Web browsers

Suit to Snuff Out "History Sniffing" Takes Aim at Tracking Web Users

Jessica E. Vascellaro, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on December 6, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

A lawsuit filed Friday for alleged use of “history sniffing,” a method for surreptitiously detecting what websites a person has visited, is the latest to take aim at technologies that harvest Internet users’ personal information.

House Committee Asks Professor to Censor Facebook Remarks

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on December 3, 2010 at 12:00 am PT

In an unusual move, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection asked a Columbia University Law School professor to censor his remarks in a hearing about online privacy legislation. “We as members of Congress are never inclined to censor testimony in open congressional hearings,” Rep. Zachary Space, an Ohio Democrat, said when introducing the professor, Eben Moglen. “But Congress tries to foster highest level of decorum. I would ask you to avoid personal attacks against any companies or company employees.”

Microsoft Quashed Effort to Boost Online Privacy

Nick Wingfield, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on August 2, 2010 at 12:00 am PT

The online habits of most people who use the world’s dominant Web browser are an open book to advertisers. That wasn’t the plan at first. In early 2008, Microsoft Corp.’s product planners for the Internet Explorer 8.0 browser intended to give users a simple, effective way to avoid being tracked online.

Safari Reader: A Dislike Button for Online Ads

John Paczkowski in News on June 9, 2010 at 2:45 pm PT

Sure, Apple’s new Safari Reader “removes annoying ads and other visual distractions from online articles.” But does that necessarily make it a threat to ad-supported online publishing or an effort to force advertisers to embrace Apple’s new iAd platform? Not really.

TV Shapes Up as Web Battleground

Jessica Hodgson, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on September 23, 2009 at 8:00 am PT

Convergence between the television and the home computer — a holy grail of the digital age — has largely eluded the industry, but the living-room screen is now emerging as a key battleground for software and Internet companies.

Facebook to Grow Staff by as Much as 50 Percent This Year

Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily in News on August 24, 2009 at 10:15 am PT

Facebook plans to grow headcount by as much as 50 percent amid a surplus of engineering talent, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Bloomberg. “No one else has been hiring,” he said. “It’s been a great environment for us because the economy has helped out.”