Information Policy

European Commission acts to protect Europe from cyber-attacks and disruptions

Electronic communication services and networks provide the backbone of European economy. 93% of EU companies and 51% of Europeans actively used the internet in 2007. However natural disasters, terrorist attacks, malicious human action and hardware failure can pose serious risks to Europe's critical information infrastructures. Recent large scale attacks on Estonia, Lithuania and Georgia proved that essential electronic communication services and networks are under constant threat. Preparing Europe to act in case of major disruptions or attacks is the goal of a new strategy proposed today by the European Commission.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/494&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Egypt releases detained blogger

Egyptian authorities have released a 22-year-old Egyptian blogger and activist after nearly seven weeks in detention, an Egyptian human rights group said on Saturday. Police detained Diaa Eddin Gad on February 6 outside his home in the Nile Delta province of Gharbiya. London-based rights group Amnesty International said in February that his incommunicado detention in an unknown location put him at danger of torture. 'Dia was released (Friday) at dawn... He was ill-treated in the period where we did not know where he was being held,' said Gamal Eid, director of the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Police beat and kicked him, threatened to electrocute him, and electrocuted others in front of him, according to Eid. The government says it prosecutes torturers. Gad's blog Sawt Ghadib or 'An Angry Voice' (http://soutgadeb.blogspot.com) contained pro-Gaza slogans and news and commentary on Gaza during the three-week Israeli offensive on the coastal strip, as well as strident denunciations of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and security services. Eid said police interrogation of Gad focussed on such criticism, and on his references to Mubarak as 'Ehud Mubarak'--an apparent reference to Israeli Defence Minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/egypt_releases_detained_blogger/

Belarus Christian church leader asks for tighter internet control

Minsk - The spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians in the former Soviet republic Belarus on Friday asked state officials to tighten access to the internet, citing a moral threat to the country's youth. "The state should control internet content," said Metropolitan Filaret, head of the Orthodox Christian church in Belarus. "I sincerely hope that the government will not leave the problem of open access to dirty resources alone," he said.

"The main threat is that unwholesome information has become available to the most sensitive section of our society - children and teenagers. ... For them, such virtual chaos is extremely dangerous," he added.

Filaret speaking at a gathering of Belarusian church leaders called on the government to block access to unsafe web sites, using enforcement standards and technologies similar to those used by the People's Republic of China.

The Belarusian regime headed by President Aleksander Lukashenko already controls information tightly, permitting only state-run electronic media and systematically repressing the few independent newspapers left in the country.

The internet and foreign radio broadcasts are, for most Belarusians, the only source of independently-produced news and information.

http://www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews/032009/266.html

Faster and cheaper broadband: Commission study shows significant fall in prices in 2008 in Europe

European consumers paid less for their fixed broadband internet access (DSL, cable modem, fibre) in 2008 than a year ago according to a study released today by the European Commission. However, there are significant differences between Member States in broadband retail prices and cost structure for similar products. EU rules should be consistently applied in a telecoms single market for all businesses and consumers equally.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/129

Last edition of Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor prints its final edition on Friday, bringing a 100-year run as a daily newspaper to an end but beginning a new era as an online publication. The Boston-based Monitor announced plans in October to eliminate its daily print edition and become the first national US newspaper to adopt a Web-based strategy. Like other US dailies, the Monitor had been losing readership and print advertising revenue to online media for years and circulation was hovering around 50,000 by the time the decision was made to shut down the presses. Editor John Yemma said the award-winning newspaper will still print a weekly edition for subscribers and a printable three-page daily news digest by email but the main focus will be on its website, CSMonitor.com. He said visitors to the website, which currently attracts more than two million unique visitors a month, should not expect an immediate and dramatic change overnight but a steady improvement over time. He said the Monitor had cut its editorial staff from 97 employees at the end of last year to around 80 but was maintaining eight foreign bureaus, a network of stringers and six domestic US bureaus outside of Boston and Washington. He said the Monitor, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last November, did not currently plan to charge visitors to its website like some other newspapers, notably the Wall Street Journal, are doing.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/last_edition_of_christian_science_monitor/

World Economic Forum Releases Networked Readiness Index

The World Economic Forum (WEF) today (27 March) released the Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009, the eighth study conducted by the WEF in conjunction with the INSEAD business school and sponsored by Cisco Systems. The report gauges how 134 economies around the world are prepared to use ICT effectively, determined on three dimensions: the general business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; the readiness of individuals, businesses and governments to use and benefit from ICT; and actual use of the latest information and communications technologies. Data is derived from publicly available sources and an executive opinion survey conducted by leading research institutes and business organisations within the countries under analysis. In total, 27 hard data indicators, including utility patents, mobile phone use and bandwidth available, are combined with 41 survey indicators to give the overall network readiness index score.

Running to almost 300 pages, the report contains eight articles on major trends affecting the ICT industry, this year particularly looking at mobility, such as the effect of mobile services on emerging markets, with case studies on Egypt, South Korea and Brazil, including contributions from state governments. A country profile page aggregates the data for each country and outlines each of the economies studied, while 100 pages of data tables address the questions that contribute to the overall results of the survey, with side-by-side analysis for each dimension.

Irene Mia, a senior economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the WEF and co-editor of the report, noted, “The development story of the most networked countries in the world, including the Nordic countries, Singapore and the United States among others, has owed much to a consistent focus in the national agenda on education excellence, innovation and an extensive ICT access. This success stands as a reminder for leaders in both the public and private sectors not to lose focus on ICT as an important enabler of growth and competitiveness in times of crisis.”

Outside of the top ten, the Asia-Pacific region has five economies in the top 20 with Korea at 11, Hong Kong (12), Taiwan (13), Australia (14) and Japan (17). China has risen 11 positions to 46, while India fell four places to 54. Latin America and the Caribbean only had six entries in the top half of the index, with Barbados (36), Chile (39), Puerto Rico (42), Jamaica (53), Costa Rica (56) and Brazil (59). Mexico and Argentina both fell down the index to place at 67 and 87 respectively. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag, with Mauritius and South Africa the only nations in the top half of the index at 51 and 52 respectively and 18 of the 34 countries ranked below 100. North Africa is marginally stronger with Tunisia leading at 38, Egypt at 76, Morocco at 86 and Algeria at 109. The Middle East has pushed up the rankings with Israel top at 25, followed by the United Arab Emirates (27), Qatar (29), Bahrain (37), Saudi Arabia (40), Jordan (44), Oman (50) and Kuwait (57).

While some hard data is not recent—for example, internet users and bandwidth per population data is from 2005—this report provides a useful snapshot of the global ICT environment, with the overall index breaking down to provide a more precise view of the components that contribute towards the success of communications technologies within these countries. In addition, some elements of qualitative data and analysis provide an overview of the drivers that have made real changes to a country's positioning in the rankings. The report outlines the pillars that support network readiness and growth in ICT, and emphasises the ability of ICT to deliver efficiencies and economic growth.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/120/34911?7649

Malaysia: Government Hounds Bloggers That Criticise Royalty

Eight people have been charged with criticising on the Internet Malaysia's Sultan of Perak, as the authorities stepped up a crackdown on bloggers, reports IFEX interim member the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) as well as Amnesty International.

On 13 March, the government carried out a nationwide swoop on bloggers and charged six for "insulting" the Perak royal family on various blogs on the Internet.

The following week, businessman Fuad Ariff Abdul Rashid and his lawyer wife, Fatimah Maisurah Abdullah, were charged with two counts of posting critical comments against the Sultan on the ruler's official website, reports Amnesty International.

"(We) are worried that the charges may signal the start of a clampdown on online expression and an erosion of the right to discuss the role of the Malaysian royalty," said CIJ and Malaysia's Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI).

The offences carry a maximum fine of 50,000 Ringgits (US$13,800) or up to a year in jail under the country's Communication and Media Act. But provisions of the act itself guarantee that it should not be used to censor the Internet, says CIJ. This is the first time the law has been used to charge people for comments posted online.

Of the eight people charged, one has already pleaded guilty and been fined 10,000 Ringgits (US$2,800). The seven others are awaiting trial after being released on bail.

The charges against the eight come during an ongoing power struggle for the Perak state government. In a controversial move, the Sultan of Perak accepted the defection of three state assembly members from the opposition, which allowed the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to regain control - despite having lost the state in the 2008 general election.

BN, which rules nationally, has been accused of trying to shut down debate about the role of the monarchy.

"The Internet was one of the few venues available for Malaysians to express their views relatively freely, and now it looks like the government will extend its restrictions on free press to the web," said Amnesty. "For a country that claims to be on the cutting edge of communications technology, this is a very troubling step backward."

As the head of the federation and a Malay institution, the royalty is largely a taboo subject in Malaysia. Like Thailand's lese-majeste law, the Sedition Act, which was introduced in a period of high ethnic tension, protects royals in Malaysia against defamation under its very broad provision.

Opposition parliamentarian and lawyer Karpal Singh has been charged with sedition for his threat to sue the Sultan of Perak over the political crisis in Perak, say CIJ and Amnesty.

He has received death threats, and been mobbed by angry youth members of UMNO (United Malays National Organisation), leader of the ruling coalition. But according to Amnesty, Malaysia's 13,000-strong Bar Council has defended Singh's right to voice his opinion.

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/101651

EU Parliament Reaches Draft Deal, Proposed Roaming Cuts Could Be in Place by July

The European Union (EU) Parliament and member states have given the green light to cuts in roaming charges, meaning the proposals could be passed next month—in record time.

The speed of this agreement, coupled with a surprising strengthening of the proposals, shows a significant commitment to change from the EU, and recognition of the importance of telecoms to economic recovery in the bloc.

As the global economic crisis bites, the operators are accusing the EU of "kicking them when they are down"—but the EU has dismissed this, saying continued growth indicates the sector has not been hit as hard as it claims.

Consumers and businesses will now be looking to the EU to accelerate its adoption of wider-reaching regulatory changes currently being debated, to avoid these being "talked out" before the summer recess.

The European Parliament and the EU member states have reached a draft agreement on cutting the cost of mobile roaming within the bloc, meaning the proposals are now looking likely to be passed before the summer recess, with the first raft of cuts coming into effect on 1 July this year.

Significantly, the draft deal has further reduced the cuts in voice call charges proposed by the European Commission earlier this month, and has agreed to start the programme two months earlier than proposed.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/130/34881?7649

YouTube confirms website blocked in China

YouTube confirmed on Tuesday its website is being blocked in China, although the California firm offered no explanation for why Chinese authorities were barring access to the popular video-sharing service. The YouTube blockage came as government officials there publicly challenged the authenticity of a video that purports to show police beating to death a pro-Tibet demonstrator last year. China's official Xinhua News Agency quoted an unidentified government source saying supporters of the Dalai Lama were 'fabricating lies' by doctoring video to 'deceive the international community.' Footage of Chinese troops apparently beating Tibetans last year in and near Lhasa following the deadly riots has appeared on YouTube in recent days. The source, date and location of the footage, posted by a Tibetan exile group, could not be independently confirmed. The video shows hundreds of uniformed Chinese soldiers running through a Tibetan monastery, some of them beating a man with batons. In another scene, uniformed soldiers kick, drag and beat several men and women who are lying on the ground, some of them with their hands bound behind their backs. The narrator of the video said the violence was part of China's crackdown following anti-Chinese unrest in the Tibetan capital March 14, 2008, which Beijing says led to the deaths of 21 people by rioters.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/youtube_confirms_website_blocked_in_china/

Eastern Europe Web Ad Market Holds Opportunity and Challenge

By Jack Marshall,

Digital advertising within Eastern Europe received increased attention in 2008, as major players snapped up investment across the region, and looked to developing markets to help offset slowing revenues from more established markets such as those in Western Europe and the U.S. Factors such as a rapidly growing Internet population and a boom in social networking have helped fuel audience growth and advertiser interest. Yet, although individual markets like Romania, Latvia, and Poland, are at varying levels of maturity, some believe they should all be work together more closely to drive adoption and foster the kind of growth witnessed in Western Europe.

Aegis drew attention in June with its purchase of full service agency, AdWatch, which it claimed at the time would crown it the premier digital player in Russia. WPP promptly followed suit, and purchased a majority stake in Alite Ltd - a digital agency that trades under the name of Actis, and provides online marketing strategy, design, and development for clients such as Microsoft and MTV throughout Eastern Europe.

Perhaps most significantly, Google announced in July it planned to acquire Russian contextual ad network ZAO Begun for a fee of $140 million. Although the deal was eventually blocked by Russian regulators, the attempt demonstrated the Russian market's appeal to the digital ad behemoth. "We consider Russia an important country and are committed to it," a Google spokesperson told ClickZ at the time.

While there's little doubt that growth across the region is being led by the thriving Russian scene, markets elsewhere are gathering steam. For example, a number of Interactive Advertising Bureau satellite organizations based in Eastern Europe have formed to help drive adoption of online ad solutions. Even in small markets such as Lithuania and Latvia, awareness is growing.

Many markets in the region remain in nascent stages. However, Alexander Kim, interaction director at GroupM Russia, suggested U.S. and Western European firms underestimated the potential of Eastern European markets and may be too late to the party. "In my view the key specificity of the Eastern European online market is that we are not as globalized as other European countries," he said. "Global companies came too late, they didn't have adopted marketing strategies and well [localized] Web services," he explained.

Within Russia, prime examples of this lie in both the search and social media space. Facebook and MySpace have both found themselves overshadowed by local social networking services such as Odnoklassniki.ru and Vkontakte.ru, both of which currently boast over 30 million subscribers each. Likewise, Google struggles with market share in Russia, with local rivals Yandex and Rambler dominating the search landscape. When Google's attempt to buy a chunk of that market by trying to acquire ZAO Begun was thwarted, it served as evidence of the Russian market's insularity.

Overall, Kim estimates the Russian market is currently two or three years ahead of its Eastern European counterparts, and suggests the diversity and relative sophistication of advertiser spend there is helping pave the way for its less developed neighbors. "In Russia, advertisers use online not only for direct response but also to build brand awareness and loyalty. Also, more vehicles are used, such as video advertising, behavioral targeting and social media marketing," he says.

http://www.clickz.com/3633161