Under regulations that went into effect July 1, websites catering to children will no longer be able to collect a range of identifying information without obtaining verifiable parental consent.
Ad-supported website operators decry cost of new online privacy rules for children
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Big disconnect: Telcos abandon copper phone lines
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Robert Post misses his phone line. Post, 85, has a pacemaker that needs to be checked once a month by phone. But the copper wiring that once connected his home to the rest of the world is gone, and the phone company refuses to restore it.
Yet More Media Consolidation is not the Cure to the Problems Caused by Media Consolidation
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
People are buzzing about possible new consolidation in the cable industry. The reason isn't hard to see: in a market that is already very concentrated, only the strong survive. Programming costs keep rising and larger cable companies would have more leverage in negotiations against media giants like Viacom and Disney. As ISPs, larger cable companies would be better able to drive hard bargains with Internet content companies when it comes to interconnection agreements, or operate their own online video services. But bigger is not better for the public.
Here’s what can go wrong when the government builds a huge database about Americans
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
The National Crime Information Center database, maintained by the FBI, provides law enforcement agencies across the country with information they need to do their job, including information about outstanding arrest warrants, gang memberships, firearms records, and much more. According to the AP, it serves 90,000 agencies and receives 9 million data points every day.
If PRISM Is Good Policy, Why Stop With Terrorism?
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
If the justification for PRISM and associated programs is predicated on their potential effectiveness, why shouldn't such logic be applied elsewhere?
Did you miss OC Inc.’s workshop at General Synod 29?
Filed Under: UCC Media Justice
L to R: UCC OC Inc. Chair Earl Williams, Treasurer Sara Fitzgerald, Policy Advisor Cheryl Leanza
The United Church of Christ's Office of Communication, Inc. (UCC OC, Inc.) was proud to participate in the United Church of Christ’s biennial national gathering, General Synod, which was held in Long Beach, CA from June 28-Jul 1 this year. We briefed several conferences about our work (the UCC’s regional bodies), and networked with our colleagues in justice. We hosted a workshop which outlined our historic and cutting edge work in media justice and communications rights.
Read the powerpoint slides from our workshop.
Handouts:
UCC and Media Justice: Low Power FM Radio
FTC Commissioner Brill Starts ‘Reclaim Your Name’ Campaign for Personal Data
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Federal Trade Commission member Julie Brill has proposed an industry-wide initiative to give consumers access to their own records held by data brokers. She envisions an online portal where data brokers would describe their data collection practices and their consumer access policies.
San Francisco paper Sues Rival Over Low Ad Rates
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
The San Francisco Examiner filed a lawsuit alleging that the city's dominant daily newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, has slashed advertising prices to stifle competition.
Video Marketplace: Competition Is Evolving, and Government Reporting Should Be Reevaluated
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Technological advances have ushered in a wave of new products and services, bringing online distribution of video to consumers. Federal laws and regulations have sought to foster competition in the video programming and distribution marketplace, but many such laws were adopted prior to the emergence of these advances.