Iceland Considers Internet Pornography Ban
By Charlie Stiernberg – Edited by Sarah Jeong

The Associated Press reports that authorities in Iceland are considering a proposal by Interior Minister Ögmundur Jónason to ban pornography on the Internet. Pornography has been illegal in the country for decades, but the law is vague and therefore seldom enforced. The new proposal would not create any new restrictions, but it would reinforce existing law by expressly defining “pornography” as material with violent or degrading content.

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Written By: Gillian Kassner Edited By: Matt Gelfand Editorial Policy In a 2009 Los Angeles Times article, “Beijing Loves IKEA – But Not for Shopping,” reporter David Pierson offered a humorous account of the weekend excursions of Beijing families to their local IKEA where they enjoyed free soda and Swedish meatballs, snapped family photographs, surveyed the merchandise, and went home. Pierson noted that purchasing anything at the Beijing IKEA “can seem like an afterthought.” What Pierson failed to include was an ... Read More...

U.S. Signs the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) By Amara Osisioma and Matt Gelfand – Edited by Andrew Segna Text of the Agreement On October 1, the United States — as well as Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea — signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (“ACTA”). Ars Technica provides commentary. The press release by the signatories indicated that the Agreement was necessary because “the proliferation of counterfeit and pirated goods poses considerable challenges for legitimate trade and ... Read More...

By Daniel Doktori Philadelphia School District Settles Laptop Spying Case The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday that the Lower Merion school district has settled with two students whose school-issued laptops had webcams that were remotely activated by school officials. Plaintiff Blake Robbins’ parents initiated the suit in February after a school administrator confronted Robbins of wrongdoing using photo evidence of his home taken from the computer’s webcam. CNN reports that the school agreed to pay $175,000 to the family of ... Read More...

By Emily Hootkins New Law Improves Access to Technology for Disabled Bloomberg Businessweek and The Associated Press report that President Obama has signed into a law a bill requiring the telecommunications industry to enhance the accessibility of devices and programming for Americans with vision and hearing loss.  The bill could improve the quality of life for an estimated 61 million disabled people.  Among other requirements, the law sets new federal guidelines regarding accessible user interfaces on smart phones, telephone compatibility with hearing aids, ... Read More...