Showing posts with label US WORLD. Show all posts

Facebook Denies Leaking User Data to Turkish Government

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Facebook has not handed over user data to Turkish authorities during the country's ongoing anti-government protests, the company said in a Wednesday statement.

Facebook's comments follow a Turkish government minister's claim that Facebook was "in cooperation with the state" while Twitter was refusing to supply user data, per NPR.

Read Facebook's full statement below:

Facebook has not provided user data to Turkish authorities in response to government requests relating to the protests. More generally, we reject all government data requests from Turkish authorities and push them to formal legal channels unless it appears that there is an immediate threat to life or a child, which has been the case in only a small fraction of the requests we have received.

We are concerned about legislative proposals that might purport to require Internet companies to provide user information to Turkish law enforcement authorities more frequently. We will be meeting with representatives of the Turkish government when they visit Silicon Valley this week, and we intend to communicate our strong concerns about these proposals directly at that time.

Reuters also reported that Turkish authorities are asking Twitter to set up an office in the country to facilitate cooperation between the microblogging service and the government. Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, has previously called Twitter a "curse" filled with lies.

The social media back-and-forth comes as some Turkish lawmakers call for stricter rules on social media use following weeks of protests.

Facebook and Twitter alike have long been a refuge for Turks seeking a platform to express unpopular viewpoints largely unmolested by censorship. They have grown increasingly important during the recent demonstrations, serving as crucial tools for Turks to share information as local media failed to adequately cover the protests when they began late last month.

Facebook's rejection of the Turkish official's claims also comes as the company is under fire for alleged cooperation with a recently revealed National Security Administration user surveillance program known as PRISM.

Should Facebook and Twitter cooperate with the Turkish government? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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FAA May Allow Electronic Devices During Takeoff and Landing

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Huzzah! The Federal Aviation Administration is primed to finally let flyers use their phones, tablets and other digital devices during taxiing, takeoff and landing, per a report.

The Wall Street Journal reports an advisory panel will recommend the FAA make changes to its low-altitude gadget use rules later this year.



The panel's decisions aren't set in stone yet. Reportedly, however, it may suggest flyers be allowed to use electronic devices in airplane mode during takeoff, landing and taxiing. It may also expand the window for passengers to surf the web or send emails via 3G or LTE.

FAA officials won't make a final decision about mobile devices until after the panel issues its final recommendations in September.

Aviation gadget rule reformists have grown increasingly vocal about the need for change in recent months, led by the New York Times technology columnist Nick Bilton. Bilton has aggressively championed the cause, writing that "dealing with the FAA on this topic is like arguing with a stubborn teenager."

"The agency has no proof that electronic devices can harm a plane’s avionics, but it still perpetuates such claims, spreading irrational fear among millions of fliers," he wrote late last year in one of several posts calling on the the FAA to change its gadget rules.

Bilton reported in March that the advisory panel would recommend policy changes, though the FAA did not offer him comment at that time.

An FAA spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal that the agency "recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft, that is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions."

Do you want to use gadgets during takeoff, landing and taxiing? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Facebook, Google, Apple, Yahoo Make Similar PRISM Denials

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Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Apple are denying reports they give the National Security Agency and FBI secret "back door" access to their servers in a program called PRISM.

The companies' statements closely match one another and allow a notable degree of semantic wiggle room.

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