The Internet Is Dying. Repealing Net Neutrality Hastens That Death.

The internet is dying. Sure, technically, the internet still works. Pull up Facebook on your phone and you will still see your second cousin’s baby pictures. But that isn’t really the internet. It’s not the open, anyone-can-build-it network of the 1990s and early 2000s, the product of technologies created over decades through government funding and academic research, the network that helped undo Microsoft’s stranglehold on the tech business and gave us upstarts like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Netflix.

The internet is dying.

Sure, technically, the internet still works. Pull up Facebook on your phone and you will still see your second cousin’s baby pictures. But that isn’t really the internet. It’s not the open, anyone-can-build-it network of the 1990s and early 2000s, the product of technologies created over decades through government funding and academic research, the network that helped undo Microsoft’s stranglehold on the tech business and gave us upstarts like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Netflix.

Nope, that freewheeling internet has been dying a slow death — and a vote next month by the Federal Communications Commission to undo net neutrality would be the final pillow in its face.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/technology/internet-dying-repeal-net-neutrality.html

Time to release the internet from the free market – and make it a basic right

Say goodbye to net neutrality. Last week, the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, released a plan to repeal the landmark protections enacted by the agency in 2015. This has long been a top priority for Pai and his fellow Republicans, who now enjoy a majority of commissioners thanks to Trump. The vote is scheduled for 14 December, and is widely expected to pass along party lines.

Say goodbye to net neutrality. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Ajit Pai, released a plan to repeal the landmark protections enacted by the agency in 2015. This has long been a top priority for Pai and his fellow Republicans, who now enjoy a majority of commissioners thanks to Trump. The vote is scheduled for 14 December, and is widely expected to pass along party lines.

What does this mean in practice? In a sentence: slower and more expensive internet service. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast should treat all kinds of data the same way. Its repeal means that in the future, your ISP will be able to fleece you in all sorts of new ways.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/29/net-neutrality-internet-basic-right-america-trump-administration

Three quarters of Android apps track users with third party tools – study

More than three in four Android apps contain at least one third-party “tracker”, according to a new analysis of hundreds of apps.

The study by French research organisation Exodus Privacy and Yale University’s Privacy Lab analysed the mobile apps for the signatures of 25 known trackers, which use various techniques to glean personal information about users to better target them for advertisements and services.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/28/android-apps-third-party-tracker-google-privacy-security-yale-university

Streamlined InternetNZ Group Appoints Jordan Carter as CEO

A review of the InternetNZ Group, which includes InternetNZ, NZRS and the Domain Name Commission, and who manages all aspects of New Zealand’s ccTLD .nz, has led to the organisation being streamlined under one “roof” with one Chief Executive. One of the first changes to come out of the review is the announcement today of the appointment of existing InternetNZ Chief Executive Jordan Carter to lead the newly integrated organisation.

The organisational review was announced in late 2016 and in October a report was released announcing changes that would:

Bring New Zealand Registry Service’s functions, people and assets into InternetNZ.
Keep the Domain Name Commission as a separate company, with a focus on the regulatory and enforcement aspects of .nz policy and contracts. DNCL will be governed by a smaller board, chaired by the new Chief Executive.
See InternetNZ’s role in .nz expanding to include responsibility for the .nz policy framework and its evolution and development over time.
See proposals to reduce the number of elected members of the InternetNZ Council from twelve to nine, along with a new ability to appoint two additional Councillors to balance skills and experience.
Have one Chief Executive to lead the new InternetNZ recruited through an open recruitment process.
Maintain the scope of the whole group’s work – a change to how InternetNZ is organised, not what they do.

Today’s announcement notes that Carter has been Chief Executive of InternetNZ since 2013 and will commence the new Group Chief Executive Officer role on 15 January 2018. Prior to this Carter has worked in a range of internet policy roles. Of particular interest to Carter, says the InternetNZ announcement, is the role of the internet in New Zealand’s economic development, and global internet policy making systems. He holds a Master of Arts degree in political science from Victoria University of Wellington.

“Jordan was chosen for this critical new role due to his ability to distil complex ideas so that anyone can understand what is important and what should be done,” Jamie Baddeley, President of InternetNZ. “He will build on the strengths we have across the group, to deliver more for the New Zealand Internet community and to face the inevitable challenges the Internet faces. He is a leader who brings people together to get things done, and that collaborative approach is important to us and our community.”

“Council is looking forward to Jordan successfully bringing the organisation closer together and realising the untapped synergies and areas of specialism that exist within the high performing staff of InternetNZ and NZRS, and building a stronger collaborative working relationship with an independent Domain Name Commission.”

“As a result of that Council is expecting the organisation as a whole to be more effective in delivering on the objectives of the incorporated society and expects no compromises on the delivery of the .NZ domain name system. Carter has outlined a plan which will see InternetNZ even more in touch with the needs of the local internet community and making sure what we do aligns with that.”

Jamie Baddeley said that he was pleased with the process the organisation followed to get to this point and Council is very happy with the plan that was agreed following an inclusive and open process with staff and stakeholders. He added that Council is looking forward to Jordan Carter delivering bigger and better outcomes in a more integrated operating environment and wishes Jordan every success.

“I am delighted to have the chance to serve InternetNZ in this role,” said Jordan Carter. “Bringing InternetNZ and NZRS together and implementing the changes set out in the Organisational Review is a significant challenge. I’ll be talking with staff and stakeholders informally over the next few weeks and look forward to setting out my plans in the New Year.”

“The work InternetNZ does for New Zealand is very important, and as the Internet plays a bigger role in all our lives, that won’t change. Our voice is an important one and the services we offer are important for Kiwis who want to make the most of a free and open Internet.”

Details regarding the organisational review and decision can be found here:
https://internetnz.nz/blog/changing-internetnz-our-organisational-review

Dark web drug market growing rapidly in Europe: report

The illegal drug trade on the dark web is growing rapidly, despite authorities shutting down major market sites like AlphaBay, as crime gangs diversify and seek new clients online, a report by two European Union agencies warned on Tuesday.

The report, which is the first of its kind to analyze the drug trade in Europe on the dark web, showed that online markets are becoming increasingly sophisticated and offering growing numbers of illegal products to buyers.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-europe-drugs-darkweb/dark-web-drug-market-growing-rapidly-in-europe-report-idUKKBN1DS28A

Also see:

Dark Web Drug Markets Growing ‘Exponentially’ as Police Busts Target Open Web
The illegal drug market on the so-called dark web is growing rapidly according to a report that showed a crackdown on more than 20,000 rogue websites on the open web has forced vendors to underground sites.

The report by Europol and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published Tuesday warned that criminals in Europe are turning to anonymous marketplaces and dealing in hard-to-trace cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, to elude police.
http://www.newsweek.com/dark-web-sites-grow-europol-drugs-bust-knocks-20000-websites-offline-725446

Drugs and the darknet: a growing threat to health and security

Illicit trade on darknet markets is one sign of the increasingly complex nature of transnational organised crime in the European Union. In a new report out today — Drugs and the darknet: perspectives for enforcement, research and policy — the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and Europol present the latest understanding of how darknet markets function, the threats they pose to health and security and how Europe can respond.

The new report is being launched in Lisbon today by: Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship; Europol Executive Director Rob Wainwright and EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel.

Darknet markets — also known as cryptomarkets — provide a largely anonymous platform for trading in a range of illicit goods and services. It is estimated that around two thirds of the offers on darknet markets are drug-related. Drug sales on these markets, although modest when compared to the overall retail drug market, are significant and appear to be expanding. EU-based suppliers are important players in the darknet ecosystem, accounting for some 46% (around EUR 80 million) of all drug sales globally, on the 16 major darknet markets analysed in the period 2011–15.

A number of potential threats posed by the darknet are identified in the report, including the development of decentralised networks — allowing marketplaces to exist on multiple servers — and new parcel delivery and collection systems.

On this occasion, Dimitris Avramopoulos said: ‘Over the last decade, illegal online markets have changed how drugs are bought and sold. Criminal activity on the darknet has become more innovative and more difficult to predict. We shouldn’t be playing catch-up with criminals: we should be one step ahead of them. That is why we are boosting our efforts to fight illegal drugs and step up cybersecurity. Cyberspace has no borders and we should all work together, the Commission, Member States the EMCDDA, Europol and our international partners. Our aim is to stop huge profits from drugs ending up in the pockets of organised crime groups in Europe and beyond, but most importantly to protect the health of our citizens and in particular of young people.'

Rob Wainwright added: ‘Addressing cybercrime and the use of information technology platforms for criminal purposes has become an important policing priority across the EU. The recent takedown in July 2017 of Alphabay and Hansa, two of the largest darknet markets, is an example of how law enforcement can intervene to disrupt this environment. Despite this positive achievement, those involved in the online drug trade appear to be resilient to such disruption and able to re-organise rapidly. European-level cooperation and intelligence sharing, along with the targeting of high-impact vendors, will be critical in countering this threat’.

According to the report, market disruption should form part of a broader, more integrated set of measures implemented as part of an overall strategy to address drug trade in the darknet ecosystem. Darknet investigation teams, modelled and promoted by Europol, will be at the heart of such an integrated strategy. Engagement with key industries (e.g. information technology, social media, payment and product distribution services) will be increasingly important for identifying and responding to new threats in this area.

Alexis Goosdeel noted: ‘In just a few clicks, buyers can purchase almost any type of drug on the darknet whether synthetic drugs, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, or a range of new psychoactive substances, including highly potent fentanils. This poses a growing threat to the health and security of citizens and communities across the EU. The new insights provided by this joint analysis make an important contribution to informing and preparing Europe’s response to this threat’.

The dynamic nature of online markets, with their ability to evolve to counter threats and exploit new opportunities, means that enhanced monitoring capacity in this area is crucial to ensure that responses keep pace with developments. The analysis presented in the report is forward-looking, as the challenges in this area are constantly evolving.

The online trade in illicit goods and services was recognised as one of the engines of organised crime and a key threat to the safety of EU citizens in Europol’s 2017 EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA). It is also being tackled as part of the coordinated response to serious and organised crime set out in the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime
(2018–2021).

Today’s report covers three areas: key concepts; an EU-focused analysis of drug supply on darknet markets; and law-enforcement perspectives. The analysis provides a policy-orientated review intended to facilitate discussions at EU level on how to respond to the phenomenon. It also presents recommendations in the areas of law enforcement, monitoring and policy.

Watch the videos: Cryptocurrencies in the darknet | Darknet markets ecosystem

https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/drugs-and-darknet-growing-threat-to-health-and-security

Cybersecurity Tips to Help Retailers and Consumers Stay Secure During the Holiday Season

It’s time to take advantage of all those holiday specials and spend all your hard-earned bitcoin — er, I mean money — buying gifts for friends, family and, of course, yourself. Many retailers, large and small, online and brick-and-mortar, run holiday promotions as early as September. Gone are the days of waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to take advantage of sales and specials.

The bad guys will be shopping, too — just not for the same items you are. Instead, they will be shopping for your wallet.

It’s true that some cyber Grinches ramp up their malicious activities during the holiday season, perhaps in the form of holiday-specific spam, spear phishing or compromised sites. While increased vigilance is encouraged during this time, there are a number of cybersecurity tips and best practices consumers and retailers should follow throughout the year to help mitigate threats. Having the right controls and awareness in place before the holidays can go a long way during the busy shopping season.
https://securityintelligence.com/cybersecurity-tips-to-help-retailers-and-consumers-stay-secure-during-the-holiday-season/

Net Neutrality Hits a Nerve, Eliciting Intense Reactions

It usually doesn’t take much to get people on the internet worked up. To get them really worked up, make the topic internet regulation.

In the week since the Federal Communications Commission released a plan to scrap existing rules for internet delivery, more than 200,000 phone calls, organized through online campaigns, have been placed to Congress in protest. An additional 500,000 comments have been left on the agency’s website. On social media sites like Twitter and Reddit, the issue has been a leading topic of discussion.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/technology/net-neutrality-reaction.html

Also see:

Why should you care about net neutrality?
OPINION: You may have heard the term 'net neutrality' mentioned here and there, but what is it, and why should you care?

Net neutrality is essentially the right of an internet user to access content and services online without their internet provider or government blocking the websites they view, throttling their service, or charging a premium for some services.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/99352682/why-should-you-care-about-net-neutrality

Quarter of German firms see digital threat to survival

A quarter of German companies are worried that their survival is endangered by digitalization, while a large majority want the next German government to make the topic a priority, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The survey of 505 companies conducted by Bitkom, the German industry association for the information technology sector, also showed that only 20 percent are investing in developing digital business models.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-tech-conference/quarter-of-german-firms-see-digital-threat-to-survival-idUKKBN1DS1LK

Interpol-led Operation Sees Over 20,000 Domain Names Seized For Selling Counterfeit Goods

An operation led by Interpol in conjunction with Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC³), the US National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre and law enforcement authorities from 27 EU Member States and third parties, seized over 20,520 domain names in an operation that was revealed to coincide with Cyber Monday this week. The domain names were used for websites that were offering counterfeit goods, for example luxury products, sportswear, electronics, pharmaceuticals and online piracy on e-commerce platforms and social networks.

This joint global recurrent operation ‘In Our Sites’ (IOS) was implemented in 2014 and has since increased significantly. The eighth edition in 2017 of this global operation saw a big range of anti-counterfeiting associations and brand owner representatives joined law enforcement authorities participating in this huge worldwide action, to facilitate international cooperation and support the countries involved in this initiative. A total of 7,776 websites have been seized in the previous editions.

This year’s operation IOS VIII has seen a remarkable increase of up to 20,520 seized domain names that were illegally selling counterfeit merchandise online to consumers. This can be explained by the holistic approach which Europol followed with the aim of making the internet a safer place for consumers, by getting even more countries and private-sector partners to participate in this operation and provide referrals.

“This excellent result shows how important and effective cooperation between law enforcement authorities and private-sector partners is, and how vital it is if we are to ultimately make the internet a safer place for consumers,” said Rob Wainwright, Executive Director of Europol. “Through its Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC³), Europol will continue to work closely with its partners to strengthen the fight against intellectual property crime online and offline.”

“Targeting copyright-infringing websites that market dangerous counterfeit goods to consumers and engage in other forms of intellectual property theft will continue to be a priority for law enforcement,” said acting IPR Center Director Nick Annan. “Strengthening our collaboration with police authorities around the world and leaders of industry will reinforce the crackdown on IP crimes, and demonstrate that there is no safe haven for criminals committing these illicit activities.”

Europol and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) continued to join efforts in 2017 by successfully supporting many high-priority investigations related to online crimes, providing training related to online investigations, and organising a conference on Innovative Strategies for Effective Enforcement in Antwerp, Belgium, on 19-20 September 2017.

One of the participants in the IOS, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested two Mexican nationals earlier this year for allegedly operating a counterfeit airbag business out of their residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez were charged with conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. The two Mexican nationals facilitated the listing and selling of counterfeit airbag modules and airbag covers through their online website airbagsplace.com, and conducted in person sales of the counterfeit goods.

As part of HSI’s enforcement actions the website domain name was seized and the merchant account used to facilitate the illegal activity was shut down. If convicted on the charges in the indictment, Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez each face a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $2 million.

The easy access to the internet has made fighting counterfeiting and piracy a worldwide challenge. Counterfeiters’ ability to remain anonymous and operate thousands of web domains brings significant challenges for both the private sector and law enforcement efforts directed at taking down rogue websites and tracking down the individuals behind them. Furthermore, it has become increasingly easy to become a victim of counterfeiting. Mindful of this, Europol’s IPC³ has produced a new awareness video for consumers about the risks of ordering counterfeit medicines online. This phenomenon knows no limits – in the best-case scenario, fake medicines leave patients with no ill effects but also with no cure and in many other cases, they could even be life threatening.

Europol also wants to help consumers identify illicit websites selling counterfeit goods. For more information about the risks of buying counterfeits and other means used by counterfeiters, such as fake social media accounts and fake apps, visit Europol's dedicated web page.

Facebook’s AI wipes terrorism-related posts and prevents suicide

Facebook has said that efforts to use artificial intelligence and other automated techniques to delete terrorism-related posts are “bearing fruit” but more work is needed.

The firm said that 99% of the material it now removes about Al Qaeda and so-called Islamic State is first detected by itself rather than its users.

But it acknowledged that it had to do more work to identify other groups.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42158045

Also see:

Facebook reports progress in removing extremist content
Facebook said on Wednesday that it was removing 99 percent of content related to militant groups Islamic State and al Qaeda before being told of it, as it prepared for a meeting with European authorities on tackling extremist content online.

Eighty-three percent of “terror content” is removed within one hour of being uploaded, Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, and Brian Fishman, head of counter-terrorism policy at Facebook, wrote in a blog post.

https://in.reuters.com/article/facebook-counterterrorism/facebook-reports-progress-in-removing-extremist-content-idINKBN1DT00E

Facebook is using AI to try to prevent suicide
Facebook is using artificial intelligence to address one of its darkest challenges: stopping suicide broadcasts.

The company said Monday that a tool that lets machines sift through posts or videos and flag when someone may be ready to commit suicide is now available to most of its 2 billion users (availability had been limited to certain users in the United States). The aim of the artificial intelligence program is to find and review alarming posts sooner, since time is a key factor in preventing suicide.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/27/facebook-is-using-ai-to-try-to-prevent-suicide/

Facebook to expand artificial intelligence to help prevent suicide
Facebook Inc will expand its pattern recognition software to other countries after successful tests in the U.S. to detect users with suicidal intent, the world's largest social media network said on Monday.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-suicide/facebook-to-expand-artificial-intelligence-to-help-prevent-suicide-idUKKBN1DR1YT
https://in.reuters.com/article/facebook-suicide/facebook-to-expand-artificial-intelligence-to-help-prevent-suicide-idINKBN1DR20D