Google has taken reasonable steps to improve its privacy policies, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said today, following an audit at the company's London office. The ICO's audit -- which took place in London in July -- was agreed as part of the terms of an undertaking that Google signed in November 2010 after the company reported that its Street View cars had collected Wi-fi payload data alongside the location mapping information that was the stated aim of the project. The audit found that Google has taken action in all of the agreed improvement areas. The ICO has now asked the company to go further to enhance privacy, including ensuring that users are given more information about the privacy aspects of Google products.

See Press Release
Source: Cellular-news

As part of the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial in Gödöllo (Hungary), Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano reiterated their shared commitment to deepening cooperation to address the increasing threats to global internet and digital networks. They agreed to strengthen trans-Atlantic cooperation in cyber-security by defining the issues to be tackled by the EU-US Working Group on Cyber-Security and Cyber-Crime. This Working Group, established at the EU-US Summit in November 2010 is tasked with developing collaborative approaches to a wide range of cyber-security and cyber-crime issues.

 

See Press Release 
Source: Europe's Information Society

The federal government’s use of handheld communications devices and its practices for disposing of unneeded paper documents and surplus computers could expose the personal information of Canadians to unauthorized disclosure, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart has warned.The findings, stemming from two separate privacy audits conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), were highlighted in the organization’s 2009-2010 annual report on the Privacy Act, tabled in Parliament today. The Act applies to federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations.

See press release
Source: OPCC Canada

The European Commission has launched a public consultation “Towards a Strengthened Network and Information Security Policy in Europe”. It will help to gather information from as many sources as possible on the possible objectives of such a policy at EU level and on the means of achieving them. The consultation is accessible online until 9 January 2009.

See Press Release
Source: Europa

Autoridades buscan prevenir y contrarrestar explotación sexual y pornografía de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el país.
La Comisión Nacional para la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento (CNSIC) y el Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel), pusieron en marcha hoy los trabajos para establecer una estrategia nacional que garantice “un uso sano y ético del Internet en la República Dominicana”. La medida tiene como objetivo realizar acciones administrativas, técnicas y comunicacionales para prevenir y contrarrestar la explotación sexual y pornografía de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el país.

See Press Release
Source: Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones - INDOTEL

The Commission is preparing a Recommendation that will address the issues raised by the use of RFID in terms of privacy, data protection and information security. As part of this preparation, and given the importance of this forthcoming Recommendation, the Commission has decided to put up for public consultation all the articles that are currently being considered in its draft Recommendation. This will allow all stakeholders to voice their opinion on the subject. The public consultation will be open until 25 April. The Commission services will then analyse the received contributions and put forward a draft Recommendation for adoption before the summer of 2008.

See Details
Source: Europa

The Government gazetted today (October 26) the commencement notice to implement the second phase of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO), as well as the supporting Unsolicited Electronic Messages Regulation, on December 22, 2007.

     "The second phase of the UEMO will establish rules for sending commercial electronic messages," a spokesperson for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said. Full press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

Los especialistas que participan en la reunión 36 de APECTEL, analizan los desafíos que impone la seguridad de las redes de telecomunicaciones y los ataques informáticos. La cooperación entre los operadores de la industria y la protección de los consumidores, son materias de preocupación para las economías del Asia Pacífico.

La importancia de Internet como una infraestructura indispensable para el desarrollo de las actividades socioeconómicas del mundo global, ha motivado a las Economías miembros de APEC a enfrentar el incremento y la especialización de los ataques informáticos con una estrategia común. Full press release

Source: SUBTEL, Chile

On 4 September 2007 ITU has released a major publication, Trends in Telecommunication Reform: the Road to NGN. This is the 8^th of a series of reports focusing on the ongoing transformation in the telecom/ICT sector to inform regulators and policy makers around the world.

During the past week, the report got news coverage by numerous leading national and international media, witnessing the interest of the ten chapters of research and analysis dedicated to issues related to the transition towards Next Generation Networks (NGN). You can find links to some of the news reports in the attached document.

More information about the 2007 report is available at the “On the Road to NGN” website.

The publication is available for sale at the ITU bookshop.

School children from each state and territory will participate today in the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s online safety program, Cybersmart Detectives.

ACMA will run the event in collaboration with Victoria Police, the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) and law enforcement agencies Australia wide. Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

Geneva, 4 September 2007 — ITU has released a major publication, Trends in Telecommunication Reform: the Road to NGN. In its 8th edition, Trends reports on the evolution of circuit-switched telecommunication into "next-generation" networks, as operators around the world fight to remain competitive. The Report aims at enabling regulators and policy-makers in developing countries to better understand the changes transforming the ICT sector so they can evolve their policy and regulatory frameworks to leverage today’s technological and market developments.

What does NGN mean for regulators? They have many choices to make. Some view NGN as the intersection of the telecom and Internet worlds. If so, which regulatory regime should apply? The current heavily-regulated telecom regulatory model? The lightly-regulated Internet model? Or some new hybrid model? The migration to NGN affords an opportunity for regulators to analyze current practices and revise them in light of what makes sense going forward. This Trends report offers a detailed discussion of the kinds of measures that are needed to ensure that regulation keeps pace with technological and market developments so that the best of NGN is available to all of the world’s people.

The ITU press release is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

More information about the content of the 2007 report is available at the “On the Road to NGN” website.

The publication is available for sale at the ITU bookshop.

Note: For visitors of your site, this entry is only displayed for users with the preselected language English (United States)/English (United States) (en-US)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has fined the Pitch Entertainment Group (Pitch) $11,000 for extensive breaches of the Spam Act. This is the largest fine imposed by ACMA to date under the Spam Act.

Pitch and its directors have also entered into an enforceable undertaking that requires future compliance with the Spam Act and contains stringent compliance reporting and staff education obligations.

ACMA found that the Pitch Entertainment Group, which trades as Splash Mobile in Australia, sent over one million commercial electronic messages to mobile phones without a functional unsubscribe facility.

In an unrelated investigation, ACMA has fined International Machinery Parts Pty Ltd (IMP Mobile) $4,400 for breaches of the Spam Act. IMP Mobile also failed to provide a functional unsubscribe facility when sending messages to mobile phones.

‘The Spam Act requires every commercial electronic message to have clear and simple instructions on how consumers can opt out of receiving further messages,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘By not including these instructions, Pitch and IMP Mobile made it difficult for consumers to stop unwanted messages, which is simply an unacceptable circumstance.’

Mr Chapman said that it is important that service providers comply with the Spam Act. ‘All commercial electronic messages must be sent with the recipient’s consent, clearly identify who the message was sent by and provide instructions on how to unsubscribe from receiving further messages’.

With potential penalties of up to $1.1 million per day imposed by the Federal Court for repeat offenders, Mr Chapman emphasised that non-compliance with the Spam Act could prove costly for businesses.

Pitch has advised ACMA that since mid-2006 it has included instructions on how to opt out of receiving its commercial electronic messages, and that it took this action when it became aware of being in breach of the Spam Act.

Mr Chapman said, ‘While we welcome Pitch’s efforts to lift its game, all businesses sending commercial electronic messages must make sure that they and their staff fully understand the requirements of the Spam Act. In mass marketing campaigns, with their potential to create significant inconvenience, or indeed hardship, on consumers, ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defence.’

Source: ACMA, Australia

The Commission of the Dutch Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA) has imposed a fine of EUR 55,000.00 on the managing director of the company, ID2001. For more than two years this managing director sent unsolicited e-mail messages to consumers containing advertisements for his business (spam). He had ignored a previous warning given by OPTA. This is the second largest fine which OPTA has ever imposed on a private individual. (…)

 

Source: OPTA.

Bringing together regulatory authorities from all around the world, the 7th Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) has identified best practice guidelines needed to facilitate the migration of Next Generation Networks (NGN). The 38-point roadmap is designed to encourage regulatory frameworks that foster innovation, investment and affordable access to NGN. "Our goal is to encourage the design of regulatory frameworks that foster innovation, investment and affordable access to NGNs and that facilitate the migration to NGN and ultimately lead to bridging the digital divide," said Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General. "We believe the best practices adopted at this meeting will ultimately offer the possibility of delivering real benefits to providers and consumers, through cost reduction as well as offering innovative new services". The best practice guidelines underscore the importance of embracing the principles of a clear and transparent regulatory process including the adoption and enforcement of rules; technology-neutral and competitive network provision under a coherent approach that address the issues raised by convergence. The guidelines also call on regulators to adopt forward-looking regimes subjected to regular reassessments to ensure that undue regulatory barriers to competition and innovation are removed. This on-going monitoring would also ensure that users and providers are able to migrate to future networks whenever market conditions are met. Mohamed Al Ghanim, Director General of the TRA of the UAE and Chairman of GSR 2007 said, "GSR is the industry’s premiere symposium for ICT regulators and we are delighted that it has concluded on such a high note. We at the TRA of the United Arab Emirates are firmly committed to adopting the best practices identified at this symposium and tailor them for the UAE market", Al Ghanim added. "We encourage all to reap the benefits of these guidelines in order to collectively raise the standards of the telecommunications industry." Regulators are also urged to adopt investment friendly regulation considered as of paramount importance for the success of NGN network deployment, while maintaining a level playing field and protecting consumer interests. The adoption of flexible but accurate interconnection models are also encouraged to allow smooth transitioning to NGNs. In particular, participants agreed that regulators should take steps to ensure that the market suffers no undue distortion of competitiveness. In view of the high level of convergence both at the transport and service level, participants felt that there was a risk that NGN providers and operators could be in a position to restrict service level competition to their own advantage. There was therefore agreement that regulators should be vigilant and monitor any incident that could require a regulatory response in a way that would not act as a deterrent for NGN service providers and operators. Regulators are also asked to keep in mind the need to create regulatory certainty for both incumbent and competing or alternative providers. "NGN is seen as somewhere between the telecom and Internet worlds, creating a whole new range of issues to be tackled by regulators," said Mr Sami Al-Basheer Al-Morshid, Director of ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)". "The best practice guidelines endorsed by over 100 CEOs and board members of national regulatory authorities come a long way in addressing the issues and provide the way forward for all regulators around the world," he added. Because the deployment of NGN will not happen overnight, the best practices encourage regulators to define policies that allow for the co-existence of legacy and IP networks, alternative voice services such as VoIP or bundled services that can offer voice together with TV and Internet also called triple play. In doing so, regulators are to consider applying the same obligations to all operators and providers of telephony services whether traditional irrespective of how they are delivered to consumers, under the symmetrical regulatory approach. Commenting on the success of the Symposium, Professor Ibrahim Kadi, Senior Advisor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) of Saudi Arabia said, "GSR 2007 met its set objectives of providing networking opportunities and the symposium format facilitated the sharing of knowledge and experiences amongst regulators from all over the world." The best practice guidelines cover all aspects of service provision including authorization, access, interconnection and interoperability, numbering and NGN identification systems, universal access, quality of service, consumer awareness, security and protection. This year’s event introduced a new feature, Speed Exchanges, to provide additional opportunities for participants to meet informally and exchange views. Topics discussed in the Speed Exchanges included interconnection, the enabling environment, consumer protection, quality of service, regulatory implications of VoIP, why holding public consultation on NGN, international roaming, regulatory issues for convergence and what to do with regulatory bottlenecks. Speed Exchanges were also held on building confidence and security in the use of ICT as called for by the Action Plan of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and on the next steps in the negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). "The Speed Exchanges proved extremely useful and came at the right time," expressed Roxanne Maria McElvane, Senior Counselor of International Development at the US Federal Communications Commission International Bureau. "After two days of high-level presentations and discussions, the exchanges allowed us to address specific topics and areas of interest with other regulators from around the world providing greater interaction and networking opportunities." The Symposium was organized by ITU and hosted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates (TRA). More than 470 participants took part in the Symposium, with Heads and Board Members from 100 national regulatory authorities as well as private sector representatives and international organizations. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR07/index.html

The three-day meeting (5-7 February) will bring together Heads of national regulatory authorities from both developed and developing countries to achieve consensus on the best ways to address the challenges brought about by the migration to NGN networks. 60 heads of regulatory authorities, together with 50 of their commissioners and board members are slated to attend. By 2008, at least 50% of all international telecommunication traffic is expected to be carried on IP networks. IP provides a common language in which different networks (for instance fixed and mobile; local and wide-area) can communicate together. Thus, IP is the touchstone for convergence and a common platform for NGN, while network capacity increases every month. In order to remain strategically competitive in an increasingly converged world of services and content where voice is no longer the sole source of revenue, operators and carriers are migrating from circuit-switched to Internet-Protocol (IP) networks and from there to Next-Generation Networks or NGN, which allow for decoupling the network’s transport and service layers. NGN networks promise to offer full and true convergence of fixed and mobile, voice and data, data and video and IT, telecoms and broadcast sectors. This means that the choice of technology used for infrastructure will no longer have an impact on the kinds and variety of services delivered over that infrastructure. The deployment of NGN networks will also offer ubiquitous access for users of these networks as well as for competing service providers. This shift, while taking place gradually, is already happening in several parts of the world. NGN presents many opportunities but also many complexities and challenges and requires new regulatory thinking to promote investment and ensure that carriers can remain competitive in this new environment while ensuring open access. For more information see: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/GSR07/

In a sweeping set of measures, the Federal Network Agency has ordered more than 80 network operators and service providers not to bill or collect for any phone numbers used illegally. A large number of consumers had complained to the Federal Network Agency about so-called ping calls and other forms of telephone spamming. A ping call is where a call is made to a telephone number and broken off after just one ring. The subscriber’s display shows a “missed call” with an expensive premium-rate number or an 0137 number. In addition to these ping calls, another form of telephone spamming promises prizes where the person called hears a prerecorded message saying that they have won a large amount of money that can be collected by calling an expensive premium-rate number . The Federal Network Agency’s stringent measures are a continuation of the intense battle against telephone spam. Since May 2006 alone, the Federal Network Agency has disconnected 237 call numbers on account of ping calls and prize promises. In addition, a ban has been imposed on billing and collecting for 78 call numbers . These bans protect consumers that have called a spam number back and prevents them having to pay any charges. The spammer does not receive any payment for the calls initiated. “Spamming is not a petty crime, it is illegal harassment that causes huge economic damage. Stopping the flow of money to spammers is, in my opinion, the most effective way of making this illegal use of numbers economically unattractive and consequently putting an end to spam once and for all”, said Matthias Kurth, President of the Federal Network Agency. Interested consumers can obtain information about the numbers affected by the measures on the website of the Federal Network Agency at www.bundesnetzagentur.de. In addition to further information, consumers will also find a complaints form for contacting the Federal Network Agency. Every single complaint submitted helps the Federal Network Agency’s campaign against spam. See http://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/media/archive/7809.pdf

The Australian Communications and Media Authority welcomes the decision of Justice Nicholson in the Federal Court in Perth today to award a pecuniary penalty of $4.5 million against Clarity1 Pty Ltd and $1 million against its managing director, Mr Wayne Mansfield, for contravening the Spam Act 2003 (Spam Act).

ACMA’s prosecution of Clarity1 is the first prosecution under the Spam Act.

On 13 April 2006, Justice Nicholson found that both Clarity1 and Mr Mansfield were in breach of the Act for both sending unsolicited commercial electronic messages, and for using harvested address lists.

Among other matters, ACMA submitted to the Federal Court that Clarity1 Pty Ltd and Mr Wayne Mansfield sent out at least 231 million commercial emails in twelve months after the Spam Act 2003 commenced in April 2004, with most of these messages unsolicited and in breach of the Act.

‘ACMA’s action in this case underscores its vigilant approach to the enforcement of the Spam Act and combating spam,’ said Mr Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘Spam causes significant inconvenience to individuals and businesses: disrupts email delivery, clogs up computer systems, reduces productivity, wastes time, irritates users and raises the cost of internet access fees.’

‘This judgement provides a strong warning to Australian spammers that contraventions of the Spam Act can result in substantial penalties being awarded against individuals and organisations, ’said Mr Chapman.

‘ACMA has previously demonstrated its determination to pursue important matters vigorously, a determination that will be a key attribute in its continuing success across its broad regulatory responsibilities,’ he added.

For more information visit ACMA´s webpage

...a "how-to" manual for policy makers facing spam. New recommendations urge governments and industry to coordinate more on spam. The toolkit annexes contain best practices for ISPs and e-mail marketers. Source: OECD. Anti-Spam Toolkit

The Ministry of Posts and Telematics on Tuesday issued a VND15 million fine to a Hanoi man accused of hacking into the MobiFone network and stealing six "lucky" telephone numbers. Nguyen Van Nhuan, who previously worked as a MobiFone sales agent, had access to passwords used to log into network and the numbers. He is accused of unlawfully logging in and taking control of the company's 0902000000, 0905522222, 0905588888, 0905599999, 0905688888, and 090559999 telephone numbers, the ministry said. Nhuan was accused of using the passwords to enter the MobiFone network on several occasions over a number of months. MobiFone said it was aware of the security breach, and commented on its advanced security system using firewalls which hackers have been unable to bypass. The ministry ordered Nhuan to pay the fine no later than June 2.

Source: Thai News Service.

The ITU/BDT Regulatory Reform Unit (RRU) has just released its latest newsletter. The electronic version can be found here.

The Anti-Spam Toolkit developed by the Information Sharing Forum under the coordination of the MCMC contains the policy and regulatory framework for curbing spam in Malaysia and includes best practices and technical guidelines for organizations and users to take preventive and precautionary measures against spamming.

Full Document. Source: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Comission.

The Filipino telecoms watchdog, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), says it will revoke the mobile licence of any operator found guilty of breaking its guidelines on unsolicited broadcast messaging via SMS. The amended rules and regulations also require content providers – alleged to have sent out spam promos to subscribers – to register with the NTC. This will serve as the basis of an application with the Department of Trade and Industry that grants permits to allow companies to advertise promos. Mobile phone operators and content providers risk being blacklisted if found guilty of violating the agency’s rules. Source: TeleGeography. Regulatory proposal (May 3, 2006).

Governments and industry should step up their coordination to combat the global problem of spam, according to a new set of OECD recommendations. For full article, click here. Source: OECD.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority welcomes the decision of Justice Nicholson in the Federal Court in Perth today concerning the contraventions of the Spam Act 2003 (Spam Act) by Clarity1 Pty Ltd of Perth and Mr Wayne Mansfield, its managing director. This has been an important test case for the Spam Act, said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. Justice Nicholson’s findings should give Australians confidence in the effectiveness of this important legislation. This case provides a strong indication to Australian spammers that their activities will be vigorously pursued by ACMA,’ said Mr Chapman. For full article, click here. Source: ACMA.

China’s Ministry of Information Industry has adopted the Measures for the Administration of Internet E-mails. The regulations, which take effect today, are designed to apply to email service providers and apply to any person operating an email service for Internet users in Mainland China.

The regulations are as follows (also available in chinese):

• A provider is defined as any person in the service supply chain involved in delivering or helping users to receive email;
• Service providers must register with the government and obtain a license before providing email services;
• Violators face warnings or penalties of up to 30,000 yuan (approx. $3,700 US) and risk losing their license;
• Firms are barred from sending unsolicited commercial messages without prior consent from recipients;
• All commercial email must have a subject header of "AD" or the Chinese character for advertisement;
• The rules only apply to email containing commercial advertisements;
• The rules state that providers must stop delivery of any messages containing commercial advertisements even if a recipient first consents, but later changes his or her mind.

 

 

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has registered a code of practice for internet service providers and email service providers on countering spam. The code was developed in support of the Spam Act 2003 by the Internet Industry Association in conjunction with the internet associations from Western Australia and South Australia. Media Release. Source: ACMA.

Trends in Telecommunications Reform - Chapter 7:

"The anti-spam laws enacted around the world so far have been largely unsuccessful in stopping spam. In almost every instance, anti-spam statutes have been directed at sanctioning spammers for their bad acts. An increasing number of countries and other jurisdictions have created such laws or applied to spam their existing, generally applicable laws concerning data protection, consumer protection, and protection against fraud. Yet, in many cases, these laws have missed their target entirely, with no perceptible impact on actual spammers. Even worse, the laws have often had negative side effects, in the form of transaction costs, ad min is trative costs, and a chilling effect on legitimate senders of e-mail." [see full Chapter]

ITU/BDT is pleased to present the seventh edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform, an integral part of our dialogue with the world’s information and communications technology (ICT) policymakers and regulators. This 7th edition has been released at a time of remarkable transformation of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, fueled by a combination of technological, market, policy and regulatory developments. These changes include unparalleled numbers of voice telephone subscribers, the rise of IPenabled networks and Voice over IP (VoIP) services, initial—yet promising—deployment of fixed line broadband and broadband wireless access (BWA) services and intelligent radio devices. At the same time that developed countries are busy planning for the deployment of next generation networks and visualize a world of ubiquitous networks, most developing countries have expanded their continuing quest to provide universal access to basic voice services to include universal access to broadband internet services. Are developing countries making any progress in this quest? How can regulators harness the potential of new technologies and innovative business models to foster ICT sector development?... Summary

OECD - ICCP Workshop: The Future of the Internet

As the world’s societies and economies depend increasingly on the Internet, after three decades, the Internet and other global networks are approaching a crossroads. Leading Internet architects believe that the premises on which the Internet was built need rethinking, in order to preserve and expand opportunities for innovation and economic growth. The window of opportunity is now, for international cooperation and coherent policies to help shape a global Internet, that meets the needs of as many users as possible, is robust and secure, and that can scale itself to evolving requirements.

Efforts by governments to counter internet spam by tracking down and prosecuting spammers have had limited impact and require far more resources than most countries can muster, the United Nations telecoms agency warned on Tuesday.

It says in a report that while all countries need anti-spam legislation so that spammers have nowhere to hide, a more effective approach would be to require the establishment of enforceable codes of conduct by internet service providers (ISPs).

“So far, existing anti-spam laws have had little effect as most laws target spammers, not the ISPs that carry spam,” says Doreen Bogdan, head of the ITU’s regulatory reform unit. Spam still accounts for about 70 per cent of all email traffic, according to estimates cited by the report.

The codes would require ISPs to prohibit their customers from spamming – sending unsolicited electronic messages in bulk – and not to enter into peering arrangements with ISPs that do not accept similar codes of conduct.

Only 32 countries, mostly in Europe, have anti-spam legislation and two-thirds of all countries have no official body responsible for combating spam, according to the report, which was launched on the opening day of the ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference in Doha, Qatar.

Heading off the inevitable complaints by ISPs that they should not be required to police their customers, the ITU says what it calls managed self-regulation would place all ISPs on a level playing field. At present, it argues, responsible ISPs bear the brunt of the costs of spam. They would benefit from a regulatory system that held irresponsible ISPs accountable.

Another ITU report released yesterday says that there has been a marked shrinking of the "digital divide" between rich and poor countries since 2000, mainly due to the explosive growth of mobile telephony in the developing world.

However, there remain wide disparities in internet use, with nearly a third of the population in Europe online at the end of 2004, compared with less than 2 per cent in Africa. The gap in high-speed internet access is even greater, with the vast majority of broadband users in industrialised nations.

"Many developing countries risk falling behind, particularly in terms of internet access and newer technologies such as 3G and broadband", the report says. The ITU expects broadband access in the developing world to be achieved mainly through wireless communications, building on the mobile boom.

The World Telecommunication Development Conference 2006 opens in Doha, Qatar, with a call to connect all communities by 2015.

This follows a key decision of the World Summit on the Information Society, which concluded last November in Tunis, to ensure that all villages, schools, libraries and local governments will be connected to information and communication technologies (ICT) by 2015.

The Doha meeting is the first major world development conference of the year, and the first gathering of experts to focus on the implementation of the road map laid out by world leaders at the World Summit on the Information Society, which concluded last November in Tunis.

Doha Action Plan to meet the goals of development: At a Press conference on the eve of the opening, Roberto Blois, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) stated, "In order to reach the WSIS goal of connecting all communities, we have to tailor the potential of technology to the needs of humanity, especially remote communities and vulnerable sections of the population." He added that it would be necessary to develop low-cost rural telecommunication systems and make broadband and wireless telephony more accessible and affordable. Mr Blois said, "In keeping with these overall objectives, the WTDC-06 Doha Action Plan will consider two new global initiatives intended to benefit persons with disabilities, and promote telecommunications for use during emergencies and for disaster prevention and mitigation."

Blois said that following the success of the landmark World Summit on the Information Society people around the world are looking at ITU for leadership in implementing the objectives of an inclusive Information Society. "ITU has grown in stature," he said.

Vision of Qatar: Welcoming the Press to WTDC-06, Dr Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar), said that WTDC will provide a unique opportunity for developing countries to share their experiences and consolidate the success of WSIS. Dr Hessa continued, "His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, has set forth the vision for a progressive State of Qatar where thought and creativity can prosper, where political reforms and the people's participation in decision-making are no longer an option but a necessity, where women are granted a wide scope in effective participation in the development process, where the private sector has greater opportunities to participate in the development process, and where the resulting modern economic base provides citizens with equal opportunities and open horizons so that they can achieve higher standards of living."

Dr Hessa emphasized that the key objective is to be part of promoting international cooperation, regional initiatives and partnerships that can sustain and strengthen telecommunication infrastructure in developing countries, so the digital divide will decrease. She said, "WTDC-06 will provide an excellent opportunity for developed and developing countries to share their unique aspirations and insights. It represents a landmark in the march of the international community to achieve the WSIS Principles."

Promoting Global Cybersecurity: Director of the ITU Development Bureau (BDT) Hamadoun Touré said that some of the major technological challenges include building broadband and wireless networks, the evolution of next generation networks and the convergence of computing power and radio-spectrum management.

Looking at future trends, Hamadoun Touré said, "New technological developments bring new challenges, such as enabling universal access to ICT, as well as growing difficulties created by spam and the increasing threats to the security of ICT-based infrastructure and systems." He added, "WTDC will develop a blueprint for these new challenges".

The World Summit on the Information Society endorsed ITU's role in ensuring security in the use of ICT. "Cybersecurity is critical in the use and development of ICT," said ITU Deputy Secretary-General Roberto Blois. "With the exponential growth in the use of cyberspace for mission-critical services, the fight against cybercrime has become a necessity."

In today's interconnected and increasingly networked world, societies are vulnerable to a wide variety of threats, including deliberate attacks on critical information infrastructures with debilitating effects on our economies and on our societies. In order to safeguard ICT systems and infrastructure and in order to instil confidence in online trade, commerce, banking, telemedicine, e-government and a host of other applications, it has become vital to develop a global culture of cybersecurity.

"Unless these security and trust issues are addressed, the benefits of the Information Society to governments, businesses and citizens cannot be fully realized", said Blois.

Two Essential Reports Launched in Doha:

1st - Telecommunication/ICT Development Report: Measuring ICT for Social and Economic Development

One of the two key reports on ICT launched today in Doha on the occasion of the World Telecommunication Development Conference - World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report 2006 on Measuring ICT for Social and Economic Development - examines current trends and developments in the telecommunication/ICT sector and highlights the importance of ICT for development.

In a presentation to the Press, Vanessa Gray, Telecommunication Analyst at ITU said that the telecommunication industry has experienced continuous growth as well as rapid progress in policy and technological development, resulting in an increasingly competitive and networked world.

"There are now more ICT users worldwide and more people communicating than at any other time in history," said Gray. "By the end of 2004, the world counted a total of 3 billion telephone subscribers, 1.8 billion mobile subscribers and 1.2 billion fixed lines. Both the number of mobile subscribers and the number of internet users more than doubled in just four years. The world had over 840 million internet users, which means that on average 13 per cent of the world's population was online."

Overall, the digital divide has been reduced.. "Our statistics show that within four year, from 2000 to 2004, the gap separating the developing and the developed countries has been shrinking in terms of mobile subscribers, fixed telephone lines and Internet users", said Gray. The gap (or digital divide) is measured by dividing the ICT penetration rate in the developed world by the ICT penetration rate in the developing world. "Phenomenal growth rates in the mobile sector, particularly, have been able to reduce the gap from 9 in the year 2000, to 4 by the end of 2004. This gap has also been reduced in terms of fixed lines, from 6 to 4 in four years, and from 15 to 8 in terms of Internet users", Gray explains.

Yet, major differences persist in penetration levels. In 2004, almost one third of the population in Europe and the Americas was online, compared to 8 per cent in Asia and the Pacific. Europe has almost 15 times the internet penetration of Africa, where less than 2 per cent use the internet. In the Arab states, too, less than 6 out of 100 people are online.

As for broadband access, Africa and the Arab states are lagging behind Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America which account for 97 per cent of all subscribers.

"The good news," according to Gray is that "high growth rates, technological innovation and progress in the mobile sector are extremely promising and providing exciting opportunities in the area of wireless broadband." The report states that mobile is clearly the prevailing (and often only) technology for telecommunication access in developing and rural regions, and broadband deployment will most likely be through wireless access (BWA) technologies like 3G but also WiMAX and WiFi.

2nd - 2006 Trends in Telecommunication: Regulating in a Broadband World

The second report launched today - Trends in Telecommunication - identifies a regulatory framework designed to enable developing countries to meet their broadband objectives. Doreen Bogdan, Head of Regulatory Reform Unit at ITU said, "Today, advances in broadband wireless access technologies encourage us to believe that the mobile miracle can be repeated with other ICTs, such as the internet and broadband, given the right regulatory conditions."

The optimism rests on the fact that the developing world has made great advances with mobile voice networks. Bogdan added, "Empowered by the WSIS commitments, we are very optimistic that the digital divide can be bridged and the Information Society achieved in both rural as well as urban areas."

Today's broadband challenge requires a dynamic response and an end to "business as usual". According to Bogdan, "Regulators have an unprecedented opportunity to speed the uptake of broadband. Old regulatory practices designed to protect legacy operators can be re-tooled as broadband-promoting frameworks."

New broadband technologies can connect even remote communities by

-Building synergies with other infrastructure sectors, universities and private leased lines to deploy fibre backbones

-Fostering local broadband networks by community stakeholders

-Using incremental nature of new technologies to promote broadband deployment as demand grows

The world of broadband is open to a whole new range of players, as long as the regulatory framework does not prohibit small broadband providers to enter the market. The new vision for broadband regulation entails reducing regulatory burdens, providing innovative incentives, and coordinating efforts by all links in the broadband value chain to unleash commercial and non-commercial deployment opportunities.

Turning to the applications of broadband, Doreen Bogdan said, "As Voice over IP (VoIP) is turning the old telecom business model on its head, it also offers a cheaper communication alternative to millions of users across the world." The rise of VoIP has prompted an array of regulatory responses, from outright bans to full legalization.

"Spam is another challenge raised by broadband," said Bogdan. "So far, existing ant-spam laws have had little effect as most laws target spammers, not the ISPs that carry spam." She is of the opinion that time may be ripe for anti-spam authorities to work with ISPs who can be instrumental in fighting spam. "One possibility," Bogdan said, "is the establishment of enforceable codes of conduct that would require ISPs to prohibit their customers from using ISPs as a source of spam."

The pace of broadband development hinges on the regulatory framework. It is essential to adapt to the changing technologies, as there is increasing evidence that some of the applications that are having the greatest impact on the economy and society are closely linked to broadband uptake.

Vanessa Gray explained that there is clear evidence that ICTs have a direct impact on social and economic development. But the greatest impact of ICTs is indirect, by transforming the way individuals, businesses and people work, shop, learn, interact, and communicate. "ICTs have truly transformed the world," said Gray. "And while it is actually not that easy to measure the concrete and quantifiable impact of ICTs, there are growing efforts to assess the changes that ICTs have made."

As ITU Deputy Secretary-General Roberto Blois said, "It is important to seize the digital opportunities and transform them for the common good of people everywhere." The Doha Action Plan will provide just this opportunity.

ITU

The Compendium is a summary of work pertaining to everyday issues on e-security (defacement of websites, DOS attacks, spamming, phishing, viruses, fraud and hacking). This document was produced in collaboration with the private sector and it is part of the Commission’s awareness program in the area of information and network security.

Press Release

The GSM Association (GSMA) will monitor the compliance with the code of practice signed by 15 mobile phone operators committing to work together to minimize spam sent via text and picture messages. [Full article]

OECD, Task Force on Spam issued this document to aid the development and review of anti-spam regulation strategies and arrangements. It is recognised that the legal, political and cultural environments of different countries will vary, and that consequently there is no single uniform approach to spam that can be applied globally. Definitions of spam similarly vary between economies.

Accordingly, this document will describe the decision points that may arise in many jurisdictions, and discuss related policy questions rather than advocating a single approach. Any examples of existing regulatory regimes that may be referred to are intended to be illustrative of available options rather than a recommendation. In referring to "spam" or "spammers" in this document the reference is intended to relate to material sent, or sent by persons, in contradiction of relevant national legislation or the prevailing societal norms.

Report

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has developed and will host a program that finds "zombie" computers on the Australian internet.

The program, called the Australian Internet Security Initiative, was launched today by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan.

ACMA is trialling the program, which identifies infected computers with Australian internet addresses, with five internet service providers (ISPs) - Press release.

MIC on September 22, 2005 issued an order to Cosmo Media Service Ltd. to abide by the provisions of the "The Law on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail" (Law No. 26 of 2002). In violation of the Law, the company, headquartered in Kita Ward, Osaka City, has been sending specified e-mails to cellular telephones, etc. The Law obliges, when sending specified e-mails (spam, unsolicited commercial e-mail) to an unspecified number of addressees, senders of such specified e-mails to indicate i) a phrase "Advertisement without consent" on the "subject" column and ii) a name of the sender and an e-mail address, etc. of the sender for receiving a rejection notice from the addressees in the body text of such specified e-mails. The company opened a so-called "Internet dating site" on the web. During April through June 2005, the company sent specified e-mails to cellular telephones, etc. without consent from users of such cellular telephones, etc. and without due indications, in violation of Article 3 of the Law.  Source MIC

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), in collaboration with the Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore (AGC), has today issued a second public consultation paper on the proposed Spam Control Bill in Singapore. The first public consultation was conducted in May last year to seek feedback on the proposed spam control legislative framework. This second round exercise seeks to gather feedback on the draft Spam Control Bill for Singapore and provides increased clarity on what constitutes spam. In addition, the draft Bill includes mobile spam and proposes that civil rights and remedies be granted to anyone who suffers loss or damage from non-compliant spam. Continues here...

Consultation documents

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Peru proposes regulations regarding SPAM (Contributions from regulator OSIPTEL & consumer protection agency INDECOPI.

The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (4 July) to introduce more stringent measures against senders of unsolicited fax advertisements (also called "junk fax").

"We are pleased to have wide support from fixed telecommunications network service ('FTNS') operators to simplify the steps under the voluntary 'Code of Practice on the Procedures for Handling Complaints against Senders of Unsolicited Fax Advertisements'('the CoP').This will better protect consumers from the junk fax problem," said an OFTA spokesperson. Continues here...

The Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998) seeks to establish a regime of industry self-regulation, supported by fallback regulatory standards that may be administered by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).Malaysia - Internet Access Service Provider (IASP) Sub-Code for the Communications and Multimedia Industry. Document

The May 2004 Anti-Spam Action Plan for Canada defined spam as "unsolicited commercial email." By this definition, the firm MessageLabs estimated that spam accounted for as much as 80 percent of global email traffic at the end of 2004 — up from about 10 percent in 2000. Spam is more than a growing nuisance. It is a public policy issue that challenges governments, Internet service providers (ISPs), other network operators, commercial emailers and consumers to work together in new ways — with each stakeholder group fully playing its part — to solve a problem that threatens the interests of all.

Report of the Task Force on Spam

 

In the framework of its "Countering Spam" activities, the International Telecommunication Union has created a platform to gather anti-spam legislation worldwide, and provide a list of the competent enforcement authorities and their contact details. Links to news and other sources is also provided. Information is regularly updated.

PTS is now engaged in dealing with the increasing problem of spyware. ‘Spyware’ means programs or functions which Internet users - usually unknowingly - download or in other ways are affected by and which may violate the privacy of the user.

The report describes, among other things, what spyware is, what different kinds exist, and how they are installed and affect the user. Furthermore, the report contains a review of the legal position and security tips are given on how Internet users can protect themselves. [Full article]

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is set to crack down on mobile spamming with its issuance today on the Memorandum Circular on rules and Regulations on Broadcast Messaging Services. The Circular was reach after series of consultations and a hearing attended by the general public, telecom service providers, content providers and other interested parties in response to numerous consumer complaints received by the Commission. [Full article]

ADMA has welcomed the registration today of the Australian eMarketing Code of Practice with the Australian Communications Authority (ACA).

Developed by a national development committee of industry, regulatory and consumer representatives, which was Chaired by the ADMA CEO, Rob Edwards, the new Code will sit alongside Australia’s anti-spam legislation introduced in April last year and will be binding on all organisations that use either email or mobile as a primary form of marketing, as well as third parties who market on behalf of a client. Source: adma 

Media Statement from Hon David Cunliffe, Minister for Information Technology.

Information Technology Minister David Cunliffe today unveiled the shape of forthcoming legislation to combat spam.

"The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Bill will be an important step in the war against spam" Mr Cunliffe said.

"The legislation will complement codes of practice, technical measures and consumer education to help fight the deluge of spam. It will also help New Zealand's efforts to address this problem at an international level." [Full article]

‘Anti-spam’ enforcement authorities in 13 European countries have agreed to share information and pursue complaints across borders in a pan-European drive to combat “spam” electronic mail. They will cooperate in investigating complaints about cross-border spam from anywhere within the EU, so as to make it easier to identify and prosecute spammers anywhere in Europe.  Full article

 

 

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of Philippines published draft rules to regulate SMS spam received on mobile phones.

The OECD contact list of Enforcement/anti-Spam authorities is available here: OECD Work on Spam.

 

In this issue:

• RRU Hosts a Virtual Conference on Regulatory Cooperation on Spam-Regulators Agree International Cooperation Is Needed
• The Arab ICT Regulators Network Meeting
• ITU/ANATEL Seminar on Enforcing Telecommunications Law, Policy and Regulations, Current Issues
• 10th anniversary of the ITU/BDT Telecommunication Regulatory Survey!
• Trends Theme for 2004
• The News Corner! New feature on TREG website Upcoming

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Newsletters/RRUNews2004/RRUNews04Q2.html