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On using the iPad in Poland's Parliament
Polish parliamentary member, John Godson, is using an iPad to help him with his official duties as the deputy of Lodz. In an interview with Krystian "MacKozer" Kozerawski, Mr. Godson talks about his overwhelmingly positive experience with the iPad. He says the iPad is his "primary tool" and he uses it for correspondence, Skype, Pages, web browsing, reading and more. You can read the full interview at Kozerawski's website. [Via The Loop]
Wiretapping Act could spell 'finito' for Italian Wikipedia
This week, lawmakers in Italy are debating a controversial new bill that could have disastrous implications for Wikipedia. Yesterday, the encyclopedia posted a lengthy letter on its Italian portal, informing visitors that the site may be shuttered within the country if parliament passes the proposed DDL Intercettazioni, or "Wiretapping Law." If ratified, the legislation would require all online publishers to amend any content considered objectionable or defamatory within 48 hours of receiving a complaint. Offenders would face a fine of €12,000 (about $16,000), and any requested corrections would not be subject to review. Of course, this presents obvious problems for the crowdsourced (and crowd-edited) Wikipedia, which characterized the law as "an unacceptable restriction of [its] freedom and independence." The site took particular umbrage at the bill's apparent disregard for third-party review, pointing out that the "opinion of the person allegedly injured is all that is required" to force a re-write, "regardless of the truthfulness of the information deemed as offensive, and its sources." At the moment, the portal is still up, but masked by Wikipedia's letter. If the Wiretapping Law progresses further, however, the organization says it will have no choice but to delete its Italian platform altogether. [Image courtesy of Toutlecine]
UK teen arrested for illegal BBM, social media crackdown gains steam
Lending further gravity to the proposed crackdown being bandied about in British parliament, an Essex teen has been arrested for sending a BBM that ran afoul of the Serious Crime Act of 2007. The 18-year old, now free on bail, allegedly used the service to encourage copycat attacks of the violent rioting that's swept London, and is set to appear in court on September 1st. It's the second known case to put RIM's private messaging service -- "popular among urban teenagers" as a cheap texting alternative -- in the UK's legal hotseat. For its part, the Canadian electronics maker has since reached out to police, promising to aid the investigation "in any way [it] can." Although no decision has yet been made to extend law enforcement's powers over social media services, such as Twitter and Facebook, arrests like these seem to indicate a murky free speech future.
UK Prime Minister exploring social media crackdown in wake of London riots (video)
As Londoners continue to pick up the rubble and carnage from this week's riots, UK Prime Minister David Cameron is exploring new ways to maintain order -- including, apparently, a government crackdown on social media. In a speech to members of Parliament today, Cameron made clear his belief that law enforcement officials should be able to curb and monitor the use of social networking sites under certain circumstances, lending credence to the theory that mechanisms like Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry played a critical role in inciting the recent violence: "Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill. And when people are using social media for violence we need to stop them. So we are working with the Police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality." There's a fine line separating issues of national security from the rights to free speech, but it's a line that Cameron seems willing to toe. And, though he and his Conservative government are only mulling the idea, it's difficult to ignore the irony in his statements. Keep in mind that this is the same man who roundly condemned Hosni Mubarak for shutting down Egypt's internet at the height of its revolution, calling for the now-ousted leader to fully respect the "freedom of expression and communication, including use of telephones and the internet." Cameron, of course, isn't calling for anything nearly as drastic as what Mubarak orchestrated, nor is he facing anywhere near the same level of domestic turmoil. But the fundamental narrative remains the same: in the face of social upheaval, a national leader instinctively reaches for a digital muzzle as a stop-gap measure, while (perhaps) ignoring the larger, longer-term ramifications of his actions. Fortunately for the UK, though, Cameron is already doing one thing that Mubarak apparently never did -- he's thinking about right and wrong. Head past the break to see Cameron's speech, in its entirety.
Shocker! British civil servants spend a lot on new PCs
The British government just got put on Supernanny's naughty step for paying too high a price for new PCs. A parliamentary scrutiny committee accused civil servants of being naively ripped off by a "cartel" of big IT firms, who steal charge as much as £3,500 ($5,700) per file-donkey -- that's around ten times the open market rate for a basic machine. However, at risk of pooping on the UK's moral outrage party, an equally moral sense of fairness compels us to play devil's advocate here. After all, the figure of £3,500 covers "infrastructure" and "applications" as well as the plain old computer, and those categories might include a whole array of expensive add-ons, like tailored software, servers, high-speed internet, and even technical support. Of course, we could be wrong about this, in which case Jo Frost can punish us however she sees fit.
Microsoft's Patriot Act admission has the EU up in arms
Last week, Microsoft quietly confirmed that cloud data stored on its European servers can still be handed over to American investigators -- and the EU is none too pleased about it. As it turns out, the revelation has shed new light on a fundamental conflict between US law and the EU's Data Protection Directive -- an edict requiring that companies notify consumers whenever sharing their personal information. The bi-lateral Safe Harbor agreement calls for similarly strict protocol, but under the Patriot Act (which trumps all else), companies like Microsoft could be forced to hand over private data without informing targeted individuals. In response, some members of the European Parliament are calling upon legislators to take action and to implement safeguards that can't be overridden by third-party governments. It remains to be seen whether or not this leads to any new laws or transatlantic tensions, but if we've learned anything, it's that Europeans take their clouds very seriously.
Don't bring your computer viruses to Japan, because they're illegal now
Tired of getting swamped with spam and malware? Just pack your things and catch the next flight to Japan, where computer viruses are now considered illegal. Under the country's new legislation, anyone convicted of creating or distributing viruses could face up to three years in prison, or a maximum fine of ¥500,000 (about $6,200). It's all part of Japan's efforts to comply with the Convention on Cybercrime -- an international treaty that requires member governments to criminalize hacking, child pornography, and other terrible things. Privacy advocates, however, have already raised concerns over some stipulations that would allow investigators to seize data from PCs hooked up to allegedly criminal networks, and to retain any suspicious e-mail logs for up to 60 days. In an attempt to quell these fears, the Judicial Affairs Committee tacked a resolution on to the bill calling for police to exercise these powers only when they really, really need to.
Steve Jobs' knighthood rejected by Gordon Brown?
As a loyal iPod user, you'd have thought that Queen Elizabeth II would have seen fit to bestow an honorary knighthood on a certain Steven Paul Jobs by now. After all, Sir Bill received his back in 2005 even though his company couldn't quite get its cellphone or tablet strategies to stick with consumers. According to an anonymous senior Labour MP who left Parliament in the last election, Jobs had reached the final stages of approval for "services to technology" only to be rejected in 2009 by the then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Why? Well, according to The Telegraph, Jobs had the audacity to turn down an offer to speak at Labour's annual conference. In retaliation we hear that Apple is holding Jony Ive -- himself, an honorary Commander of the British Empire -- hostage in an infinitely looping orange grove somewhere in northern California. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
British House of Lords will soon allow iPad use during debates
According to The Telegraph, peers in the British House of Lords will soon be able to use iPads and other mobile internet devices during debates. Under previous rules, members of the House of Lords weren't allowed to use any electronic devices, a restriction the Lords Administration and Works Committee said was "incomplete, outdated and contradictory." For a trial period of one year, Lords will be able to use iPads, iPhones and other smartphones and e-readers "to access Parliamentary papers and other documents which are clearly and closely relevant to the business before the House," according to a report issued by the Lords Administration and Works Committee. Inexplicably, though iPads and other internet enabled devices will be allowed, using Google will not be. The Telegraph suggests that the Google ban may be in the House of Lords' best interest if iPad use in the Italian Parliament is anything of a litmus test. Just last week, Italian MP Simeone Di Cagno Abbrescia was photographed surfing an escort agency's website on his iPad while Parliament was in session.
Proposal in Swiss government could ban violent games
According to a report out of consonant-heavy Swiss gaming site GamesMarkt, Switzerland's parliament recently passed a law that could lead to an across the board ban on "violent" games being sold in the country. Apparently a proposal was inked last month that aimed to remove games which require "cruel acts of violence against humans and human-like creatures for in-game success" -- a proposal that has apparently been passed by the Swiss National Council. Since the initial proposal has passed, it's said to now be up to the Swiss parliament exactly how the law is enacted. If you're a Swiss gamer interested in challenging the new law, we encourage you to contact local politicians, as GamesIndustry.biz points out that "citizens are able to challenge any new law passed by parliament if they can show sufficient opposition to it." Given the petitions we've seen some of you get into, we're hoping this one will be a no brainer. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Is Canada's iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut?
We know, BJ Snowden is an American artist -- but since her song "In Canada" is probably on every iPod and computer up north, we have to wonder whether a proposed amendment to the Canadian Copyright act will help her finally get what's coming to her. The brainchild of the New Democratic Party's Charlie Angus, the bill would extend 1997's Private Copying Levy "to the next generation of devices that consumers are using for copying sound recordings for personal use." Proponents of the plan says that it ensures that artists get paid for their work -- essentially, the government wants you to pay upfront for the music you're likely to steal anyways by taxing your next digital audio player purchase. Of course, much about the plan doesn't make sense (it doesn't address digital video, for instance, or the computers that people use to download and store their music in the first place) but we guess we'll let the Canadian government hash that one out. This is obviously not a new idea, and it is one the courts have rejected already, but who knows? Maybe this time it will "take." Lets hope not, eh? Update: No surprise, but the levy is already being shouted down by Industry Minister Tony Clement calling it "totally nonsensical" and "180 degrees in the wrong direction" with regard to the government's strategy to embrace the internet, not stifle it.
Violent game-opposing UK politician ditches gaming debate
[Image: Flickr user Steve Punter] Keith Vaz, a member of British parliament whose anti-mature game stance is well-known by his fellow politicians, recently backed out of a debate on violence in video games during the Westminster eForum without any explanation for his absence. According to MCVUK, Vaz was scheduled to square off against Ed Vaizey and Gamers' Voice founder Tom Watson, along with Electronic Arts' Keith Ramsdale, TIGA CEO Richard Wilson, and Eidos' Ian Livingstone. With no antagonist to debate with, the other parties turned to mocking the no-show politician. "Tell him that the Parliament website has a videogame on its front page," Vaizey remarked, "and no one has been killed yet." We're sure wherever Mr. Vaz might have been at the time of the debate, he felt that burn remotely. [Via GamePolitics]
British MP hopes to expand Gamers' Voice advocacy group
[Facebook: Gamers' Voice] Last month, we wrote about Facebook-based advocacy group Gamers' Voice, British Labor MP Tom Watson's initiative to combat the wave of negative press garnered by violent video games and gaming culture as a whole. At the time that story was published, the group had a few hundred members. Just two weeks after the story was published, the group had over 15,000 members. According to a recent interview with IndustryGamers, Watson is inviting the group's ranks to join him at the British House of Commons tomorrow to discuss the future of the group. However, he's already seen results in Parliament, where his fellow politicians have shown interest in learning about the issues that pertain to games and have asked about connecting with gamers. Watson's personal goals are fairly reasonable: To stop the media's attacks on the entire industry "because one scene in one game is unpleasant to one journalist," and to "get a balanced view about what games really are."
British MP Watson leading charge against Modern Warfare 2 media controversy
Tom Watson, a member of British Parliament, has developed a sort of folk hero status among European gamers this morning. After his fellow MP, Keith Vaz, promised to decry the violence depicted in Modern Warfare 2 (specifically in that one scene) in the next session of Parliament, Watson publicly defended the game on Facebook and Twitter. He then kicked it up a notch and started a pressure group called Gamers' Voice on Facebook. The group's mission statement explains that its members will discuss "how UK video gamers can find their voice in newspapers and government." It was a wise, pre-emptive move on Watson's part -- as promised, Vaz brought up the game during today's Parliament session, explaining that it's so violent that "even the manufacturers have put in warnings within the game telling people how they can skip particular scenes." He inquired how the government was planning on "protecting our children." Watson stepped in and dropped the timeless observation that the UK already has a game rating system which restricts the game's sale to minors, and that it's more important to protect the gaming industry than it is to "create moral panic" in the media. If you want to stay informed of Watson's other heroic, industry-defending activities, you might want to join the Gamers' Voice group. (We hear that shortly after that Parliament session, he doused a burning orphanage, then ate an entire maple tree for breakfast. Seriously!)
Venezuela could completely ban the sale of violent video games
If a bill currently being reviewed by Venezuela's parliament is formally approved by the nation's president, then gamers living in the country may have (legally) purchased their last M-rated title. The "Bill for the Prohibition of Video Games and Toy Weapons" aims to completely ban the sale of violent video games (and, as you may have guessed, toy weapons) in the country. It was approved by the National Assembly yesterday, and now must be approved in one more debate and signed by the president to become a law.The bill was written out of concern for the negative effect violent video games and toys are having on the nation's youth (sigh), but was also created to prevent the use of toy weapons in real crimes. We'd scoff at this, too -- but we just watched a harrowing cinematic example of this type of criminal activity. It must be stopped!
The Digital Continuum: On WAR comparisons
I'm going to start this week's The Digital Continuum off with an obvious, yet necessary, disclaimer: This is my (ie Kyle Horner's) opinion and not Massively's.A high horse can be ridden and a dead horse can be beaten, but can some people get over their assiduous horse fetishes? Apparently, no, they can't. I'm speaking of course about knee-jerk, marketing-mannequin reactions that some people seem to have when Warhammer Online is compared to World of Warcraft. It's almost as though doing such a thing has become a sacred cow, which cannot -- and verily should not -- dare be brought up. Why? "Well, because such discussion occurs ad infinium." someone will say. I say to them, "And rightfully so." Because for all the things Warhammer Online does that are unlike World of Warcraft, it's still a very comparable MMO.
And the epilepsy debate continues, this time in Parliament
Although some companies (like Ubisoft) have volunteered to do extra epilepsy-related tests for their games, the existing standard isn't enough for some people. Take, for example, famous and loathed mom Gaye Herford, who's responsible for bringing this fight to Parliament after her son suffered a fit while playing Rayman Raving Rabbids DS.Sprong reports that the House of Commons debate was held yesterday, with members supporting different solution. Margaret Hodge, the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, pushed for a voluntary testing system, which could be changed to mandatory in the future if the issue remained problematic. John Penrose on the other hand led a more paranoid debate, stating, "The point is that some games manufacturers may decide to do that, but there is a huge number of games-makers and manufacturers throughout the world. Some are large and responsible, such as Ubisoft, but as in any industry, there is a large number of manufacturers who are relatively tiny, and although some may be responsible, we cannot be sure."It doesn't seem as if a final decision was reached, but you know politics -- things take a while to get done.[Via Game Politics]
Mother's campaign to bring video game seizure concerns to British Parliament a success
By now, you've probably noticed the seizure warnings interjected into the start-up screens of many games, giving the .02 percent of the population that suffers from photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) a heads-up that the following game may not be entirely safe for them to play. However, Gaye Herford, a mother residing in England, has brought her concerns over game-related seizures to British Parliament after her 10-year-old son suffered a seizure following a round of Rayman: Raving Rabbids on the Nintendo DS.Parliament has agreed to debate whether or not rigorous testing for seizure-inducing material in video games should be required by their developers on a heretofore undecided date. Television and films are already tested in this manner, but no countries require similar checks for games. Ubisoft has independently agreed to begin performing these tests on all their future titles, though we find it difficult to imagine how one makes a mini-game compilation featuring hyperactive, mutant rabbits without using some PSE-sensitive material.
Mom wins her fight in Rayman Raving Rabbids epilepsy ordeal
Over the last year, UK mom ("mum" is the word over there, we believe) Gaye Herford has been fighting to change the way games are tested before they are sent to retail. Her 10-year-old son, while playing Rayman Raving Rabbids, went into an epileptic fit. She had no idea that games could send players into photo sensitive epileptic (PSE) seizures. We guess she hasn't seen the intro splash screen Nintendo has had around since the Pokémon incident.But, after a long year, she has won her battle. Ubisoft has volunteered to do the testing itself and will try to ensure such a thing does not happen again. Herford also managed to secure a debate in Parliament, for a future date that is yet to be determined. "As a parent myself, I was shocked that a single game could possibly trigger a sudden first-time seizure, with its life-long implications," says Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose, who helped Herford in her battle. "Right now, most electronic game publishers simply issue written warnings about PSE on or inside their products - and that's on a voluntary basis. But that's no good for the thousands of people with dormant PSE because they don't know the warnings - if they even read them - apply to them." At the time of the article, no comment was made by Nintendo. Ubisoft did say, though, that testing of Rayman: Raving Rabbids on the DS "showed that no images posed a high risk for photosensitivity epilepsy. However, we made a corporate decision to pre-screen and pre-test all Ubisoft in-house developed games regardless of platform, prior to publication."
British MP continues fight against Manhunt 2
You'd think the BBFC's official unbanning of an edited version of Manhunt 2 would officially end the battle over the game's release. You'd be wrong though, as Kent Online reports that Kent MP Julian Brazier is working to introduce a "public appeals process" to overturn BBFC decisions, like the one that paved the way for Manhunt 2's release.Brazier's Private Members Bill to reform the BBFC was discussed and eventually stopped in Parliament late last month, but that hasn't stopped Brazier from trying to revive its political chances. Brazier insists that the eventual decision to release Manhunt 2 "shows once again that the BBFC and its appeals system do not meet the concerns of the public" and that "the public wants a significant tightening up in this vital area." Earlier this month, Brazier accompanied Gordon Brown in a meeting with Giselle Pakeerah, a mother who believes the original Manhunt contributed to her son's murder.
