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FTC Gives Twitter Double Secret Probation, Iranian Blogfather's Trial Commences

by Warren Riddle on June 25, 2010 at 11:40 AM


Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....
  • Facebook garners constant criticism for various privacy issues, but the FTC just publicly reprimanded and punished Twitter for a lackadaisical approach toward security. Twitter's flaws resulted in hacks on both celebrity and employee accounts, prompting the FTC to forbid Twitter from "misleading consumers" about privacy protection for a 20-year period. (But it's acceptable after that?) Twitter doesn't have to pay any fines, but it "must establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program." Yeah, way to drop the hammer, fellas. [From: Gawker and The Federal Trade Commission and Tech Crunch and The Globe and Mail]
  • In 2008, Iranian authorities silently arrested and detained a man considered the nation's "blogfather," prompting an international furor. Despite pleas for his release from prominent sources, Hossein Derakhshan has remained incarcerated, and his trial reportedly commenced Wednesday. Iran charged Derakhshan, who drew Iranian ire for blogging about an Israel trip, with numerous crimes, which include "working with 'hostile' governments," disseminating various forms of propaganda and "managing 'obscene' websites." [From: The New York Times]
  • Rupert Murdoch may need to follow his MySpace mea culpa with yet another admission of Web incompetence. As a precursor to a paid subscription system, Murdoch's online Times publication implemented a free registration process for potential readers. According to Hitwise, site activity immediately plummeted by more than 50-percent. Just as numerous observers repeatedly mentioned, and, despite Murdoch's previous "nowhere else to go" assertion, the registration process drove almost two-thirds of the Times' guests to competing sites. [From: Boing Boing]
  • A casual sojourn through the streets of New York recently revealed a glaring public bewilderment about Microsoft's Zune. To help increase awareness and use, the company is reportedly installing a much more efficient credit card purchasing system. The new method, which allows for purchasing and streaming directly from search results, should replace the previous, convoluted Zune Marketplace process which required the use of Microsoft Points. [From: Ars Technica]
  • While introducing Kostas Mallios (of Live Labs) to an audience at the Cannes Lion advertising event, Microsoft exec Mich Mathews revealed a significant Windows Phone 7 tidbit. Mathews reportedly welcomed the "rock star Kostas" to the stage, and announced that the Phone 7 he brought with him will "launch this October." From: Engadget]
  • Dr. Phil appeared before a House Healthy Families and Communities panel this week, and he condemned cyberbully "gunslingers" whose anonymous insults represent "weapons of mass destruction." To illustrate his arguments, the good doctor referred to e-mails he'd received from concerned teens (because he certainly didn't read their tweets). [From: CNN]

Tags: blogfather, dr phil, DrPhil, facebook, ftc, Hossein Derakhshan, HosseinDerakhshan, iran, morningxtra, murdoch, times, top, twitter, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone7, zune

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