to the procurement of volume product licences for government agencies from Microsoft. He said provision would also be made for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) which are using other open source software on the network.

He said the second phase of the expansion of the government network is under way to bring on board 60 new base stations to add to the 30 existing ones. Famwawi said Microsoft is going to collaborate with NITA to train government officials, build the technical capacity of NITA to support government ICT and to help Parliament with ICT services and training. He said Microsoft is working on delivering unique identifiers and assisting NITA to deploy MS SharePoint collaboration tools to enhance productivity within the MDAs. Other areas being considered are skilled support for government business.

WELLINGTON - Lawyers for Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom accused the US government Wednesday of launching a flawed prosecution against their client with "frightening" implications for all Internet users.

Facebook has published a beginner’s guide designed to entice journalists and companies within the media industry to use the social network as a platform for sharing original news and content. The guide published last week is significant because it’s one of the first instances whereby Facebook has actively courted members of the press into using the service. LinkedIn offers a similar service through adedicated group for journalists, as well as this webpage that offers tips for following companies and finding new sources.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/facebook_targets_the_press_with_best_practices_guide_for_engaging_readers_o/

Internet-search company Baidu Inc. said it would pay $370 million to acquire the online video unit of PPStream Inc., a popular streaming-television service in China, making Baidu one of the most significant competitors in the country's online video market. Chinese Internet companies have spent heavily in recent years to purchase original content, hurting their margins. But many analysts say that in the long term, online video will become highly profitable because of the strong demand for video ads that target specific segments of viewers

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/baidu_to_buy_online_video_service/

BY Miranda Neubauer

Against the backdrop of the German national election campaign, the Berlin Internet conference re:publica opened Monday with organizers calling on Chancellor Angela Merkel to oppose a controversial proposal by phone and Internet provider Deutsche Telekom to effectively eliminate its flat rate broadband service.

Deutsche Telekom, the leading German broadband provider with a market share of 45.2 percent at the end of 2012, says the pricing changes are necessary so it can invest in its infrastructure. Niek Jan van Damme, CEO of Deutsche Telekom's German operations, told Die Welt that currently average Internet users were subsidizing heavy users and so it would only be fair for the latter to pay more. In the interview, he also said that Telekom's revenue had shrunk while data volumes are projected to grow substantially by 2016.

Continue reading "The Net Neutrality Debate Returns in Germany, Rousing Activists" »

Google said it is disappointed with the court's decision

YouTube has lost its video block lawsuit filed against Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

by Margaret Looney

Independent news websites in the developing world tend to be on shaky ground, as they often oppose a corrupt regime or report in a censored environment. Their work attracts hacking attempts from the government and sends advertisers fleeing.

By Julian Clover

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has claimed that YouTube has already overtaken linear TV.

YouTube recently passed the milestone of one billion unique visitors a month with Schmidt claiming a figure of 6 or 7 billion was more than possible.

The UK government and police have requested removal of 124 videos and advertisements in 2012. According to a new Transparency Report by the internet giant, majority of requests involved the removal of YouTube videos that were believed to violate national security and hate speech laws, while Google rejected about half of the requests. The number of requests excludes court orders for offence and copyright infringement.

http://media.cbronline.com/news/uk-requests-removal-of-124-youtube-videos-030513

In Serbia, 3,000,000 people over the age of 15 use the internet but 57 percent of them almost never or very rarely buy goods online, according to a survey by internet research firm Gemius. About 19 percent of internet users make several purchases a year, 9 percent of them once a month, a little less than 2 percent up to three times per month, once a week or more often. The internet is most used by people aged between 30 and 39 years, then the 20-29 year age group, followed by those aged over 40, and then the generation aged 15 to 19 years. Only 28 percent of respondents were prepared to use e-banking, while 71 percent do not do so.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/57-percent-of-serbians-do-not-shop-online--941409

Today, at the UNESCO World Press Freedom International Conference 2013, ARTICLE 19 launches The Right to Blog – a new policy paper that calls for lawmakers to better promote and protect the rights of bloggers domestically and internationally. The Right to Blog also gives practical advice to bloggers about their rights and explains how - and in what situations - they can invoke some of the privileges and defences that traditional journalists have found vital to the integrity of their work. 

“Blogging plays an invaluable role in the free flow of information worldwide and is a true example of the democratisation of publishing in the online world” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

“In the 21st century, many bloggers will take their place as watchdogs, alongside traditional media. The international community and individual states must develop protection for bloggers, just as they have developed protection for traditional media. Similar protection must be provided to bloggers. ARTICLE 19’s policy, The Right to Blog, offers recommendations on how this should be done in practice” added Callamard.

Over the last two decades, the Internet has transformed the way in which we communicate. Where the printed press and broadcast media were once the main sources of information, the Internet has made it possible for anyone to publish ideas, information and opinions to the entire world instantly.

Blogging and social media now rival newspapers and television as dominant sources of news and information. The emergence of these new forms of online expression has called into question the very definition of 'journalism' and 'media' in the digital age.

Difficult questions have been raised. How can the activities of bloggers be reconciled to existing models of media regulation? Should bloggers be held to the same professional and ethical standards expected of a professional journalist? In what circumstances can bloggers be held liable for what they say online? Should bloggers benefit from the kinds of protection programmes that are usually available to professional journalists in order to prevent them from being physically attacked? How would this work?

The Right to Blog answers to these and other complex questions through drawing on international standards of freedom of expression.

The Right to Blog argues that it is no longer appropriate to define journalism and journalists by reference to some recognised body of training, or affiliation with a news entity or professional body. International human rights law must protect bloggers just as it protects journalists.  

The policy suggests ways to address the key issues that bloggers are likely to face, including:

• Licensing
• Real-name registration (in contrast to anonymity)
• Accreditation
• The protection of sources
• Protection from violence
• Legal liability
• Ethical responsibility

Why is The Right to Blog important?  

The need for The Right to Blog policy is heightened by many cases of recent violations of bloggers rights.

• In Brazil, ARTICLE 19 documented cases of violence against journalists and human rights defenders. The most serious cases of violence against journalists were directed towards people who were writing for popular blogs (44%). Among those cases was the murder of blogger Décio Sáon on 23 April 2012 in São Luís. Sáon denounced the relationships between moneylenders and local politicians in his blog. Other bloggers who received death threats in 2012 include Neto Ferreira, Gilberto Leda, Júlio César de Lima Prates, Gerlice Nunes, Armando Anache and Marcio Rangel.

• In Tunisia, in March 2013, Olfa Riahi, a blogger and a university professor was charged with criminal defamation and the offence of “harming others or disrupting their lives through public communication networks” after posting information about alleged misuse of public funds by a former foreign minister, Rafik Abdessalem, before he stepped down from the post. She is facing a penalty of one to two years in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 dinars (app. £450).

• In Bangladesh, blogger Asif Mohiuddin, whose blog won the best social activism blog from the Deutsche Welle Best of Blogs Awards 2012, was brutally attacked by unknown perpetrators in January 2013.  The police later found out that he was attacked for his writing on the instruction of a religious extremist. In March 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission requested somewhereinblog.net - the largest blogging platform in Bangladesh - to remove Mohiuddin blog from their side. The platform complied with the request.

• In Chad, Jean Laokolé, author of one of the most popular blogs in the country, was arrested in March 2013 by the security forces in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital. He has been held without trial in an undisclosed location ever since. On his blog, Laokolé repeatedly criticized corruption, poor governance and nepotism in the country.

To read the policy paper in full, please click here

http://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3732/en/the-right-to-blog:-new-policy-calls-for-better-protection-for-bloggers

Conde Nast Entertainment is ramping up its digital video network, launching channels forVogue and Wired later this month. New weekly shows, including the network's first scripted series, are also being added to the channels Glamour and GQ debuted in March. The announcements were made at Conde Nast Entertainment's Newfront presentation Wednesday. Vogue's channel will launch on May 8; Wired's, on May 15. Vogue's lineup includes "From theVogue Closet"; "Elettra's Goodness"; and "Vintage Bowles," which follows Vogue International Editor at Large on his hunts for vintage garments.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/vogue_wired_to_launch_online_tv_channels_this_month/

by Amy Gesenhues

A new GlobalWebIndex study analyzing international social media behavior revealed that mobile use and older Internet users are driving growth for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. To conduct the Social Stream Q1 2013 study, GlobalWebIndex surveyed 31,779 consumers in 31 different countries, examining global social media behaviors during the first quarter of this year.

By Katherine Ginis

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest the world by population, falling only behind China and India, Global Agenda speaker Rebecca MacKinnon said.

Huffington Post to launch German edition

BERLIN, GERMANY: News website The Huffington Post will launch a German edition this year, the US-based company and its media partner Tomorrow Focus, part of the Burda publishing group, said on Monday.

A newsroom staffed with German journalists will be set up in the southern city of Munich in the coming months, and the site for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is set to go live later this year, both companies said.

Investor in social media site denies he’s an ‘agent of Putin’

by PAUL WALDIE

A Russian businessman who has acquired a major stake in the country’s most popular social-media site is playing down concerns he has been brought in to crack down on activists who use the network to protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ghana IT agency collaborates with Microsoft on e-government

Ghana's National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has entered into a collaboration deal with Microsoft to develop the government's capacity to use ICT to deliver services to the public. Director General of NITA William Tevie told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after holding discussions with Ali Famwawi, Vice President of Microsoft, that NITA is adopting an open software policy in addition to the procurement of volume product licences for government agencies from Microsoft. He said provision would also be made for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) which are using other open source software on the network.

He said the second phase of the expansion of the government network is under way to bring on board 60 new base stations to add to the 30 existing ones. Famwawi said Microsoft is going to collaborate with NITA to train government officials, build the technical capacity of NITA to support government ICT and to help Parliament with ICT services and training. He said Microsoft is working on delivering unique identifiers and assisting NITA to deploy MS SharePoint collaboration tools to enhance productivity within the MDAs. Other areas being considered are skilled support for government business.

Megaupload founder: Prosecution threatens Internet freedom

WELLINGTON - Lawyers for Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom accused the US government Wednesday of launching a flawed prosecution against their client with "frightening" implications for all Internet users.

Facebook targets press with ‘best practices’ guide for engaging readers on its social network

Facebook has published a beginner’s guide designed to entice journalists and companies within the media industry to use the social network as a platform for sharing original news and content. The guide published last week is significant because it’s one of the first instances whereby Facebook has actively courted members of the press into using the service. LinkedIn offers a similar service through adedicated group for journalists, as well as this webpage that offers tips for following companies and finding new sources.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/facebook_targets_the_press_with_best_practices_guide_for_engaging_readers_o/

Baidu to buy online video service

Internet-search company Baidu Inc. said it would pay $370 million to acquire the online video unit of PPStream Inc., a popular streaming-television service in China, making Baidu one of the most significant competitors in the country's online video market. Chinese Internet companies have spent heavily in recent years to purchase original content, hurting their margins. But many analysts say that in the long term, online video will become highly profitable because of the strong demand for video ads that target specific segments of viewers

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/baidu_to_buy_online_video_service/

The Net Neutrality Debate Returns in Germany, Rousing Activists

BY Miranda Neubauer

Against the backdrop of the German national election campaign, the Berlin Internet conference re:publica opened Monday with organizers calling on Chancellor Angela Merkel to oppose a controversial proposal by phone and Internet provider Deutsche Telekom to effectively eliminate its flat rate broadband service.

Deutsche Telekom, the leading German broadband provider with a market share of 45.2 percent at the end of 2012, says the pricing changes are necessary so it can invest in its infrastructure. Niek Jan van Damme, CEO of Deutsche Telekom's German operations, told Die Welt that currently average Internet users were subsidizing heavy users and so it would only be fair for the latter to pay more. In the interview, he also said that Telekom's revenue had shrunk while data volumes are projected to grow substantially by 2016.

Continue reading "The Net Neutrality Debate Returns in Germany, Rousing Activists" »

Google said it is disappointed with the court's decision

YouTube has lost its video block lawsuit filed against Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

by Margaret Looney

Independent news websites in the developing world tend to be on shaky ground, as they often oppose a corrupt regime or report in a censored environment. Their work attracts hacking attempts from the government and sends advertisers fleeing.

By Julian Clover

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has claimed that YouTube has already overtaken linear TV.

YouTube recently passed the milestone of one billion unique visitors a month with Schmidt claiming a figure of 6 or 7 billion was more than possible.

The UK government and police have requested removal of 124 videos and advertisements in 2012. According to a new Transparency Report by the internet giant, majority of requests involved the removal of YouTube videos that were believed to violate national security and hate speech laws, while Google rejected about half of the requests. The number of requests excludes court orders for offence and copyright infringement.

http://media.cbronline.com/news/uk-requests-removal-of-124-youtube-videos-030513

In Serbia, 3,000,000 people over the age of 15 use the internet but 57 percent of them almost never or very rarely buy goods online, according to a survey by internet research firm Gemius. About 19 percent of internet users make several purchases a year, 9 percent of them once a month, a little less than 2 percent up to three times per month, once a week or more often. The internet is most used by people aged between 30 and 39 years, then the 20-29 year age group, followed by those aged over 40, and then the generation aged 15 to 19 years. Only 28 percent of respondents were prepared to use e-banking, while 71 percent do not do so.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/57-percent-of-serbians-do-not-shop-online--941409

Today, at the UNESCO World Press Freedom International Conference 2013, ARTICLE 19 launches The Right to Blog – a new policy paper that calls for lawmakers to better promote and protect the rights of bloggers domestically and internationally. The Right to Blog also gives practical advice to bloggers about their rights and explains how - and in what situations - they can invoke some of the privileges and defences that traditional journalists have found vital to the integrity of their work. 

“Blogging plays an invaluable role in the free flow of information worldwide and is a true example of the democratisation of publishing in the online world” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

“In the 21st century, many bloggers will take their place as watchdogs, alongside traditional media. The international community and individual states must develop protection for bloggers, just as they have developed protection for traditional media. Similar protection must be provided to bloggers. ARTICLE 19’s policy, The Right to Blog, offers recommendations on how this should be done in practice” added Callamard.

Over the last two decades, the Internet has transformed the way in which we communicate. Where the printed press and broadcast media were once the main sources of information, the Internet has made it possible for anyone to publish ideas, information and opinions to the entire world instantly.

Blogging and social media now rival newspapers and television as dominant sources of news and information. The emergence of these new forms of online expression has called into question the very definition of 'journalism' and 'media' in the digital age.

Difficult questions have been raised. How can the activities of bloggers be reconciled to existing models of media regulation? Should bloggers be held to the same professional and ethical standards expected of a professional journalist? In what circumstances can bloggers be held liable for what they say online? Should bloggers benefit from the kinds of protection programmes that are usually available to professional journalists in order to prevent them from being physically attacked? How would this work?

The Right to Blog answers to these and other complex questions through drawing on international standards of freedom of expression.

The Right to Blog argues that it is no longer appropriate to define journalism and journalists by reference to some recognised body of training, or affiliation with a news entity or professional body. International human rights law must protect bloggers just as it protects journalists.  

The policy suggests ways to address the key issues that bloggers are likely to face, including:

• Licensing
• Real-name registration (in contrast to anonymity)
• Accreditation
• The protection of sources
• Protection from violence
• Legal liability
• Ethical responsibility

Why is The Right to Blog important?  

The need for The Right to Blog policy is heightened by many cases of recent violations of bloggers rights.

• In Brazil, ARTICLE 19 documented cases of violence against journalists and human rights defenders. The most serious cases of violence against journalists were directed towards people who were writing for popular blogs (44%). Among those cases was the murder of blogger Décio Sáon on 23 April 2012 in São Luís. Sáon denounced the relationships between moneylenders and local politicians in his blog. Other bloggers who received death threats in 2012 include Neto Ferreira, Gilberto Leda, Júlio César de Lima Prates, Gerlice Nunes, Armando Anache and Marcio Rangel.

• In Tunisia, in March 2013, Olfa Riahi, a blogger and a university professor was charged with criminal defamation and the offence of “harming others or disrupting their lives through public communication networks” after posting information about alleged misuse of public funds by a former foreign minister, Rafik Abdessalem, before he stepped down from the post. She is facing a penalty of one to two years in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 dinars (app. £450).

• In Bangladesh, blogger Asif Mohiuddin, whose blog won the best social activism blog from the Deutsche Welle Best of Blogs Awards 2012, was brutally attacked by unknown perpetrators in January 2013.  The police later found out that he was attacked for his writing on the instruction of a religious extremist. In March 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission requested somewhereinblog.net - the largest blogging platform in Bangladesh - to remove Mohiuddin blog from their side. The platform complied with the request.

• In Chad, Jean Laokolé, author of one of the most popular blogs in the country, was arrested in March 2013 by the security forces in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital. He has been held without trial in an undisclosed location ever since. On his blog, Laokolé repeatedly criticized corruption, poor governance and nepotism in the country.

To read the policy paper in full, please click here

http://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3732/en/the-right-to-blog:-new-policy-calls-for-better-protection-for-bloggers

Conde Nast Entertainment is ramping up its digital video network, launching channels forVogue and Wired later this month. New weekly shows, including the network's first scripted series, are also being added to the channels Glamour and GQ debuted in March. The announcements were made at Conde Nast Entertainment's Newfront presentation Wednesday. Vogue's channel will launch on May 8; Wired's, on May 15. Vogue's lineup includes "From theVogue Closet"; "Elettra's Goodness"; and "Vintage Bowles," which follows Vogue International Editor at Large on his hunts for vintage garments.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/vogue_wired_to_launch_online_tv_channels_this_month/

by Amy Gesenhues

A new GlobalWebIndex study analyzing international social media behavior revealed that mobile use and older Internet users are driving growth for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. To conduct the Social Stream Q1 2013 study, GlobalWebIndex surveyed 31,779 consumers in 31 different countries, examining global social media behaviors during the first quarter of this year.

By Katherine Ginis

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest the world by population, falling only behind China and India, Global Agenda speaker Rebecca MacKinnon said.

YouTube loses video block lawsuit against Russian consumer watchdog

Google said it is disappointed with the court's decision

YouTube has lost its video block lawsuit filed against Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.

Keeping online newsrooms sustainable in the developing world

by Margaret Looney

Independent news websites in the developing world tend to be on shaky ground, as they often oppose a corrupt regime or report in a censored environment. Their work attracts hacking attempts from the government and sends advertisers fleeing.

Schmidt: TV is so over

By Julian Clover

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has claimed that YouTube has already overtaken linear TV.

YouTube recently passed the milestone of one billion unique visitors a month with Schmidt claiming a figure of 6 or 7 billion was more than possible.

YouTube Video Removal Requests Up By 98%

The UK government and police have requested removal of 124 videos and advertisements in 2012. According to a new Transparency Report by the internet giant, majority of requests involved the removal of YouTube videos that were believed to violate national security and hate speech laws, while Google rejected about half of the requests. The number of requests excludes court orders for offence and copyright infringement.

http://media.cbronline.com/news/uk-requests-removal-of-124-youtube-videos-030513

57 percent of Serbians do not shop online

In Serbia, 3,000,000 people over the age of 15 use the internet but 57 percent of them almost never or very rarely buy goods online, according to a survey by internet research firm Gemius. About 19 percent of internet users make several purchases a year, 9 percent of them once a month, a little less than 2 percent up to three times per month, once a week or more often. The internet is most used by people aged between 30 and 39 years, then the 20-29 year age group, followed by those aged over 40, and then the generation aged 15 to 19 years. Only 28 percent of respondents were prepared to use e-banking, while 71 percent do not do so.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/57-percent-of-serbians-do-not-shop-online--941409

The Right To Blog: New policy calls for better protection for bloggers

Today, at the UNESCO World Press Freedom International Conference 2013, ARTICLE 19 launches The Right to Blog – a new policy paper that calls for lawmakers to better promote and protect the rights of bloggers domestically and internationally. The Right to Blog also gives practical advice to bloggers about their rights and explains how - and in what situations - they can invoke some of the privileges and defences that traditional journalists have found vital to the integrity of their work. 

“Blogging plays an invaluable role in the free flow of information worldwide and is a true example of the democratisation of publishing in the online world” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

“In the 21st century, many bloggers will take their place as watchdogs, alongside traditional media. The international community and individual states must develop protection for bloggers, just as they have developed protection for traditional media. Similar protection must be provided to bloggers. ARTICLE 19’s policy, The Right to Blog, offers recommendations on how this should be done in practice” added Callamard.

Over the last two decades, the Internet has transformed the way in which we communicate. Where the printed press and broadcast media were once the main sources of information, the Internet has made it possible for anyone to publish ideas, information and opinions to the entire world instantly.

Blogging and social media now rival newspapers and television as dominant sources of news and information. The emergence of these new forms of online expression has called into question the very definition of 'journalism' and 'media' in the digital age.

Difficult questions have been raised. How can the activities of bloggers be reconciled to existing models of media regulation? Should bloggers be held to the same professional and ethical standards expected of a professional journalist? In what circumstances can bloggers be held liable for what they say online? Should bloggers benefit from the kinds of protection programmes that are usually available to professional journalists in order to prevent them from being physically attacked? How would this work?

The Right to Blog answers to these and other complex questions through drawing on international standards of freedom of expression.

The Right to Blog argues that it is no longer appropriate to define journalism and journalists by reference to some recognised body of training, or affiliation with a news entity or professional body. International human rights law must protect bloggers just as it protects journalists.  

The policy suggests ways to address the key issues that bloggers are likely to face, including:

• Licensing
• Real-name registration (in contrast to anonymity)
• Accreditation
• The protection of sources
• Protection from violence
• Legal liability
• Ethical responsibility

Why is The Right to Blog important?  

The need for The Right to Blog policy is heightened by many cases of recent violations of bloggers rights.

• In Brazil, ARTICLE 19 documented cases of violence against journalists and human rights defenders. The most serious cases of violence against journalists were directed towards people who were writing for popular blogs (44%). Among those cases was the murder of blogger Décio Sáon on 23 April 2012 in São Luís. Sáon denounced the relationships between moneylenders and local politicians in his blog. Other bloggers who received death threats in 2012 include Neto Ferreira, Gilberto Leda, Júlio César de Lima Prates, Gerlice Nunes, Armando Anache and Marcio Rangel.

• In Tunisia, in March 2013, Olfa Riahi, a blogger and a university professor was charged with criminal defamation and the offence of “harming others or disrupting their lives through public communication networks” after posting information about alleged misuse of public funds by a former foreign minister, Rafik Abdessalem, before he stepped down from the post. She is facing a penalty of one to two years in prison and a fine of up to 1,000 dinars (app. £450).

• In Bangladesh, blogger Asif Mohiuddin, whose blog won the best social activism blog from the Deutsche Welle Best of Blogs Awards 2012, was brutally attacked by unknown perpetrators in January 2013.  The police later found out that he was attacked for his writing on the instruction of a religious extremist. In March 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission requested somewhereinblog.net - the largest blogging platform in Bangladesh - to remove Mohiuddin blog from their side. The platform complied with the request.

• In Chad, Jean Laokolé, author of one of the most popular blogs in the country, was arrested in March 2013 by the security forces in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital. He has been held without trial in an undisclosed location ever since. On his blog, Laokolé repeatedly criticized corruption, poor governance and nepotism in the country.

To read the policy paper in full, please click here

http://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3732/en/the-right-to-blog:-new-policy-calls-for-better-protection-for-bloggers

'Vogue,’ ‘Wired’ to launch online TV channels this month

Conde Nast Entertainment is ramping up its digital video network, launching channels forVogue and Wired later this month. New weekly shows, including the network's first scripted series, are also being added to the channels Glamour and GQ debuted in March. The announcements were made at Conde Nast Entertainment's Newfront presentation Wednesday. Vogue's channel will launch on May 8; Wired's, on May 15. Vogue's lineup includes "From theVogue Closet"; "Elettra's Goodness"; and "Vintage Bowles," which follows Vogue International Editor at Large on his hunts for vintage garments.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/vogue_wired_to_launch_online_tv_channels_this_month/

Study: Mobile Users & Older Generations Are Driving Social Media Growth Around The World

by Amy Gesenhues

A new GlobalWebIndex study analyzing international social media behavior revealed that mobile use and older Internet users are driving growth for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. To conduct the Social Stream Q1 2013 study, GlobalWebIndex surveyed 31,779 consumers in 31 different countries, examining global social media behaviors during the first quarter of this year.

Co-founder of Global Voices talks Internet rights, freedom

By Katherine Ginis

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest the world by population, falling only behind China and India, Global Agenda speaker Rebecca MacKinnon said.