NTIA described broadband network deployment costs in a fact sheet released Thursday. The agency said it based data on cost information collected from its broadband grant program.
Amazon began taking preorders for its updated Fire tablet line Wednesday, keeping to its sub-$100 pricing strategy for the 7- and 8-inch models, it announced.
Large majorities of healthcare respondents dismissed privacy, data protection and cybersecurity as concerns, said ABI Research in a Wednesday news release. The business tech survey of 455 U.S.-based companies found that 82 percent of healthcare respondents didn't rank privacy and data protection as a concern, and 58 percent didn't rank cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity within the healthcare sector has been traditionally poor, at best,” said analyst Michela Menting: Most comply with laws but don't understand what "comprehensive, multi-layered cybersecurity implementation" involves. ABI said medical devices and hospital equipment are "highly vulnerable" to cyberattacks like WannaCry, which hindered the U.K. healthcare system (see 1705120055, 1705150008 and 1705160008). ABI said the online survey was done in February and March.
After a two-year decline in reports of smart home technical support issues, consumers in Q1 reported more technical problems with smart home systems and devices, Parks Associates blogged Wednesday: Networked cameras, smart water leak detectors and smart thermostats are categories with increased support issues over the past six to 12 months. Also, 34 percent of smart door lock owners experienced issues when attempting to fix a problem, a 22 percent year-on-year jump, and 35 percent of smart video doorbell owners reported support problems.
Twitter is providing tools to give users more access to their information and "more granular control" over how their data is used and is also updating its privacy policy, the company blogged Wednesday. "Demographic and interest data, and advertisers that have included you in their tailored audiences" will be available, it said. Plus, personalization and data settings will give users more power over how Twitter uses their data such as opting out including for sharing with third parties. When users log in, their device will be associated with their account for authentication and personalization purposes, said Twitter. Changes to the privacy policy include expanding how it uses and stores data from other websites that integrate Twitter content like embedded tweets, the company said. Twitter also said it updated how non-personal, aggregated and device-level data is shared, including some data linked to users' names but only when they give consent in the policy.
Anti-child sex trafficking and public interest groups Wednesday reported (see 1705160078) that Google funded groups and individuals that defended Backpage.com, which has been sued by sex-trafficking victims and was the subject of a nearly two-yearlong government investigation. "Legal scholars and groups supported by Google have written letters and amicus briefs in support," reported Consumer Watchdog, DeliverFund, Faith and Freedom Coalition, The Rebecca Project and Trafficking in America Task Force. "More than half of the 42 signatories of a letter opposing a bill to tackle online child trafficking -- 22 in all -- were either directly funded by Google, or worked at institutions that were funded by the company." The groups seek to change Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which is designed to protect website operators from lawsuits arising out of third-party content. The report said the Center for Democracy & Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation defended Section 230 and benefited from Google's funding. Like other internet companies, Google has "long contributed" to organizations like CDT and EFF for their advocacy of privacy, surveillance reform and the open Internet and related issues, a company spokeswoman said. "We will continue to use our technology to combat the tragedy of child sex trafficking, will continue our significant funding of organizations that combat this crime, and maintain our zero-tolerance approach to ads for this illegal activity.” EFF has defended Section 230 "practically since the inception of our organization because it's essential to free speech on the Internet," emailed Legal Director Corynne McSherry. "The suggestion that our advocacy is at the behest of any one organization is ludicrous." CDT didn't comment. Backpage.com has been at the center of Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations probe, which issued a report in January saying the company knowingly facilitated prostitution and child sex trafficking and edited content to conceal evidence (see 1701100001).
A student privacy guide is available for parents, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) announced Tuesday. The toolkit provides an overview of federal student data laws, tips to protect children's privacy, a guide to understand privacy policies, sample opt-out forms and questions to ask schools. PCSP co-Chair Rachael Stickland said many parents are "under the false impression" that their children's records are stored in a paper file in the principal's office. A recent Electronic Frontier Foundation report said student privacy is being compromised by major tech companies without parents' knowledge (see 1704140050). "You shouldn’t need a PhD or law degree to ensure that your child’s sensitive student data isn’t shared with commercial entities," said CCFC Executive Director Josh Golin.
Some cyberattacks are on the rise, Akamai reported Tuesday, with the U.S. the top source country for web applications attacks, showing an increase of 57 percent in Q1 year over year. Risks to the internet and to certain sectors "continue to evolve," said Martin McKeay, senior security advocate. "Use cases for botnets like Mirai have continued to advance and change, with attackers increasingly integrating Internet of Things vulnerabilities into the fabric of DDoS botnets and malware. It’s short sighted to think of Mirai as the only threat," he said of the distributed denial-of-service attack. Botnet families like BillGates, elknot and XOR are "mutating," he added.
Advocacy groups will report Wednesday about Google's support for Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which they said protects "notorious hub of child sex trafficking, Backpage.com, from any accountability," said Consumer Watchdog Tuesday. CW, the Faith & Freedom Coalition, Rebecca Project, Trafficking in America Task Force and "Nacole S.," the mother of a trafficking victim will urge tech companies to back a change in Section 230 -- which is designed to protect website operators from lawsuits arising out of third-party content -- that will permit families of trafficking victims to hold accountable websites that aid and abet child sex traffickers. Google didn't immediately respond. Nacole S.'s daughter sued Backpage.com in 2014 with two other victims, saying the company engaged in sex trafficking of minors in violation of the federal 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and the Massachusetts version (see 1603180035). In January, Nacole S. testified before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, probing the online classified advertiser for 20 months at the time. Backpage.com executives were said to have knowingly facilitated prostitution and child sex trafficking and edited content to conceal evidence (see 1701100001). The 1 p.m. EDT news conference can be viewed via Facebook.
Symantec’s dome-shaped Norton Core, billed as a “secure” Wi-Fi router, is available for preorder from Amazon and Best Buy, said the cybersecurity company Monday. Select Best Buy stores will have interactive touch-screen displays where consumers can learn about the router this summer, when the product is scheduled to ship. Symantec researchers identified security vulnerabilities in 50 different connected home devices such as smart thermostats and smart hubs that could be targets for cyberattacks. Computers in many countries were hit Friday with a major cyberattack (see 1705150008).