The Federal Trade Commission next week will make automated robocalls illegal for most telemarketers. Still, the list of exceptions mean that the calls will continue as charities, politicians, banks, and telcos can continue their prerecorded pitches. Read Nate Anderson’s commentary on Ars Technica. Deborah Yao of Breaking News 24/7 provides a somewhat more optimistic report.
Category: Business
Google to crowd-source traffic data
Google announced yesterday in a blog post that it is harnessing anonymous speed and position from Google Maps (GMaps) users to improve its traffic service. As a consequence, Google is able to expand its traffic layer to cover all U.S. Highways and arterials – i.e. where and when they have users on the road. This…
ISP criticised for distributing the same password to all new users with no firm instruction to change it
A European ISP has admitted that all new subscribers are given the same password. The Dutch branch of Tele2 claimed that when a new subscriber signs up, they can choose a login or are assigned one and they are then sent a letter by Tele2 with their login name, password and the date their new…
ID-scanning to comply with privacy laws
Controversial technology that collects bar patrons’ personal information will remain in use after B.C.’s privacy commissioner worked out a compromise with the technology’s owner. Privacy commissioner David Loukidelis ruled in July that a system made by TreoScope to collect and store customers’ names, photos, birthdates, genders and driver’s licence numbers as part of the BarWatch…