Internet freedom is declining globally and China is being blamed for exporting censorship

A new report out this week shows that China is by far the most effective censor of the internet, and far from retreating, is exporting its model around the world. Beijing has consistently defied all the confident predictions (including by people far more knowledgeable about the internet than Clinton) that this would be impossible. China’s …

Accountability deficit at ICANN: In addition to Cooling Off Periods, U.S. Government suggests post-employment restrictions

During the ICANN 63 in Barcelona, David Redl, the chief U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), gave his input into the Donut’s hiring of ICANN’s GDD Chief Akram Attalah. The US Rep suggested there should be a cooling off period for ICANN employees to maintain ethics. NTIA has sent a follow-up letter which appears …

Regulator implored to probe Android apps advertising to preschoolers

Several children’s apps on Google’s app store have been found to inappropriately lure youngsters to watch ads or make purchases, according to a pair of consumer groups that cited a new study in calling for an investigation by federal authorities. “Popular apps for preschoolers are rife with marketing,” Josh Golin, executive director of Campaign for …

PayPal, Stripe, GoDaddy and other platforms throw GAB offline

Gab,social media site is being de-platformed and forced offline by its service providers after it became clear that the alleged Pittsburgh shooter Robert Bowers had a history of anti-semitic postings on the site. In the hours following the attack, when the suspect’s postings were discovered on the site, Gab’s corporate partners abandoned it one by …

Cambridge Analytica ghost bites, UK watchdog ICO Fines Facebook maximum $500K for data breach

The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has confirmed that it has hit Facebook with a maximum $500,000 ($645,000) fine around the way it mishandled user data following the Cambridge Analytica scandal earlier this year. The introduction of GDPR has given the ICO the power to issue fines of up to £17 million ($22 million) or four …

NTIA Head David Redl Pokes into Donuts Recent Hiring of ICANN’s GDD Chief Attalah

Could this be a conflict of interest scenario?, ICANN recently lost its first president of ICANN’s Global Domains Division Akram Attalah to Donuts to assume the role of CEO. He joined former ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade who resigned from his post in March 2016 and joined ABRY Partners, a Boston-based private equity investment firm which …