Code of conduct set for facial recognition tech »

4 December 2013 | Netopia

Facial recognition technology is set to come under scrutiny from the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the organization's next meeting, in February 2014. NTIA ... »

Tweeters receive education about contempt of court »

4 December 2013 | Netopia

The UK Attorney General is using Twitter to educate users about the rules governing contempt of court. In particular, they are warning users not to write social media updates that may lead to the a... »

Sheep becomes next black market to close »

3 December 2013 | Netopia

In the wake of the demise of Silk Road, two more black markets have shut down. Sheep Marketplace was the first to close and claims to have been robbed to the tune of $6 Million (5400 Bitcoin). H... »

French courts tell search engines to block rights-infringing sites »

3 December 2013 | Netopia

France's High Court of Paris has instructed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and search engines to remove, delist and block infringing movies sites, concluding a case opened in 2011. The move foll... »

Vietnam places fine on political dissent in social media »

2 December 2013 | Netopia

Following a ban on sharing news stories via social networks, the Vietnamese authorities have announced a huge 100 million dong ($4,740) fine for anyone who criticises the government on social sites. ... »

Ukraine ups media censorship »

27 November 2013 | Netopia

In recent months, a consolidation of media ownership into the hands of oligarchs connected to president Viktor Yanukovych has decreased media pluralism and curtailed free speech at all levels. Tele... »

Open season for spammers using Google+ »

27 November 2013 | Netopia

Since YouTube forced users to adopt a Google+ account and use a real name for their profile to comment on YouTube, spam has actually increased. YouTube's previous commenting system automatically bl... »

Burglary blues continue for Bitcoin »

26 November 2013 | Netopia

Denmark-based Bitcoin merchant processing service, BIPS, suffered a BTC 1,295 (about USD 1m) loss following a major DDoS attack and subsequent theft that occurred between November 15 and 19. Followin... »

Philly shoots down 3D printed weapons »

26 November 2013 | Netopia

The city of Philadelphia has banned 3D printed guns, the first US jurisdiction to do so. The department city councilman and sponsor of the bill, Kenyatta Johnson, said the move was "pre-emptive" an... »

FDA stops sale of unlicensed DNA test »

26 November 2013 | Netopia

US regulators are moving to stop sales of Google-backed 23andMe's landmark product, Saliva collection DNA kits, because they have not cleared sufficient tests for license approval. Saliva Collectio... »