[Today's CRH is a "Headlines Lite." We did not cover the Wall Street Journal
or the Chicago Tribune today. KT]
Universal Service
MCI Announces 5.9 Percent Surcharge for Universal Service
(TelecomAM)
Internet Regulation & Privacy
F.T.C. to Propose Laws to Protect Children on Line (NYT)
Apologies for Mix-Up That Listed E-Mail Codes (NYT)
Digital Media Content for Children and Teens (NTIA)
** Universal Service **
Title: MCI Announces 5.9 Percent Surcharge for Universal Service
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: In a tariff filing at the FCC, MCI has announced it will charge
5.9 percent fee on interstate and international calls to fund traditional
universal service and the new "e-rate" program. "Federal Universal Service
Fee" is a new line item that will appear on customers' bills starting in
July. MCI spokeswoman Claire Hassett said the company added the charges to
residential bills after estimating that it will take a "voluntary loss of
$107 million" in the first half of 1998 because it did not assess the fee.
** Internet Regulation & Privacy **
Title: F.T.C. to Propose Laws to Protect Children on Line
Source: New York Times (C1)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/06/biztech/articles/04privacy.html
Author: Amy Harmon
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said, "This is a historic
benchmark that changes forever the discussion of the protections which
children need in a cyberera." A new report from the Federal Trade Commission
is expected to censure the Internet industry for doing nearly nothing to
protect online privacy. "Children are told by parents not to talk to
strangers whom they meet on the street, but they are given a contrary
message by Web sites that encourage them to interact with strangers in their
homes via the Web," the report says.
Title: Apologies for Mix-Up That Listed E-Mail Codes
Source: New York Times (C6)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/cyber/articles/04globe.html
Author: Lisa Napoli
Issue: Privacy
Description: 35,000 subscribers to Advertising Age magazine got email
inviting them to join an online community -- at TheGlobe.com. The email
contained a preselected name and password -- but the password seemed very
familiar since it is the same one subscribers were using to log on to the Ad
Age site. The email did not note the connection between Ad Age and TheGlobe.
"The Ad Age people merged their database with ours so people wouldn't get a
second password, to create a seamless introduction to the community," said
Esther Loewy, a spokeswoman for TheGlobe.com. "That's pretty standard in
terms of business alliances."
Title: Digital Media Content for Children and Teens
Source: NTIA
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/contentd.htm
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: Further details on the June 11-12 conference on Digital Media
Content for Children and Teens have been released. Participants in the
conference will work together over the two days to identify concrete action
by private companies, non-profit organizations, educators, government and
young people that will enrich online learning for America's children and teens.
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