Tag Archives: Technocracy

Major ISPs set to implement ‘six strikes’ online piracy program

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“A new voluntary system aimed at rooting out online copyright piracy using a controversial ‘six strikes’ system is set to be implemented by US Internet providers soon, with the impact unclear.  The program was created with the music and film industry and the largest Internet firms, with some prodding by US government.  Participating in the program are the five largest broadband Internet providers — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Cablevision and Verizon — covering some 85 percent of US residential customers.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/26/major-isps-set-to-implement-six-strikes-online-piracy-program/

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Authoritarian regimes use Silicon Valley software to censor Internet

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“Authoritarian regimes around the world are using technology from a Silicon Valley firm for Internet surveillance, filtering and censorship, according to a report by Canadian researchers.  The report this week from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said devices from California-based security firm Blue Coat Systems were being used in China, Russia, Venezuela and other countries with ‘a history of concerns over human rights.'”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/17/authoritarian-regimes-use-silicon-valley-software-to-censor-internet-report/

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Law-enforcer misuse of driver database soars

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“Florida’s driver-and-vehicle database, the system that can help law enforcement identify victims of fatal crashes and decipher the identity of a suspect, can be a useful tool for cops.  But at least 74 law enforcers were suspected of misusing D.A.V.I.D. in 2012, a nearly 400 percent increase from 2011, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  Officers who needlessly pull information or photographs from D.A.V.I.D. that would otherwise be private could face criminal charges, sanctions or disciplinary action.  And yet the temptation of looking up a relative, a celebrity’s address or a romantic interest is too great for some law enforcers.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-law-enforcement-access-databases-20130119,0,2787899,full.story

 

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DNA database not so anonymous on the Internet: study

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“As more and more of our personal data — and those of the people we know and are related to — gets posted online, the anonymity promised by the remove of a computer screen gets more and more elusive.  That’s what a team of scientists uncovered when they started playing Sherlock with a batch of genetic data posted online for researchers to use.  The data was anonymous: the participants’ names were not published.  But using the information that was provided, including age and where they live, along with freely available Internet resources, the researchers were able to identify nearly 50 of the individuals in the genomic database.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/18/dna-database-not-so-anonymous-on-the-internet-study/

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Google reports ‘steady increase’ in gov’t requests for user data

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“Google on Wednesday reported a ‘steady increase’ in government requests to hand over data from Internet users in the second half of 2012.  The Web giant’s semiannual ‘transparency report’ showed the most requests came from the the United States, with 8,438 requests for information about 14,868 users.  In releasing details of requests in the United States, Google said 68 percent of the requests it received from government entities were through subpoenas, which ‘are the easiest to get because they typically don’t involve judges,’ according to Salgado.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/23/google-reports-steady-increase-in-govt-requests-for-user-data/

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Japan should let elderly ‘hurry up and die’: finance minister Taro Aso

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“Japan’s finance minister Taro Aso said Monday the elderly should be allowed to ‘hurry up and die’ instead of costing the government money for end-of-life medical care.  Ageing is a sensitive issue in Japan, one of the world’s oldest countries, with almost a quarter of its 128 million people over 60. That figure is expected to rise to 40 percent within the next half-century.  At the same time a shrinking number of workers is placing further strain on an already groaning social security system, with not enough money going into the pot to support those who depend on it.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/21/japan-should-let-elderly-hurry-up-and-die-finance-minister-taro-aso/

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Fitch ratings agency highlights threat of aging population time-bomb

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“Many advanced economies will be threatened by another, long-term fiscal shock unless they tackle the problem of ageing populations, the ratings agency Fitch warned on Monday.  In particular Cyprus, Ireland and Japan, could well see the cost of ageing populations jump over the next decade, the agency said, warning that this would affect the sovereign debt ratings of such countries at some point.  ‘Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Slovenia face the most severe impact over the very long term,’ Fitch noted.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/21/fitch-ratings-agency-highlights-threat-of-aging-population-time-bomb/

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NYPD looks to GPS bottles to combat pill bandits

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“The New York Police Department wants pharmacies in and around the city to fight prescription drug thefts by stocking pill bottles fitted with GPS tracking chips. Prescription drug abuse ‘can serve as a gateway to criminal activities, especially among young people,’ the commissioner says. The NYPD has begun creating a database of the roughly 6,000 pharmacies in the New York City area with plans to have officers visit them and recommend security measures like better alarm systems and lighting of storage areas. Kelly says it also will ask them to stock the GPS bottles containing fake oxycodone.”

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20592464/nypd-looks-to-gps-bottles-to-combat-pill-bandits

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Navy wants drones stashed on the seafloor

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“The U.S. Navy wants to pack aerial drones and other intelligence-gathering technology into special containers built to withstand deep ocean pressures and distribute them around the world’s seas. The containers will rise to the surface when called into service from a remote location.  These ‘upward falling payloads’ are seen as readying the Navy to address conflicts in corners of the world where it is too expensive or complex to establish a forward operating area, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) explained in a call for proposals. The containers would be stealthily deployed well ahead of time and designed to stay put on the seafloor for years.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/navy-wants-drones-stashed-seafloor-1B7956614

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German activists start campaign to destroy surveillance cameras

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“German activists are attempting to destroy security cameras in anticipation of the European Police Congress in Berlin in February, according to Michael Ebeling, an opponent of public surveillance writing for France 24′s The Observers.  The group organizing the actions, CAMOVER, believe such cameras lead police to discriminate and use stereotypes in search of criminals and criminal activity. They are encouraging people to participate in the ‘game’ until Feb. 19, when the congress convenes.  The country’s Interior Ministry claims the cameras have been shown to reduce crime by almost 20 percent.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/13/german-activists-start-campaign-to-destroy-surveillance-cameras/

 

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