June 2014

Google removes search results under ‘right to be forgotten’ rules

Google has started removing search results in Europe to comply with new rules on the “right to be forgotten.”

Whenever a search for a name on Google is conducted, the results page includes the statement: “Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe”. This statement appears for any name apart from those of celebrities. The company plans to start the takedown process slowly, before accelerating once it is confident its systems are working properly. Google has also started to notify individuals whose requests it will not honour and those whose are incomplete, as well as the owners of websites affected by the takedowns.

Telefónica meets regulatory hurdle on €8.6bn E-Plus takeover

Telefónica has edged closer to sealing the €8.6bn takeover of Germany’s E-Plus from KPN after meeting a big regulatory hurdle with a deal to open part of its network to a small rival group.

Drillisch, a German mobile provider, will acquire a fifth of the capacity of the combined network after the acquisition. The deal will meet conditions laid down by European regulators designed to offset competition concerns following the acquisition of E-Plus by Telefónica Deutschland. Telefónica’s acquisition will reduce the number of mobile operators in Germany from four to three. Drillisch, which has about 1.7m mobile customers, will become the largest provider outside the three network owners.

FCC Releases New Data on Internet Access Services And Local Telephone Competition

The Federal Communications Commission has released its latest reports on Internet access service connections and local telephone services in the United States. Titled Internet Access Services and Local Telephone Competition, respectively, the reports are based on data submitted by service providers every six months. The reports include data collected by the FCC through June 30, 2013.

Highlights from the reports include the following:

The number of connections with downstream speeds of at least 10 Mbps increased by 118% over June 2012, to 103 million connections, including 58 million fixed connections and 45 million mobile connections.
Growth is particularly high in mobile Internet subscriptions. The number of mobile subscriptions with speeds over 200 kbps in at least one direction grew to 181 million -- up 18% from June 2012.
In voice services, there were 90 million end-user switched access lines in service, 45 million interconnected VoIP subscriptions, and 306 million mobile voice subscriptions, or 441 million retail local telephone service connections in total as of June 30, 2013.
Over the three years between June 2010 and June 2013, interconnected VoIP subscriptions increased at a compound growth rate of 16%, mobile voice subscriptions increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3%, and retail switched access lines declined at 10% a year.

LPTV Coalition on Noncom Spectrum Sharing: Step Right Up

Mike Gravino, director of the LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition put out the call for PBS affiliates worried about having a home following the broadcast incentive auctions.

Noncoms, including PBS, have expressed their "profound disappointment" that the Federal Communications Commission auction framework does not ensure that all communities have free access to a public TV station following the auction and repacking of stations into smaller spectrum space.

"There are a growing number of PBS affiliates which want to enter the auction, and if they do, the PBS network is concerned that there will be gaps in the national coverage for PBS," said Gravino. "Many of these stations are owned by educational, community-owned and faith-institutions, and if they want to take a payday for their organizations in the auction, the door is now wide-open for PBS affiliates to contract with LPTV stations for carriage. But it must be done prior to the auction happening."

Google wants to follow you everywhere, from your car to your living room

Google, already the world's leading search engine, wants a place in the rest of your life, too. At Google's annual developers conference, company executives demonstrated how Google's Android operating system can work in cars, on televisions and on wearable devices -- ensuring that consumers are never more than few moments away from Google.

Wearable technology was a main focus of the event, and Google gave a few more details about its software for smartwatches, called Android Wear. The firm also said that it is working on a project called "Google Fit" that will aggregate data from fitness apps and wearable devices to help users keep track of health data. Samsung and LG announced at the conference that they are both releasing new wearable devices -- the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch -- that consumers can pre-order from Google's Play store.

Using these devices, you'll be able to do things such as call a Lyft car straight from your wrist simply by saying, "Okay, Google. Call me a car." Google has a plan for your own car, too. Its new AndroidAuto system connects your smartphone to your car dashboard, includes a button in the steering wheel that connects you to Google Maps and allows you to dictate text messages.

American Library Association applauds ruling in two civil liberties cases

The US Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Fourth Amendment when they ruled in David Leon Riley v. State of California and United States v. Brima Wurie that officers of the law must obtain warrants before they can search the cellphones of arrestees.

In response to the victorious court decision, Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Washington Office, released the following statement:

“In the past few years, our cell phones have become mobile libraries capable of storing massive amounts of personal and private data about our lives. The Constitution does not give law enforcement the right to conduct unlawful searches of our cell phones -- many of which contain immensely personal information, such as our private conversations, photos, videos, banking information and website history.

"In the same manner that we would not allow police officers to search unlawfully through our home library bookshelves without a warrant, we cannot allow government officials to search freely through our cell phones.

"We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold basic privacy principles granted by the Fourth Amendment. As we work to advocate for increased privacy protections from our government, we are encouraged that the US Supreme Court would rule in favor of protecting the nation’s constitutional checks and balances.”

Status update: Facebook not so diverse

Facebook, the world's most popular social network, for the first time released statistics on the makeup of its workforce that do not reflect the demographics of its users around the globe.

The lopsided numbers are just the latest from a major Silicon Valley company to paint a stark picture of an industry sector dominated by white men and are sure to escalate an already heated debate over the lack of diversity in the tech industry.

Nearly 70% of Facebook employees are men and 57% are white. Asians make up 34% of employees. But Hispanics represent just 4% and African Americans are just 2% of Facebook's workforce. When it comes to technical employees, the numbers are even grimmer. Eighty-five percent are male, 53% white and 41% Asian. Hispanics make up just 3% and African Americans just 1% of the workforce.

At the top of the company, the statistics are no better. Seventy-seven percent of senior level employees are men, 74% are white and 19% are Asian. Hispanics account for 4% and African Americans for 1% of employees in high level positions.

"We build products to connect the world, and this means we need a team that understands and reflects many different communities, backgrounds and cultures," Maxine Williams, Facebook's global head of diversity, wrote.

Public Knowledge, CFA, and EFF Submit Music Licensing Testimony to House Judiciary Committee

Public Knowledge, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) submitted written testimony to the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet for the hearing titled, "Music Licensing Under Title 17 Part Two."

The following can be attributed to Jodie Griffin, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge:

"Law that shapes the music licensing system should encourage a competitive and innovative market of music platforms that are accountable to music fans and musicians. This requires a set of well-developed structures that promote efficient licensing practices that minimize costs for everyone while promoting competition between intermediaries like record labels, publishers, collective licensing organizations, and distribution services.”

DirecTV, Dish Proffer New Means to Address GOP Voters

DBS leaders DirecTV and Dish Network are giving Republican and conservative politicians a chance to reach a large portion of their subscriber constituency.

D2 Media Sales, the partnership between Dish and DirecTV that sells addressable ads to political campaigns, has inked a deal with i360, which has a database of voters Republican and conservative candidates that could be targeted.

Candidates and advocacy groups will be able to use data to direct commercials at the household level from the two DBS companies’ 20 million addressable subscribers. By tapping i360, right of center campaigns and organizations can now choose from over 35 pre-matched segments focusing on voter registration, party affiliation, likelihood to turnout, persuadability, economic and social issues and more, via the D2 platform.

The Incentive Auction: Helping Broadcasters Make Informed Decisions

The Federal Communications Commission made history by adopting rules for the first-ever Incentive Auction. Robust participation by broadcasters will be critical to the success of the auction.

The auction is a risk-free, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for broadcasters, but the decision of whether or not to participate is completely voluntary and confidential. We recognize that spectrum auctions are new for most broadcasters, and that we owe them additional information before the Incentive Auction.

As anyone who’s made a major sale or purchase knows, having more information leads to better decisions. First, we’re providing an updated estimated timeline of Commission actions leading up to and after the auction.

Importantly, this timeline details steps broadcasters will need to take to participate in the auction.

Second, this summer, we will distribute informational material to help inform broadcaster decision-making. This material will provide an estimate of the amount of money broadcasters could receive for voluntarily relinquishing some or all of their spectrum rights in the auction. It will also contain additional information about why broadcasters should consider participating in the reverse auction, and the options that the auction will present to them.

Third, we will conduct webinars to explain the rules for the Incentive Auction. Fourth, as we near the Incentive Auction, Commission experts will hold additional webinars and travel across the country to demonstrate to interested broadcasters how to participate, including providing hands-on bidding demonstrations.

Benton

Search