UK govt scraps data sharing plan

The UK government has scrapped controversial plans to increase data sharing across the public sector, reports Computing.co.uk.

Justice minister Jack Straw has bowed to widespread criticism of proposals to introduce measures that would amend the Data Protection Act (DPA). The amendments would allow the use of information sharing orders that overturn the principles of the DPA to enable data collected for one purpose to be used elsewhere.

The plan was to have been included in the Coroners and Justice Bill currently going through the House of Commons, but Straw said the relevant clause has been withdrawn to allow further debate.

A University of Tennessee student, accused of illegally breaking into the e-mail account of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, has been hit with three new felony charges in connection with the case, says The Register.

David Kernell on Monday pleaded not guilty to the new charges, which include fraud, unlawful electronic transmission of material outside Tennessee and attempts to conceal records to impede an FBI investigation. Previously, he was charged with a single felony count of unauthorised access of a protected computer.

The new counts come as defence attorneys not involved in the case have roundly criticised the soundness of the previous charge. Under US law, unauthorised access of a protected computer should be charged as a misdemeanour except when it's used to further a separate crime.

YouTube is blocking all premium music videos to UK users after failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the Performing Right Society, reports the BBC.

Thousands of videos will be unavailable to YouTube users from this week.

Patrick Walker, YouTube's director of video partnerships, told BBC News that the move was "regrettable".

If you can't get enough of "American Idol", the producers behind the hit celebrity-making reality show are giving fans an official application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The release of the $1.99 app, called American Idol Season 8 Exclusive Videos, is just in time for the season's final 13 contestants to really battle it out as more Idols get axed, says CNet.

Each week, the application will stream exclusive videos, many of them confessional, which take users into the contestants' worlds.