law

Wed
17
Sep
John Lister's picture

Judge: Firms Can't Ban Online Negative Reviews

California has passed a law that means companies can no longer ban customers from writing negative reviews on websites. Even attempting to do so could mean they firms face a financial penalty. The new law follows a protracted court battle that ... concluded this summer after an online gadget seller tried to "fine" a couple $3,500 for leaving a negative review on an independent website. A court eventually ordered KlearGear to pay more than $300,000 to the couple after its attempts to collect the "debt" hurt their credit rating. KlearGear had been trying to enforce a clause in ... (view more)

Fri
08
Aug
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Is a Kill Switch the Solution for Mobile Phone Theft?

California is about to implement a "kill switch" requirement for all smartphones sold there. The plan requires vendors sell smartphones equipped with a feature that allows owners to remotely disable the device if it is lost or stolen. California's ... kill-switch bill was approved by the state's assembly yesterday morning. Now, experts believe it's only a matter of time before Governor Jerry Brown signs the bill, making it law. Kill-Switch Software Wipes Personal Data, Locks Phone The bill mandates that smartphones contain software capable of wiping all personal data and ... (view more)

Wed
30
Jul
John Lister's picture

Cellphone Unlocking Ban Overturned, Now Legal

President Obama is expected to sign a bill in the coming weeks to make it legal to unlock cellphones. That may give users more choice about the cellphone network they use to get service, though there will still be technical restrictions. Most new ... cellphones are sold in a 'locked' state, meaning that they can only run on a particular cellphone network carrier. Usually that's because the network sells the handset at a reduced cost, hoping to make money back from associated monthly service fees and call charges. Unlocking a cellphone effectively modifies the phone's software, and thus allows ... (view more)

Fri
13
Jun
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Is it OK to Video Record On Duty Police Officers?

A case in New Hampshire has raised an important question in an age when just about everyone has a smartphone equipped with a digital video camera: should people be allowed to video or audio record the actions of on duty police officers? The case in ... question involves New Hampshire woman Carla Gericke, who was arrested and charged with wiretapping in 2010. Gericke was caught recording her friend being questioned by the Weare Police Department during a late-night traffic stop. Woman Never Ordered to Stop Recording Traffic Stop Gericke was actually in a car behind her friend and announced to ... (view more)

Tue
01
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Law Blocks Employers From Requesting Facebook Data

Michigan has joined several other US states in passing legislation that prevents employers and school officials from asking people for their social networking login data. Breaking this new law could bring a three-month jail term or a $1,000 fine. On ... Friday, December 28, 2012, Michigan governor Rick Snyder signed the new law, House bill 5523, into effect. In part, the law says "potential employees and students should be judged on their skills and abilities, not private online activity," and blocks any employer from requesting login or password data for social networks like Facebook, Twitter, ... (view more)

Mon
17
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

US Gov't May Ban Smartphone Tracking Apps

A US Senate committee has approved the Location Privacy Protection Act. It's a bill that would ban the smartphone tools which allow people to track others without their knowledge. The act, introduced by Senator Al Franken, would force companies ... offering smartphone apps to get a phone user's permission before collecting or passing on data about their location. The new rules would also explicitly ban any application that tracked locations without the phone user's knowledge. (Source: govtrack.us ) According to Franken, such measures are necessary to prevent cases of people secretly installing a ... (view more)

Fri
02
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Airline Firms Warned About Privacy Violations

Delta and United Airlines are among 100 firms that have been told they are breaking California's privacy laws. The problem: these companies have smartphone and tablet applications that don't give customers adequate information about the way they ... handle personal data. Kamala Harris, California's attorney general, insists companies are breaching the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which says app users must get clear details about the personal data collected and how it will be used. These 100 companies are among many more offenders but happen to own the 100 most popular apps breaching ... (view more)

Wed
29
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

'Real Name Only' Policy Killed in South Korea

South Korea has abandoned a law requiring Internet users to use their real name, declaring it a restriction of free speech. However, the Chinese government continues to employ a similar rule. The South Korean law took effect in 2007, following ... extensive abuse and malicious false stories written about public figures by anonymous individuals. Under the law, any South Korean website with more than 100,000 visitors a day had to verify the identity of those posting comments, including checking their resident registration numbers (roughly equivalent to U.S. Social Security numbers). (Source: bbc.co ... (view more)

Mon
21
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Facebook User Tracking Prompts $15B Privacy Lawsuit

Just as its shares are hitting the stock market for the very first time, Facebook has been hit with a massive $15 billion lawsuit. The suit was recently filed in California by law firm Stewarts Law US. It's a class action suit that pools a total of ... 21 different suits from across the United States, and involves the way the company, newly valued at more than $100 billion, tracks its members after they've logged out of their accounts. Federal, State Privacy Acts Allegedly Violated The $15 billion request for damages and penalties is based on provisions in the federal Wiretap Act which say that ... (view more)

Tue
08
May
Dennis Faas's picture

FBI Wants to Read Facebook, Gmail, Skype Messages

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reportedly pushing for a change in the U.S. law related to wiretapping. If passed, the changes would allow government monitoring of Facebook, Skype, and some email services. The idea is to change the ... Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which currently doesn't give investigators the right to monitor and intercept communications. Instead, the law forces telecommunications providers to set up their services in a way that makes such monitoring and intercepting technologically possible. Email, VoIP, Social Media to be Monitored? ... (view more)

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