WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Summit Participants Ask: Where's the Money?
World Information Summit Wraps Up
SPAM
Virginia Charges Two under New Anti-spam Law
EVENT
FCC's Localism Task Force Public Hearing on Localism in San Antonio,
Texas
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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS ASK: WHERE'S THE MONEY?
At the conclusion of the World Summit on the Information Society, many
participants are wondering, "Where's the funding?" "There have been many
initiatives, summits, declarations, very many commitments on text that have
yet to be actualized," said Kenyan tech aid worker Wainaina Mungai. One
proposal rejected at the summit would have created a voluntary Digital
Solidarity Fund to help governments, companies and nonprofits narrow the
digital divide. Western leaders insisted existing funding mechanisms are
adequate, and discussion on the matter is expected to be deferred to the
next information society summit in Tunisia in 2005. While some financial
support was announced, Andy Carvin, a digital divide expert at the Benton
Foundation, would like to see more specific goals and strategies from world
leaders. "It's interesting in a cynical way to see how governments have come
to agree to pass the buck on a variety of these issues, including the
Digital Solidarity Fund," he said.
SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune; AUTHOR: Anick Jesdanun, AP
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/computing/20031211-1354-untechsummit....
WORLD INFORMATION SUMMIT WRAPS UP
The WSIS wraps up today in Geneva after three days of discussions on
technological advancement, the digital divide, and how to improve people's
lives with technology. About 1,700 delegates are expected to rubber-stamp
the summit's resulting documents that are not legally binding, but will
demonstrate a political will to achieve the summit's goals, like ensuring
more than half of the world's population have access to the Internet,
telephones, or some other electronic medium by 2015. Delegates also agreed
to study the creation of a fund to help poor countries benefit from
technology and to look at long-term plans of Internet governance. "These are
key principles for the information society," said Markus Kummer, e-envoy for
the Swiss Foreign Ministry, who was involved in the drafting of the two
documents. Civil society groups argue that the UN sidesteps the issue of
human rights. These groups presented a civil society declaration, which they
said attempts to bring forward a social justice perspective on development
and human rights for all people.
SOURCE: Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting; AUTHOR: V.M.
http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=194235&n=31
SPAM
VIRGINIA CHARGES TWO UNDER NEW ANTI-SPAM LAW
Virginia prosecutors have gained indictments of two men accused of sending
thousands of unsolicited email pitches for investments, software and other
products. This is the first time the nation's new Anti-Spam law is being
used to prosecute spammers. Prosecutors said on Thursday that one of the
defendants, Jeremy Jaynes, 29, has an alias that is listed as one of the
world's top 10 spammers according to spamhaus.org, a group that tabulates
spam complaints. "This was a very profitable business for these two
individuals," said Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore, but investigators
declined to say how much income they believe the scheme generated. But,
between July 11 and Aug. 11, more than 100,000 complaints about spam
messages linked to the two men were reported, Kilgore added. The indictments
are based on Virginia anti-spam law, which took effect July 1. Prosecutors
note that this case is the first spamming case that has brought felony
charges. Virginia spam laws allow prosecutors to seek assets earned from
spamming in addition to prison time.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Derrill Holly, AP
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-12-11-spam-charges_x.htm
EVENT
FCC's LOCALISM TASK FORCE PUBLIC HEARING ON LOCALISM IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
The Localism Task Force of the Federal Communications Commission has
announced the second of six scheduled public hearings on the subject of
broadcast localism. It will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on January 28,
2004, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in City
Council Chamber, Municipal Plaza Building, 103 Main Plaza. Chairman Michael
K. Powell will preside, accompanied by Commissioners Kathleen Q. Abernathy,
Michael J. Copps, and Jonathan S. Adelstein. The purpose of the hearings is
to gather information from consumers, industry, civic organizations, and
others on broadcasters' service to their local communities. The San Antonio
hearing will begin with a number of invited guests making brief introductory
remarks and will be followed by presentations from a variety of panelists.
The Commissioners will then have an opportunity to ask the panelists
questions or comment on the subject of localism. Finally, the general public
will be afforded time to register their views through an "open microphone"
format.
SOURCE: FCC
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3911A1.pdf
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