German justice minister Heiko Mass seeks to further delay implementation of EU data retention laws

Germany is to further delay its implementation of the Data Retention Directive despite facing potential financial penalties of more than €300,000 for each day it fails to transpose it into national law, according to media reports. The country previously implemented the 2006 Directive but a court in the country ruled in 2010 that it was …

Viewing where the Internet goes: Vinton Cerf & Robert Kahn

When Edward J. Snowden, the disaffected National Security Agency (NSA) contract employee, purloined tens of thousands of classified documents from computers around the world, his actions—and their still-reverberating consequences—heightened international pressure to control the network that has increasingly become the world’s stage. At issue is the technical principle that is the basis for the Internet, …

Kathryn C. Brown is New ISOC CEO

Brown succeeds Lynn St. Amour, stepping down after 15 years with Internet Society [Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 19 December 2013] – The Internet Society announced today the appointment of Kathryn C. Brown as its new Chief Executive Officer effective 1 January 2014. Ms. Brown brings more than 30 years of experience to her …

Judge Richard J. Leon rules NSA phone call records likely violates the Constitution

WASHINGTON — A federal district judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency program that is systematically keeping records of all Americans’ phone calls most likely violates the Constitution, describing its technology as “almost Orwellian” and suggesting that James Madison would be “aghast” to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such …

The NSA and the End of the U.S. Empire

In this column, Johan Galtung, director of the TRANSCEND Peace University and author of 50 Years – 100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives (www.transcend.org/tup), writes about the U.S. empire’s spying, and other debacles. WASHINGTON, Nov 14 2013 (Columnist Service) – The linchpin of an empire is the link between two elites, one in the imperial centre, …

Wikileaks’ Release Of TPP Chapter On IP Blows Open Secret Trade Negotiation

By William New, Intellectual Property Watch For years, the United States and partner governments have worked vigorously to keep the publics they represent from knowing what they are negotiating behind closed doors in the top-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But today’s Wikileaks release of the draft intellectual property chapter blew that up, confirming the fears …

Surveillance a major concern at conclusion of UN-backed Bali IGF forum

While reaffirming the need to strengthen the multi-stakeholder approach to Internet governance, the United Nations-backed forum on the issue, known as the IGF, concluded today in Bali, Indonesia with an acknowledgement that surveillance is the major emerging issue of the year. Over four days, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), set up to support Secretary-General Ban …