Internet

Bloggers could face fines of $11,000 for failing to mention free samples and other payments they receive from advertisers. In theory, the rules could even affect people writing on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, though officials indicate they ... are unlikely to be targeted. The rules have been issued by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, which says it is merely clarifying existing principles for the Internet age. The relevant guidelines had not previously been updated since 1980. In explaining the changes, the FTC said "the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review ... (view more)

The torrent of bad press over Facebook's privacy policies has led to the demise of its much-disliked advertising program called "Beacon." The program, which was considered a marketing coup when first unveiled two years ago, has been phased out in ... accordance with the settlement of a year-old class action lawsuit. At the heart of the lawsuit was the contention that Facebook had failed to properly inform its many users of the privacy compromises introduced by Beacon, which used the data collected from member pages to help third-party sites tailor more effective advertising schemes. ... (view more)

Facebook, the world's largest social networking site, recently announced that it has 300 million active monthly users around the globe. Facebook was not expected to turn a profit until 2010 but has also announce their cash flow is started to trickle ... in. Reports suggest that revenue is supported by applications sold through the site and also by online advertising. (Source: theatlantic.com ) Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently blogged on the importance of their achievement, and he remains ambitious about the site's future. "This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a ... (view more)

Twitter has reiterated that users of its microblogging service retain the copyright to their comments. However, the site has refused to rule out using posts for targeted advertising purposes in the future. The site has revised its terms and ... conditions to clarify various legal positions. The move appears to be a reaction to public relations problems experienced by rival social networking site Facebook, which recently declared it had the right to use content even after the relevant user had cancelled their account . On the face of it, Twitter is using plain language to reassure users of their ... (view more)

Wikipedia.com is planning to introduce a feature which will color-code parts of its articles in order to show how reliable the information is likely to be. It's a solution to an ongoing problem that has led to a planned freeze on edits to entries ... about living individuals. The WikiTrust feature analyzes the text on a page and ranks each piece of text based on how recently it was edited. This is based on the idea that the longer a piece remains unchanged, the more likely it is that it is trustworthy -- otherwise (it is reasoned), Wikipedia's users would have overturned the edit. The feature ... (view more)

You can "blame Canada" in a good way for Facebook's recent decision to stiffen its privacy controls. In response to demands from Canada's Privacy Commissioner, the social networking site revealed new guidelines that target third party applications ... and the information they're allowed to access. Back in July, the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's office hastened a campaign to identify and publicize the concerns many people have with Facebook's policy towards third-party applications. In the past, some of these applications have been able to access a significant amount of member private data, ... (view more)

The main challenger to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser just keeps getting stronger. Just a few days ago, Mozilla revealed that its Firefox browser had surpassed the 1 billion downloads mark, with no intention of slowing down. Mozilla announced ... the impressive marker on July 31 with a celebratory Twitter feed. Mozilla has used the event to emphasize the viability of Firefox's challenge to market leader Internet Explorer (IE), which Microsoft has neatly packaged with each version of its ubiquitous Windows operating system software. Windows 7 Could Have Impact But time may be running out on ... (view more)

After a thirteen month investigation, Canada's Privacy Commissioner has announced its finding that Facebook's policies and practices violate Canadian privacy laws. According to Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, there are "serious privacy gaps" in ... Facebook's operations. A complaint from the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, or CIPPIC, instigated the investigation, which started in May of last year. The initial complaint was comprised of 24 allegations pertaining to 12 different subjects, including Facebook's default privacy settings, what the site does with member personal ... (view more)

The recession has affected Americans in many ways, forcing people to cut back on their spending and in some cases, out of their homes. According to a new study, it seems that more and more U.S. residents are heading online in search of solutions to ... their financial woes. In the past, community leaders and social workers were relied upon by Americans looking for help during tough economic times. However, today there's an easier way to consult experts for assistance. Americans Hope for Quicker Solutions Online A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that most ... (view more)

Is manipulating a teenager with obvious self-esteem issues to the point where they commit suicide tantamount to a criminal offence? Not so, it seems, given that a federal judge has overturned the misdemeanor guilty verdict handed down to Lori Drew ... last year. Known as the "MySpace Mom," Lori Drew made headlines worldwide during the suicide investigation of Megan Meier, a 13-year-old who hung herself in Missouri a few years back. Investigators soon uncovered a complex web of deceit that pointed back to Drew, who, angry with Meier for having picked on her daughter Sara, created a fictional ... (view more)