Roy Mark

WASHINGTON — There were more than a few references to the third time being a charm today as a House panel rolled out anti-spyware legislation that the U.S. House has twice passed only to be twice rejected by the Senate. The Spy Act (H.R. 964) would require an opt-in, notice and consent regime for legal […]

WASHINGTON – An effective national energy policy will be a greater challenge to the U.S. government and technology sector than some of the country’s most storied scientific achievements, venture capitalist John Doerr said Wednesday. As part of a day-long blitz of Capitol Hill offices, Doerr and other members of TechNet, a nationwide network of tech […]

WASHINGTON — House Democrats began their oversight reign of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today with a broadside of criticism over the GOP-controlled agency’s operation. Over the course of a testy three-hour hearing, Democrats found fault with the FCC’s handling of the AT&T-BellSouth merger, broadband penetration rates, the digital television transition, cable franchise rules and […]

Information technology has been the primary driver of the economy over the last decade, adding $2 trillion annually and reversing a 20-year slowdown in productivity from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, according to a new report released Tuesday. Produced by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the report says the growth is not only […]

Three individuals from India and Malaysia were charged today in a U.S. federal court with masterminding an international “hack, pump and dump” fraud scheme to hijack online brokerage accounts. At least 60 customers and nine brokerage firms have been identified as victims, with one of the brokerage firms reporting more than $2 million in losses. […]

All U.S. households will be eligible for two $40 coupons to help defray the cost of digital converter boxes that analog television sets will need to view over-the-air broadcasting after Feb. 17, 2009. The coupon program, announced Monday morning by the Department of Commerce, is part of Congress’ digital television (DTV) transition plan to move […]

An Internet vendor of confidential telephone numbers obtained through pretexting agreed today to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges it violated federal law. The settlement bars Information Search and its principal, David J. Kacala, from obtaining, marketing or selling customer phone records. Information Search also agreed to discontinue pretexting — obtaining records using false pretenses […]

WASHINGTON – The House Energy and Commerce Committee revived its efforts today to include telecom carrier data security obligations as part of legislation targeting pretexting. Last year, Congress approved legislation that only dealt with those who do the pretexting. The Prevention of Fraudulent Access to Phone Records Act would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) […]

When the NCAA tips off its annual basketball championship tournament next week, it will mean more migraines than madness for the nation’s employers. For them, hoops mania translates into making employees bandwidth hogs and creating productivity losses that could top more than $1 billion. Blame it on the Internet and CBS Sports, which is offering […]

WASHINGTON – Annoyed at recent reports that online campus piracy rates top 50 percent, lawmakers warned college and university administrators Thursday if they don’t do more to curb the theft, Congress would. Complaining that a number of schools refused cooperate with a General Accountability Office (GAO) survey of campus piracy rates, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) […]

WASHINGTON — After spending his morning testifying before Congress about America’s shortcomings in the global competitiveness race, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates concluded his policy trip to Washington Wednesday night by calling for a uniform national privacy standard. Keynoting a dinner hosted by the Center for Democracy and Technology, Gates said consumers deserve laws that provide […]

WASHINGTON — Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told a Senate panel today U.S. immigration policies are slamming the door in the faces of the best and brightest talent at a time when America needs them the most. It’s a door he wants to swing wide open. Testifying before a committee investigating American global competitiveness, Gates criticized […]