INTERNET
Law Enforcers Report Spike in Cybercrime (USA)
Suit Says AOL Permits Insults (WP)
U.S. Enters Free-Web Battle in China (CNET)
SUIT SAYS AOL PERMITS INSULTS
Issue: Internet
Saad Noah, a Muslim former AOL subscriber from Illinois, has filed a class
action suit against America Online alleging the civil rights of some AOL
members are being violated by the company's failure to curb hate speech and
harassment in its Muslim chat rooms. Noah's suit claims that Muslims have
endured years of harassment despite numerous complaints to AOL. The
complaint also alleges that AOL failed to enforce its own membership service
agreement, which prohibits hate speech, and provide a safe environment for
Muslim members to interact online. While AOL's privacy policy prohibits the
company from speaking about specifics of the case, spokesman Andrew
Weinstein described the lawsuit as "totally without merit." He said that AOL
has a "zero tolerance" policy regarding hate speech in its 14,000 chat
rooms.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E03), AUTHOR:]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22150-2001Aug30.html)
U.S. ENTERS FREE-WEB BATTLE IN CHINA
Issue: Free Speach
The U.S. government will funnel money through the International Broadcasting
Bureau, the home of Voice of America, to be used to establish a means for
Chinese citizens to surf the Web anonymously. IBB announced Thursday that it
has already given some money to Safeweb, a California startup that allows
people to surf without the fear of prying eyes. "We are interested in
Safeweb and similar technology for enhancing our ability to overcome
Internet interference in China's closed media environment," said Joseph
O'Connell, a VOA spokesman. Safeweb has already received $1 million from the
CIA's venture capital fund.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Reuters Wire]
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7017370.html)
LAW ENFORCERS REPORT SPIKE IN CYBERCRIME HIGH-TECH CITIES SEE 'A MARKED
INCREASE'
Issue: Internet
U.S. law-enforcement officials say the instances of cybercrime cases are
rising in high-tech regions. In Austin, Texas, incidents of tech crime have
''skyrocketed,'' says Detective Paul Brick of the Austin Police Department.
Its cases are up 30%, to 84, for the first 8 months of this year from last
year. Where many companies shied away from pursuing criminal cases in the
past because they didn't want the negative publicity, now, more are
reporting incidents -- even if it means going to court.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E03), AUTHOR: Edward Iwata]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010831/3594670s.htm)
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