Caron Carlson

Fears that large network operators are planning actions that will undermine the Internets open architecture prompted a diverse coalition of content providers, applications companies and user advocates to turn to Congress on March 1 for help. The coalition of 64 organizations, including Amazon.com, eBay, Google, Expedia, EarthLink, Consumer Electronics Association and Consumer Federation of America, […]

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has agreed to a controversial litigation settlement with VeriSign, the operator of the Internets .com registry, outlining the future operation of the registry pending approval by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ICANN board of directors, chaired by Internet co-founder Vint Cerf, on Feb. 28 voted 9-to-5 […]

A coalition of more than 50 charities, unions, health care groups, unions and other nonprofit organizations joined forces to oppose a plan by AOL to charge mass e-mail senders a fee for guaranteed delivery to AOL members in-boxes. Calling the proposed service an “e-mail tax,” the coalition is trying to drum up opposition among AOLs […]

The name for the federal electronic surveillance program designed to protect the nations borders keeps changing as the cost of the technology rises, but some of the same problems haunt the program from name to name. The Department of Homeland Securitys recently launched SBI (Secure Border Initiative) replaces the ASI (Americas Shield Initiative), which in […]

A key decision determining who will run the Internets domain name registry in the future could be made as early as Feb. 28, when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board convenes its next meeting. At the top of the ICANN agenda is a proposed settlement to end litigation with VeriSign, which operates […]

Two groups are calling on Congress to take a new look at the governments spying powers in light of new technologies, but the groups are seeking divergent ends: The Bush administration wants fewer limits on its power to spy, while privacy advocates want greater protections for the public. The opposing pressures on Congress follows the […]

Last years barrage of corporate data breaches spurred the Federal Trade Commission to impose the largest civil fine in its history—$15 million on ChoicePoint—and prompted federal lawmakers to call for greater security safeguards in the private sector. As the breaches subside from the headlines, however, there is growing pressure on Washington to move cautiously. The […]

A federal judge ordered the Department of Justice to release records related to the National Security Agencys warrantless domestic spying program by March 8, or else explain the legal basis under which the records cannot be released. The order was handed down Feb. 16 in a case brought against the Justice Department by the Electronic […]

For small to midsize businesses looking to trade their traditional phone lines for an IP system without having to make a large upfront investment, Whaleback Systems is launching a managed IP PBX system that runs entirely over broadband. The SMB1500 system is designed to save smaller companies money by providing an all-inclusive, flat-rate fee per […]

The telecommunications industry tooted its own horn Feb. 15, announcing that total spending in the industry grew 8.9 percent in 2005 and predicting that it will grow 10.2 percent this year. According to the Telecommunications Industry Associations annual look at spending in the sector, the industry spent an estimated $856.9 billion last year. The industry […]

U.S. lawmakers minced no words in taking some of the countrys largest technology companies to task over their involvement in the Chinese governments censorship of the Internet. The companies, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Cisco Systems, maintained that they are required to comply with the laws in any country where they do business. Calling the companies […]

In a partisan debate going to the heart of the balance of power in American government, House Democrats overseeing the judiciary sought vehemently, but ultimately unsuccessfully, for a resolution asking the U.S. attorney general to turn over documents relating to National Security Agencys warrantless electronic eavesdropping program. Republicans favored giving the administration two weeks to […]