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Facebook 'threatens' Web future

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb news editor.
Johannesburg, 22 Nov 2010

Facebook 'threatens' Web future

Tim Berners-Lee has dubbed Facebook a threat to the universality of the World Wide Web, reports The Register.

Next month marks the 20th anniversary of the first Web page - served up by Berners-Lee at the CERN particle physics lab in Geneva - and in the December issue of Scientific American, he celebrates the uniquely democratic nature of his creation, before warning against the forces that could eventually bring it down. "Several threats to the Web's universality have arisen recently," he says.

He briefly warns of cable giants who may prevent the free flow of content across the net. "Cable television companies that sell Internet connectivity are considering whether to limit their Internet users to downloading only the company's mix of entertainment," he says.

Google's WiFi data to be deleted

The UK's information commissioner has said that WiFi data accidentally collected by Google's Street View cars will be deleted “as soon as possible”, writes the BBC.

Deputy information commissioner David Smith told the BBC there would be no further enquiries into the matter.

He said there was no indication that any information collected "had fallen into the wrong hands".

It will not appease critics who called for the search giant to be fined.

Web giants call for legal reforms

Web giants Yahoo, Facebook and AOL have joined forces with online forum Mumsnet and the Internet Service Providers' Association in writing an open letter to the prime minister calling for urgent reform of the libel laws, reveals V3.co.uk.

The organisations argued that as it stands today, online forums and ISPs are unfairly being asked to police and moderate the content of Web sites, blogs and online discussions, with libel laws “having a disproportionate, chilling effect on online writers, e-communities and Web hosts”.

In practice, this means that online content is often censored due to the threat of libel action even if not technically defamatory.

Bill to punish tech firms

Democratic politicians are proposing a novel approach to cyber security: fine technology companies $100 000 a day unless they comply with directives imposed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), states CNet.

Legislation introduced would allow DHS secretary Janet Napolitano to levy those and other civil penalties on noncompliant companies that the government deems “critical”, a broad term that could sweep in Web firms, broadband providers, and even software companies and search engines.

"This Bill will make our nation more secure and better position DHS - the 'focal point for the security of cyberspace' - to fulfil its critical homeland security mission," said Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

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