policy

Wed
10
Jan
John Lister's picture

WhatsApp Change May Hit Google Storage

WhatsApp users on Android could hit storage limits thanks to a change in Google policy. However, claims it could mean a "shock new fee" are misleading at best. Users of the popular messaging app can have their messages, including videos and images, ... automatically backed up from an Android device. However, WhatsApp itself does not handle the backup or store the data. Instead the backup is on Google Drive. Because WhatsApp doesn't hold backups itself, the Google Drive backup may be the only way to restore data when moving to a new phone, particularly when the old handset is broken or unavailable ... (view more)

Wed
25
Apr
John Lister's picture

Facebook Unveils 'Content Rules'

Facebook has, for the first time, published the full details of what types of content and posts breach its rules. The list had previously been kept secret and seen only by moderators who vet requests to take down content. The full list of "community ... standards" is broken down into six categories: violence and criminal behavior; safety; objectionable content; integrity and authenticity; respecting intellectual property; and content-related requests. (Source: facebook.com ) In the first section, staff are to take into account the tone and context when dealing with threats of violence. The policy ... (view more)

Wed
16
Dec
John Lister's picture

Facebook Rethinks 'Real Name' Policy

Facebook is testing a change to its policy requiring people to use their real name on the site. The idea is to keep the principle of accountability while dealing with some practical issues. The site has always had a policy that users must operate ... with "the name their friends and family know them by." The idea is that it makes users accountable for what they say in posts and messages, and thus helps to stop people hiding behind anonymity. The policy often causes criticism. Some people disagree with the idea of having to be identifiable on the site. Writing in a blog post this week, ... (view more)

Wed
02
Sep
John Lister's picture

Microsoft May Reveal More About Windows 10 Patches

Microsoft says it may revise its policy of giving little to no information about the contents of updates to Windows 10. For now at least, any details would only go to business customers. As previously discussed, Windows 10 marks a departure from the ... traditional monthly release of updates , with the only exceptions being one-off security patches for serious bugs in the wild which are usually being exploited by hackers. Under the new system, Microsoft quietly sends out updates both for security fixes and enhancements to features, as and when they are ready. That's accompanied by a change in ... (view more)

Tue
30
Jun
John Lister's picture

BBC Publishes 'Right to be Forgotten' Archive

British news agency BBC has published a list of its articles which are no longer linked to through Google, due to a controversial European law. The move means that the people who requested the pages be removed may have actually made things worse. ... The situation involves the " right to be forgotten ", a policy introduced last year by the European Court of Justice . It rules on those laws that apply across the 26 countries that are part of the European Union. The policy applies in cases where people want pages with embarrassing, outdated or privacy-threatening information about them ... (view more)

Mon
23
Jun
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Facebook to Monitor User Activity Outside its Site

Facebook has altered its privacy policy and it's unlikely the change will be popular with the social network's 1+ billion members. In the next few weeks, Facebook will begin tracking user activity outside of it's own web site, so that it can ... generate 'more appropriate' advertisements tailored towards its members. In the past, Facebook kept close tabs on what its users posted to their profiles in an effort to bring forth more relevant advertisements. But the social network only monitored user activity on the Facebook website itself, including the pages they liked and the links they clicked ... (view more)

Mon
14
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Google to Place User Photos, Info in Ads

Facebook recently took heat from users upset with the company's claim that it could use members' photographs for advertising purposes without asking permission. Despite that outrage, Google is now implementing a similar policy. According to reports, ... users of Google's own social networking service, Google+, could soon see their pictures placed in advertisements. Those same users will not be consulted before these ads are made or compensated once the ads are placed online. Google Puts Positive Spin on New Terms of Service In a recent statement Google said that, through a new terms of service ... (view more)

Fri
23
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Facebook Ditches Policy Change Voting System

Facebook is planning to drop a system that allows users to vote on whether or not the social networking site can alter its policies. The company says the site is now too large for such a system to work effectively. Until now, Facebook has been ... tracking comments on posts related to its proposed policy changes. Once there are more than 7,000 "substantive" posts, the proposal automatically goes to a vote of all Facebook users. The voting system began in 2009, when Facebook received complaints about proposed changes to the legal rights it claimed over photos, videos, and other materials its users ... (view more)

Fri
27
Jul
Dennis Faas's picture

'Three Strikes' Policy Targets Illegal File-Sharing

Authorities in New Zealand are currently testing a new "three strikes" policy designed to reduce copyright infringement. It's not yet clear, however, if the idea is having a significant deterrent effect on illegal file-sharing. The 'test' policy is ... based on the idea that a customer deserves two warnings about his or her alleged infringements, and then can face serious consequences for a third instance of illegal activity. In New Zealand, a law introduced last year allows a copyright holder to take a three-time infringer to a special tribunal where they can be fined as much as NZ $15,000 ( ... (view more)

Wed
29
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

France: Google Browser Tracking Violates EU Law

France's National Commission for Computing and Civil Liberties (CNIL) claims Google's new privacy policy violates European Union law. CNIL is an agency charged with protecting citizens' private information, and reporting to the European Commission. ... Last January, Google announced its new privacy plan, scheduled to take effect this Thursday, March 1, 2012. The plan claims to allow for more convenient tracking of its privacy initiatives across Gmail, Google Docs, and about 60 other online services, while clarifying those policies for its users. Critics Say Advertising, Monetization Drives ... (view more)

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