regulations

Zynga Confirms It Is Seeking Partners for Online Gambling Initiatives

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on January 20 at 6:00 am PT

Operating the largest poker game on Facebook is not enough — Zynga has confirmed that it is exploring the prospects for real-money gambling, and is in active talks with several partners.

U.S. Agency Proposes Total Ban on Talking and Texting While Driving

Ina Fried in Mobile on December 13, 2011 at 12:08 pm PT

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a nationwide ban on drivers’ use of portable electronics, with the exception of those that aid with driving itself.

Goldman-Facebook Investment Vehicle Already Full; SEC Eyes Disclosure Rules

Liz Gannes in Social on January 5, 2011 at 3:09 pm PT

Goldman Sachs has already received “several billion dollars” worth of commitments to its “special-purpose vehicle” for investing in $1.5 billion worth of Facebook stock, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Hot Trade in Private Shares of Facebook

Pui-Wing Tam and Geoffrey A. Fowler, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News on December 28, 2010 at 2:03 am PT

Trading in shares of still-private Silicon Valley companies such as Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. has surged in recent months, suggesting strong investor interest in some technology start-ups despite a moribund market for initial public offerings.

The FCC Votes, a New Internet Dawns, Like It or Not

Arik Hesseldahl in Enterprise on December 21, 2010 at 8:50 am PT

There is only one point of consensus that has emerged from today’s imminent 3-2 vote by the Federal Communications Commission on network neutrality rules proposed by Chairman Julius Genachowski: All concerned are dissatisfied with the result.

Watchdog Planned for Online Privacy

Julia Angwin, Editor, Digits, The Wall Street Journal in News on November 12, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

The Obama Administration is preparing a stepped-up approach to policing Internet privacy that calls for new laws and the creation of a new position to oversee the effort, according to people familiar with the situation.

EU Slams Google, Microsoft and Yahoo Over Data Retention

John Paczkowski in News on May 27, 2010 at 9:28 am PT

The privacy practices of the world’s three largest search engines are under fire in Europe again. European Union officials sent letters to Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo yesterday claiming their data protection policies flout EU data retention rules.

Beijing on Google’s China Move: Hong Kong Phooey

John Paczkowski in News on March 23, 2010 at 9:44 am PT

Following its initial red-in-the-face tirade, the Chinese government has adopted a more measured tone in its comments about Google’s closure of Google.cn and the redirection of users to another site in Hong Kong. “It’s not China that has undermined its image, rather it is Google itself,” a foreign ministry spokesman said of the company’s move this morning.

Google Shutters Google.cn

John Paczkowski in News on March 22, 2010 at 12:08 pm PT

Google has finally adopted the “New Approach to China” that it announced back in January, making good on its threat to end censorship of its services in the country. Earlier today, the company begun redirecting Internet traffic away from its Chinese-language site at google.cn to google.com.hk in Hong Kong.