Who knew the ‘D’ in D-Day stood for delete? Make that this Thursday then, when there’s a chance your Megaupload data — legal or no — could be obliterated, according to a letter filed last Friday by the feds.
The …
Politics & Law
FTC Calls for Better Transparency, Warns Google About Latest Changes
Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill has a simple message for companies that violate user privacy: We took care of Facebook, we took care of Google, and we’ll take care of you, too. Even bolder, her remarks came during an event …
Will the World Ever See Fair Trade iPads?
On weekend mornings, I have a routine. I wake up, shuffle down my street to pick up an everything bagel with butter, and stop at my favorite coffee shop for a caffeine fix. It’s one of those hip places Louis C.K. jokes about — …
The Right to Be Forgotten: Europe Proposes New Online-Privacy Laws
After two years of investigation and discussion on the subject, the European Commission has proposed a new set of online-privacy rules that would allow users to demand that information about them be deleted by companies such as …
Should the Fifth Amendment Cover Your Encrypted Data?
You may have the right to remain silent, but if the ruling of a federal judge in a recent Colorado case is anything to go by, your computer doesn’t get any such protection — even if the hard drive is encrypted to prevent people …
Photos: The Larger-Than-Life Lifestyle of Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s founder, was nabbed in a January 20 raid of his New Zealand mansion. Authorities seized 18 luxury cars worth $4.8 million, as well as millions in artwork and electronics. Here are some of the most …
Next Frontier in Piracy: Downloading Physical Objects to Your 3D Printer
Exciting times, friends. While we’ve been cleaning up the proverbial ticker tape left behind by jubilant celebration over the recently-stalled antipiracy bills, the Pirate Bay – arguably the premier resource for pirating …
Why We Won’t See Many Protests like the SOPA Blackout
The SOPA blackout protest last week was an unprecedented event. Its massive success — with dozens of members of Congress switching their stance in one day under the withering intensity of thousands of phone calls — surprised …
Obama to Hold Google+ ‘Hangout’ After State of the Union Address
President Obama will be delivering his State of the Union address tomorrow night at 9PM Eastern, which will be shown on major TV networks and streamed live online via YouTube.
And next Monday, January 30, the President will be …
FileSonic File-Sharing Service Next Domino to Fall After Megaupload Bust
Looking to share your important files somewhere safe and secure? Forget FileSonic, formerly one of the world’s largest online file-sharing lockers. In a message just posted to its website, the company says “all sharing …
Megaupload’s Takedown: How Is Swizz Beatz Involved?
Swizz Beatz, a.k.a Kasseem Dean or Mr. Alicia Keys, was officially listed on Megaupload’s website as its CEO prior to the site’s shutdown, but he hasn’t been implicated in the lawsuit that led to the site’s takedown. In …
SOPA Officially ‘Postponed’ Until Further Notice – PIPA, Too
Representative Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) released a statement saying he’d be shelving the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill he’d authored in light of recent criticism. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) issued a similar …