Internet

Internet users who find themselves distracted online can pay up to $9 a month to block certain websites. The service has some obvious limitations but does prompt debate about Internet addiction. The Freedom service offers users four types of block: ... block all Internet access, block specific websites, block specific apps, or block all sites except those the user has specifically listed. It can cover computers, phones and tablets. After a free trial of seven "block sessions" users must pay for some features. This includes use on an unlimited devices and scheduling. This carries a subscription ... (view more)

Fujitsu has proposed an "endorsement layer" on top of the Internet to tackle bogus information. It's an idea that would certainly face both technological and societal challenges. The idea comes in a white paper (a report designed to provoke ... discussion) written alongside Keio University in Japan. It explores the idea of a "trustable Internet in which people can use information securely." (Source: kaeio.ac.jp ) The concept is simple, if abstract. The writers propose a system that "overlays a layer on the Internet, which has a mechanism to confirm the credibility of the ... (view more)

A US official has beaten a Russian opponent to become head of a major Internet body. The result could make a big difference to online technology, particularly on the issue of blocks and censorship. Doreen Bogdan-Martin beat out Rashid Ismailov to ... lead the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). She prevailed 139-25 in an election where every country had one vote. (Source: politico.eu ) The ITU is a United Nations agency that started in 1865 as a way to make sure telegraph systems in different countries could use a compatible system. It now oversees many cross-border tech issues, ... (view more)

"Privacy-focused" web browser Brave will block cookie consent banners that annoy some users. Its makers say the move will still protect users from unwanted tracking. Cookie consent banners appear on many sites affected by a series of privacy laws, ... most notable Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. The laws require explicit, active consent from users to handle personal data, including through creating cookies that can track online activity. To comply with such laws, sites will often put up a banner or pop-up window whenever somebody first visits a site, asking them to give or ... (view more)

LinkedIn has admitted it ran experiments that may have affected a user's chances of getting a job. The business networking site says everything it did was covered by its user agreement. The New York Times revealed that the experiments involved more ... than 20 million users over five years. The core of the testing was the way LinkedIn picked who appeared in the "People You May Know" section that automatically suggests potential contacts. The experiment, run alongside three major universities and later published in the journal Science, meant some users got a higher proportion of ... (view more)

A man who built his own broadband network because he couldn't afford a commercial service has got a $2.6 million government deal to serve other households. Jared Mauch took the drastic step after Comcast asked for $50,000 to connect his rural ... Michigan home. Mauch had been on a 1.5 Mbps phone line connection since 2002, a speed that was no longer sufficient for his needs. He had switched to a wireless service in frustration before asking Comcast to extends its network to cover his home. He told Arstechnica that he would have paid as much as $10,000 for the connection but could not afford the $ ... (view more)

Mount Kilimanjaro now has high-speed internet almost two-thirds of the way up the mountain. The Tanzanian government plans to have Internet connectivity at the summit by the end of the year. The mobile broadband is available through the ... government-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation. The government minister involved marked the connection by posting online from an event held 3,720 meters up the 5,895 meter mountain. He wrote: "Today Up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA." He also called for similar ... (view more)

Google has closed the account of a user who sent a photograph of his son's inflamed groin to a doctor. It's sticking by the closure despite an obvious case of its automated systems mistakenly flagging the image as abusive material. The account ... closure covers all Google services including the man's Gmail and his phone service which was provided by Google Fi. This was a disastrous combination as losing access to both emails and SMS messages to his phone number meant he couldn't get security codes to prove the ownership of many other online accounts. The man, identified by the New York Times ... (view more)

Three national governments say major tech companies should pay some of the costs of expanding broadband networks. Critics argue such a move could have negative knock-on effects. The idea is highlighted in a leaked document from governments in ... France, Italy and Spain. They were responding to EU regulators who are exploring the idea of big companies paying some of the costs of upgrading telecommunications infrastructure. The document notes that just six companies, including Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook) and Netflix make up the majority of all Internet traffic. (Source: reuters.com ) 'Free ... (view more)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to increase the minimum threshold for 'broadband' speeds. It won't mean immediate changes for users, but could speed up efforts to boost investment and competition in broadband networks. At the ... moment, the FCC officially defines broadband internet as having speeds of at least 25Mbps for downloads and 3Mbps for uploads. That definition has remained unchanged since 2015, with previous FCC chair Tom Wheeler rejecting calls to increase it. Current chair Jessica Rosenworcel has formally proposed increasing the minimum speeds to 100Mbps for ... (view more)