Articles by date
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.
Part Three: Who Controls the Internet? (Government Technology)
In part one and part two of our three-part series, we discussed attempts to regulate the Internet both nationally and globally. Though the future of internet governance is unknown, as regulatory agencies and governments clamp down, cooperation between Internet advoacy groups and regulatory agencies could help avoid increased Internet censorship or possible balkanization.
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.
Part Two: Who Controls the Internet? (Government Technology)
In part one of our three-part series, we discussed America's attempts to regulate the Internet -- and many Americans are concerned about the Internet moving away from its current governance model, for good reason.
Call for transparency after Australian corporate regulator accidentally blocks 1,000 websites (ABC News)
There are calls for greater oversight and transparency after the corporate regulator accidentally blocked more than 1,000 websites.
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
Will giving the internet eyes and ears mean the end of privacy? (The Guardian)
Corporations and governments are turning the internet into a colossal, always-on surveillance tool. Once passive objects are able to report what's happening, where is the power balance?
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.
US Congress Wants Answers From Google on Privacy Impact of Glass (All Things D)
A group of Congress members has sent a letter to Google seeking answers to a range of questions about the privacy implications raised by its Google Glass project.
Who Controls the Internet? Part One (Government Technology)
The idea that anyone is controlling the Internet runs contrary to common knowledge. The Web has a tradition of hosting free content with relatively little government or regulatory interference, and is today backed by a fervent army of supporters ready to defend a free and open platform.
Fears rise over Australian government web censorship (Australian Financial Review)
Greens senator Scott Ludlam says the federal government has revived internet censorship concerns with revelations its agencies are using legislative powers to block Australian users from accessing suspect websites more widely than first thought.
German case on embedding YouTube videos referred to EU court (PC World)
Embedded YouTube videos don't infringe copyright under current German law, but they could violate European rules, the German Federal Court of Justice said on Thursday.
Copyright owners can't sue Google's YouTube as a group - US judge (Reuters)
A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied class-action status to copyright owners suing Google Inc over the use of material posted on YouTube without their permission.
At Microsoft, a Sharpened Focus on Cybercrime (Threat Post)
Cybercrime has developed in the last few years into a major concern, not just for the consumers and businesses that are victims, but also for governments around the world. Obama administration officials have called it one of the larger threats to the United States economy. While law enforcement agencies handle the investigative and prosecutorial piece of things, they are increasingly being aided by experts at companies such as Microsoft, Google and others that have unique insights into attackers' activities and the capability to make life more difficult for them.
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.
Significant progress on key issues of Internet Governance: ITU Conference gathers stakeholders from government, industry and civil society to debate international Internet public policy-related issues (International Telecommunication Union)
"This year's WTPF, with its focus on international Internet-related public policy matters, is especially timely - as we stand at a 'tipping point', with the Internet making the transition from a mass-market in industrialized countries, to strong demand and widespread usage around the world", said Dr Touré, as the ITU's fifth World Telecommunication Policy Forum concluded in Geneva today.
ITU World Telecommunication Policy Forum Closes Focused on Continuing Open Dialogue (ISOC)
Today, the World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF) came to a close with robust debate among all stakeholders about the role of government in Internet governance. Throughout the meeting, the Internet Society participated in dialogue that focused on several key areas, including the significant role of Internet exchange points as a means of enhancing Internet connectivity, the need for timely deployment of IPv6, and the importance of the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance.
