Caron Carlson

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 […]

In late January, AT&T was sued in federal court for allegedly acting as an agent of the government in enabling the National Security Agency to spy on citizens without court authorization. Now, some U.S. lawmakers are trying to find out what role Verizon Communications and Sprint Nextel played as well. Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and […]

In light of the recent controversy over several U.S. companies compliance with Chinese censorship policies, the U.S. Department of State is launching a task force to monitor threats to an ongoing open Internet by repressive governments. The Global Internet Freedom Task Force, announced Feb. 14, will examine how repressive regimes use technology to track and […]