Government & Policy
24 May 2013
An increasingly unchecked surveillance state Al Jazeera
The most egregious rights violations tend to happen against the voiceless; those who have neither the platform nor resources to articulate their grievances to the broader world.
Google faces new FTC probe over display ads Washington Post
Federal investigators have begun probing whether Google is using its increasingly potent position in the online advertising market to undermine competition, an issue officials have monitored since its acquisition of digital ad company DoubleClick in 2008, said people familiar with the inquiry.
22 May 2013
Even Before Apple Tax Breaks, Ireland's Policy Had Its Critics New York Times
The secrets of how Apple avoided billions of dollars in taxes lie in a low-slung building of glass and brick in the hills of County Cork.
21 May 2013
Editorial: Eavesdropping on Internet Communications New York Times
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a new plan to intercept Internet messages, calls and video chats. Instead of requiring companies like Skype and Google to build surveillance capabilities into their services as it suggested in 2010, the F.B.I. now proposes fining companies that fail to comply with court-ordered wiretaps.
Apple's Web of Tax Shelters Saved It Billions, Panel Finds New York Times
Even as Apple became the nation's most profitable technology company, it avoided billions in taxes in the United States and around the world through a web of subsidiaries so complex it spanned continents and went beyond anything most experts had ever seen, Congressional investigators disclosed on Monday.
20 May 2013
Former Google exec says he has 100,000 emails showing how 'immoral' company avoids paying UK tax The Independent
A former Google executive-turned-whistleblower says he has 100,000 emails that expose an "immoral" tax avoidance scheme used by his former employer, that has "cheated" British taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of pounds.
19 May 2013
Google boss Eric Schmidt may snub David Cameron over company's House of Commons grilling Independent on Sunday
The internet giant Google has thrown a veil of corporate secrecy around its billionaire executive chairman, putting in doubt his scheduled attendance at a meeting in Downing St tomorrow with the Prime Minister.
One tax law for us and another for Amazon The Observer
On the edge of Rugeley stands Amazon's largest distribution centre in Britain. Life for the workers who trudge around the 800,000 sq ft warehouse is not as bad as it was for the men who once worked in the pits of the Staffordshire coalfield, but that is not saying much. They must carry satnavs, which direct their movements round the stacks and flash warnings from managers to stop dawdling or chatting with colleagues. Britain being the way it is, they have no job security.
Amazon's tax arrangements are nothing short of a work of art. Bravo! by David Mitchell The Observer
Amazon has come in for plenty of stick for paying so little tax in the UK. But its actions display such impish wit that it's hard not to revel in the majesty of a terrible thing well done
Google insider exposes 'immoral' tax scam Sunday Times
A former Google executive has blown the whistle on a massive and "immoral" tax avoidance scheme that has "cheated" British taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of pounds over the past decade.
18 May 2013
Editorial: Sales Taxes and the Internet New York Times
Twenty-one Republicans voted with 46 Democrats (and 2 Independents) recently to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act, a long-overdue bill allowing states to require online retailers to collect sales taxes and remit them to the state where the customer lives. Will the House be so rational? It's a long shot.
Google chief Eric Schmidt to meet British Prime Minister after tax row The Guardian
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt will meet David Cameron next week, just days after the internet giant was mauled by a Commons committee over its tax affairs, it has emerged.
Canada's Competition Bureau plans investigation into Google Canada Financial Post
A decision by U.S. regulators to end a probe into whether Google Inc. hurt rivals by manipulating internet searches will not affect the European Union's examination of the company
HMRC are being 'bamboozled' by Google: MPs confront search giant over 'devious' attempt to avoid paying UK tax The Independent
Google was branded "devious, calculating and unethical" by MPs who accused the internet giant of deliberately subverting its motto, "don't be evil", in order to pay less tax.
17 May 2013
UK MP on Google tax avoidance scheme: 'I think that you do evil' The Guardian
Google and Amazon came under fierce attack from MPs and tax campaigners after fresh whistleblower allegations put further strain on claims by the internet giants that their multibillion-pound UK-facing businesses should not be taxed by Revenue & Customs.
Amazon faces whistleblower's claims over UK business tax practices The Guardian
Amazon is facing mounting questions over the extent of the business activities conducted out of Patriot Court, its headquarters in Slough, threatening to throw the group's controversial UK tax structure into disarray.
Concerns Arise on U.S. Effort to Allow Internet 'Wiretaps' New York Times
Surveillance can be a tricky affair in the Internet age. A federal law called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act allows law enforcement officials to tap a traditional phone, as long as they get approval from a judge. But if communication is through voice over Internet Protocol technology -- Skype, for instance -- it's not as simple.
German online copyright law to take effect in August Computerworld
A German online copyright law that will give publishers the exclusive right to the commercial use of their publications on the Internet will come into effect on Aug. 1.
16 May 2013
Revealed: Amazon earns more through UK government grants than it pays in tax The Independent
Amazon paid less in UK corporation tax last year than it received in government grants, its official company accounts have revealed - sparking condemnation from MPs around the country.
Fresh questions for Amazon over pittance it pays in tax The Guardian
MPs are ready to haul Amazon back to parliament to answer new questions about its tax status in Britain after a Guardian investigation's findings suggest the online retailer is pushing the tax rulebook to its limits to minimise its tax bill.
Rights groups condemn Azerbaijan over Internet defamation bill Reuters
Human rights groups criticised Azerbaijan on Wednesday for legislation that will make defamation over the Internet a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment ahead of a presidential election in the tightly controlled nation.
15 May 2013
Germany tells Google to tidy up auto-complete BBC News
A German federal court has told Google to clean up the auto-complete results its search engine suggests.
14 May 2013
France set to tax smartphones to protect culture in digital age Financial Times
France is preparing to tax smartphones, tablets and all other internet-linked devices to help fund the production of French art, films and music.
Firms Brace for New European Data Privacy Law New York Times
The effort in Europe to adopt the world's strongest data protection law has drawn the attention of dozens of lobbyists from U.S. technology and advertising companies.
European Commission plans guide through global internet policy labyrinth Europa
The Commission today unveiled plans for the Global Internet Policy Observatory (GIPO), an online platform to improve knowledge of and participation of all stakeholders across the world in debates and decisions on Internet policies. GIPO will be developed by the Commission and a core alliance of countries and Non Governmental Organisations involved in Internet governance. Brazil, the African Union, Switzerland, the Association for Progressive Communication, Diplo Foundation and the Internet Society have agreed to cooperate or have expressed their interest to be involved in the project.
