Internet lawsuit tests online anonymity

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Internet-lawsuit-tests-online-anonymity/2007/06/17/1182018911640.html

It bills itself as the world's "most prestigious college discussion board," giving a glimpse into law school admissions policies, post-graduate social networking and the hiring practices of major law firms.

But the AudoAdmit site, widely used by law students for information on schools and firms, is also known as a venue for racist and sexist remarks and career-damaging rumors.

Now it's at the heart of a defamation lawsuit that legal experts say could test the anonymity of the internet.

After facing lewd comments and threats by posters, two women at Yale Law School filed a suit on June 8 in US District Court in New Haven, Connecticut, that includes subpoenas for 28 anonymous users of the site, which has generated more than 7 million posts since 2004.

According to court documents, a user on the site named "STANFORDtroll" began a thread in 2005 seeking to warn Yale students about one of the women in the suit, entitled "Stupid B**** to Enter Yale Law." Another threatened to rape and sodomize her, the documents said.

As much as I dislike laywers, in this instance they do have a valid point.
"virtual" comments do have real effects on people.
Some consideration should be exercised.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/south-korea-enforces-new-law-to-curb-cyber-bullying/2007/06/28/1182624070701.html

South Korea on Thursday started enforcing a new law aimed at curbing the country's notorious cyber bullying by preventing Internet users from hiding behind false IDs.

Under the "Internet real-name system," the country's major portals and news media websites will be compelled to record the real IDs of users when they post entries.

Portal operators will be obliged to disclose personal information such as names and addresses of cyber attackers when their victims want to sue them for libel or infringement upon privacy.

Cyber bullying has become a social issue in South Korea as many celebrities often fall victim to abuse and malicious attacks.

Many Internet users, taking advantage of anonymity, have made a hobby of writing malicious messages on websites, accusing celebrities of sex scandals or having plastic surgery, experts said.

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Singapore court orders Internet company to reveal customers who illegally download videos

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/singapore-court-orders-internet-company-to-reveal-customers-whoillegally-download-videos/2007/08/15/1186857523861.html

A Singapore video distributor said Tuesday it has won a suit against an Internet service provider asking for the identities of customers alleged to have downloaded popular Japanese animated cartoons.

Anime distributor Odex Pt. Ltd. said StarHub, a telecommunications, Internet and cable company, was ordered to reveal about 1,000 of its subscribers accused of downloading anime illegally.

StarHub had earlier resisted Odex's efforts to obtain the data, citing "an obligation to protect our customers' information."

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Kids warned of social website dangers

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Kids-warned-of-social-website-dangers/2007/10/26/1192941292999.html

Police in the United Kingdom launched a website to warn children as young as eight about the dangers of putting their personal details on social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo.

The site - www.thinkuknow.co.uk/cybercafe - has an online cafe where children can learn about the dangers of revealing too much about themselves online.

It warns them not to give away their real name, full address and mobile phone number and to think twice before posting their pictures.

"We want children to use the internet," said CEOP Chief Executive Jim Gamble, "but we want them to do it in a way that safeguards their time in the virtual world."

The new site advises children to avoid using a webcam when they talk to strangers online and not to arrange to meet people who contact them in cyberspace.

Children should block strangers who try to add them to their instant messaging contact list, CEOP said.

The site also gives tips on how to safely use mobile phones, chatrooms and email.

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US groups seek 'do not track' web list

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-groups-seek-do-not-track-web-list/2007/11/01/1193619042142.html

Nine US privacy and consumer organisations have asked the Federal Trade Commission to create a "do not track" list for Internet users who don't want their online activities tracked, stored and used by advertising networks.

Such a list would function much like the FTC's "do not call" registry that consumers can join to prevent telemarketing phone calls, according to the groups, which include the Centre for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Consumer Federation of America.

Internet advertising companies and marketers increasingly are collecting information about individuals' Web activities and preferences so as to tailor their advertising messages.

In recent months, Google Inc, Yahoo and Microsoft Corp have all struck deals to acquire online advertising companies.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Net-users-becoming-too-relaxed-survey/2007/11/30/1196037080918.html

Australians have multiple online personalities and are possibly revealing more than they should, according to a new survey.

The Symantec Identity Survey, released to coincide with World Computer Security Day, shows Australians typically have more than 10 online profiles or virtual identities, and 20 per cent believe that their online profile is closer to their true self.

Clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller believes the findings show people are more comfortable with their online identities than they are with themselves.

"We have been aware that young people have actively been redefining what friendship means through online interactions. This survey now shows us this is not just restricted to young people, or even digital nativism," Mr Fuller said.

"Seventeen per cent of Australian online 'power users' believe their online profile is more about who they would like to be, rather than who they really are. This finding clearly shows it's not just friendship or peer networks that are being redefined, but also your own sense of who you are."

The survey also shows that while people liked the relative anonymity of the internet, it could encourage them to be more open and reveal too much information.

It found 54 per cent of Australians provide three or more types of personal details online to sites such as blogs, social networking sites, shopping or auction sites.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed admitted to revealing their real name online and a third also admitted to revealing their home address online - details that could be used by others to commit identity fraud.

"One of the odd findings is that people can be fully aware of the dangers of identity theft online and still act in ways that place them at risk," said Mr Fuller.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jun 17^th, 2007 at 4:23pm:

As much as I dislike laywers, in this instance they do have a valid point. "virtual" comments do have real effects on people. Some consideration should be exercised.

So you feel bad for al the smear and slander and hatred you have hurled at Muslim pple Sprint?

hhmm, can't think of any smear or slander.
Facts and news, yes.

http://news.smh.com.au/computer-program-fakes-chatroom-flirting/20071214-1h47.html

Internet chatroom romantics beware: your next chat may be with a clinical computer, not a passionate person, an online security firm says.

The aim is trying to win your personal data and not your heart.

A Russian website called CyberLover.ru is advertising a software tool that, it says, can simulate flirtatious chatroom exchanges.

It boasts that it can chat up as many as 10 women at the same time and persuade them to hand over phone numbers.

An Australian anti-virus software firm, PC Tools, has warned that the software could be abused by identity fraudsters trying to harvest people's personal details online.