Information Policy

Portugal Telecom Reports 12.1 mil. African Subscribers by End-Q2

Portugal Telecom’s subsidiaries in Africa have reported a total of 12.086 million subscribers by 30 June 2008.

Africa Holding (Africatel), a subsidiary of Portugal Telecom created in 2006, incorporates all the operator's assets in sub-Saharan Africa: three fixed-line operators, five mobile operators (plus a management contract for Mascom in Botswana), and a number of other assets.

Portugal Telecom's sub-Saharan African subsidiaries reported a 45.9% increase in subscribers to 5.007 million in the year to 30 June 2008, representing a net increase of 1.576 million subscribers.

Portugal Telecom's assets in Africa, Asia and Latin America stem from its legacy investments as a former colonial power, but the operator has expanded its portfolio beyond lusophone countries over the last few years.

Africatel, the unit created by Portugal Telecom in 2006 for its sub-Saharan African subsidiaries, reported a 16% year-on-year (y/y) increase in revenues from 110.8 million euro (US$138.1 million) to 128.5 million euro and an 11.1% y/y increase in earnings nefore interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) from 63.3 million euro to 70.3 million euro. Of 5.007 million attributable fixed and mobile subscribers in the region, Africatel had 4.927 million GSM subscribers. The majority of this growth continues to be driven by its operations in Angola and Namibia.

* Unitel, the Angolan GSM operator, reported a 50.3% increase in subscribers to 3.762 million, underpinned by strong customer growth both in Luanda (the capital) and the main districts of the country. Unitel is rolling out GPRS nationwide, has started EDGE deployment in selected areas, and awarded a US$45-million contract to Ericsson to deploy W-CDMA in Luanda in June 2007. Unitel currently competes with Movicel, which operates a CDMA network and has rolled out both CDMA 2000 1X and CDMA 2000 1X EV-DO networks.

* In Namibia, Mobile Telecommunications Ltd (MTC) reported overall growth of 32.5% to reach 934,000 subscribers by 30 June 2008, and went on to reach 1 million in the third quarter. This uptake in post-paid subscribers has been driven by mobile data services—MTC launched GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA in December 2006. In March 2007, Namibia's second mobile operator, Cell One, launched services, while fixed-line operator Telecom Namibia is also now offering CDMA mobile voice and data services.

* Cabo Verde Telecom (Cape Verde) reported a 40.1% increase in total subscribers to 269,000 by 30 June 2008. Its mobile subscribers increased by 65.2% to reach 197,000, while the operator faces competition from a second entrant.

* Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações (CST), the incumbent in Sao Tome and Principe, reported a 35.5% increase in total subscribers to 42,000. CST had 34,000 mobile subscribers by the end of June 2008, an annual increase of 47.6%.

http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/140/33097?7649

EGYPT: Crackdown against bloggers and Internet activists

CAIRO, October 24, 2008 (ANHRI/IFEX) – The Egyptian security apparatus is conducting an aggressive campaign against bloggers and Internet activists in many cities around Cairo, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) reports.

Christian blogger Hani Nazeer Aziz, who is based in Gena and owns the blog "Kariz Al Hub" (http://haninazeeraziz.blogspot.com), has been targeted. They are also persecuting several Islamic bloggers, including Mohamed Khairi, who is based in Fayoum, (http://garshkal.blogspot.com), Husam Yahia, whose blog is called "The Voice of Liberty" (http://sotelhoria.blogspot.com), Mohamed Adil, whose blog is "dead" (http://43rab.info/meit ), and Bilal Alaa, whose blog is called "The Country
is Ours" (http://khabta.blogspot.com). Both Mohamed Adil and Bilal Alaa are from Al Gharbia City and Husam Yahia is from Al-Daghlia.

The security apparatus arrested two of Hani Nazeer Aziz's brothers on the first of October and used them as hostages to force his surrender. On 3 October, he was informed that security officers were also going to arrest his sisters to put more pressure on him to give himself up. He turned himself in on the same day. Since then, he has not been seen, and ANHRI learned only on 22 October that he had been detained under emergency law, which is the usual way in which the ministry of the interior deals with innocent people whom they want to detain without bringing charges against them,

Mohamed Khairi, the man who set up the Garshkal blog and a student in the faculty of engineering at Cairo University, was arrested in a surprise dawn raid on his home on 22 October, when his computer and paperwork were seized.

The other three bloggers mentioned above, Mohamed Adil, Bilal Alaa and Husam Yahia, all had their homes raided by the security forces. All three managed to avoid arrest, either by escaping or by being forewarned of the arrival of the "dawn visitors" (policemen from the state security department).

Gamal Eid, ANHRI's executive director, issued the following statement:

"It is no coincidence that the launch of a state security campaign against Egyptian bloggers happened at the same time as one of their colleagues was honoured by receiving an international award for human rights activism. The Egyptian government will never forgive bloggers for their key and consistent role in exposing numerous legal and human rights violations. As well as a reaction to their role in advocating for democracy in Egypt, the crackdown is also a response to the message of the Human Rights First award, which supports and encourages the efforts of Egyptian bloggers."

Renowned Egyptian blogger Nora Younis has received the annual human rights award from a prominent US-based organization, Human Rights First, (https://secure.ga1.org/05/support_heroes_hp) for her extraordinary efforts defending human rights issues and advocating for the democracy movement in Egypt.

The arrest of Hani Nazeer comes in the wake of his criticism of a recently published novel, "Azazil", which was perceived by Egyptian Christians to be an attack on Christianity, to the point where some Christians published a counter attack on Islam called "Azazil in Mecca".

Instead of finding solutions to reduce the sectarian tensions between Muslims and Christians that exist in some areas of Egyptian cities, the authorities have found it easier to apply the security solution and to utilize emergency law to arrest the Christian blogger, an action which ANHRI believes has aggravated rather than soothed sectarian tensions.

The other bloggers, who were Islamic, were arrested and their houses were raided as a punishment for their contribution to the people's relief caravan that headed towards Gaza on 6 October to break the blockade imposed by occupying Israeli forces. This was a purely humanitarian gesture to show solidarity with the Palestinian state, which lies under the burden of occupation, a situation to which the Egyptian government at best turns a blind eye, and at worst is complicit.

ANHRI asserts that these bloggers have not committed any crime or broken any law. Any slight respect for the values of law and democracy should lead to legal and appropriate solutions for these problematic scenarios. Emergency law will never manage to deter Egyptian activists from forming and broadcasting their opinions.

For further information contact Gamal Eid, Executive Director, ANHRI, Apartment 10, No. 5, Street 105, from Midan al Hurriya, Al Maadi, Cairo, Egypt, tel/fax: +202 2 524 9544, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], Internet: http://www.anhri.net/en/

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of ANHRI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit ANHRI.

http://www.menassat.com/?q=alerts/4975-egypt-crackdown-against-bloggers-and-internet-activists

Turkey Bans Blogger.com Due To Links To Infringing Content

Following the censorship of YouTube, now the widely used site blogger.com has been shut down, reported daily Radikal yesterday. The censorship decision was made by the Diyarbakır Penal Court on Oct. 20. Under Turkish copyright law, blocking is allowed where sites link to copyright material.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=118536

US: IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report Shows First Half of ''08 Up 15.2% From Same Period ''07

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) today released the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report covering the first six months and the second quarter of 2008. Internet advertising revenues (U.S.) for the first six months of 2008 were $11.5 billion, setting yet another new half-year record that represents a 15.2 percent increase over the first half of 2007. The second quarter of ''''08 was up 12.8% over the same period of 2007 and showed a slight decline of 0.3% from the first quarter.

http://www.iab.net/media/file/IAB_PWC_2008_6m.pdf

Overview of Data Protection Laws in Lithuania

Data protection should be a major concern for individuals, especially, Internet users. No matter the type of business dealings -online or offline, - individuals must know whether their private information is legally protected. Like most European Union (EU) countries, Lithuania has updated its legislation to protect individuals' private information. Following, there is a brief description of Lithuania's legal framework for data protection.

Lithuania's Constitution is the legal base for individuals' data protection. Article 22 mandates that "the private life of an individual shall be inviolable." Further, it states that intercommunications such as personal correspondence, telegraph messages, telephone conversations, etc., shall be inviolable. National laws protect individuals from arbitrary and unlawful interference in their private matters, and from encroachment upon their honor and dignity. The same Constitutional article authorizes collection of individuals' private information only "upon a justified court order" and following legal procedures. In the legal hierarchy, and below this Constitutional mandate, data protection rules are found in (1) national domestic laws, some of them incorporating EU data protection Directives; (2) government resolutions; and (3) orders from the Data Protection Inspectorate.

Six basic national domestic laws incorporate rules on data protection in Lithuania. First, Law on Legal Protection of Personal Data, No. I-1374 (1996), entered into force in 2003. The purpose of this law is to protect individual's privacy in regards to the processing of personal data. This law establishes the principles regulating the processing of personal data, including collection, storage, and disclosure; the rights of the data subject; the technical measures required to secure personal data; the rules for data controllers; the transfer of data to recipients in third countries; the rules on monitoring the collection of personal data; and the liabilities incurred by data collectors. Second, Law on the Electronic Communications, No. IX-2135 (2004). This law regulates social relations regarding electronic communication services and networks, the use of electronic communication resources, and "social relations pertaining radio equipment, terminal equipment and electromagnetic compatibility." This is definitely the law applicable to social networks, e-mail services, and blogs. Third, Law on the Public Registers, No. VIII-1701 (1996, amended in 2000). This law regulates the collection and processing of private data by public entities.

Fourth, Law on the Ratification of Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, No. No. IX-189 (2001. As its name suggests, this law ratified the EU convention on automatic processing of personal data of January 1981. The purpose of this convention is to assure that each EU Member State affords privacy rights to individuals, no matter their nationality, on the processing of personal data. To this end, signatory states committed to implement domestic legislation that incorporates basic principles on data protection. Fifth, Law on the Ratification of Additional Protocol to Convention 108 Regarding Supervisory Authorities and Transborder Data Flows, No. No. IX-1922 (2003). This EU law deals with the transfer of personal data among EU and non-EU states and its implications on individuals' privacy rights. To protect individual privacy and personal data, this convention requires states to implement a national supervisory authority responsible of compliance with the EU regulations on data privacy and transborder flow; and sets the rules for the transfer of personal data to third countries. Sixth, the Law on the Supplement and Amendment to Code on Violations of Administrative Law is applicable to data protection in Lithuania but this law is more related to processing of private information by public institutions and their liabilities for violations.

The Government of Lithuania has issued three major Resolutions pertaining to data protection. One is the Structural Reform of the State Data Protection Inspectorate (DPI), No. 1156 (2001). This Resolution establishes the DPI authority and responsibilities. Other is the Reorganization of the State Register of Personal Data Controllers, No. 262 (2002), which includes additional rules for the data controllers, especially those employing automatic processes. Government Resolution 918 was the latest resolution issued on September 2008. It is called "Draft Law amending Law on Property Declaration No. XP-2152(2), and Draft Law on Supplement to and Amendment of Articles 15 and 29 of Law on Public Service, No. XP-2153(2).

Lastly, orders for the State Data Protection Inspectorate are the lower rules in the data protection law's hierarchy. These orders may have a limited-time application or relate to administrative compliance rules for data collectors.

It is evident that EU countries, including Eastern countries, have promptly updated their data protection laws to compete not only in a regional, but an international market.

http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=2160