Archive for December, 2010

Online site probes new privacy fears

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

SMH reports that the website www.reverseaustralia.com is a directory which links names and phone numbers, to addresses.  It has caused the Australian Communications and Media Authority to investigate whether it constitutes a privacy breach.

The service, created by an Australian man living overseas, not only links to phone numbers which may otherwise be unlisted, but also asks users to login using their Facebook details, which is arguably also using private information.

James (first name given only), the maker of the site, wants to create an i-Phone Ap for this service too.

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Posted in ACMA, cybercrime, media, reverse listing, technology | No Comments »

Optus v Vodafone: the Telco wars

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Optus believes that Vodafone Hutchinson is running misleading ads over its new Infinite mobile phone plans, specifically that the qualifications to its plans haven’t been adequately disclosed in its advertising. Infinite plans are touted as an alternative to fixed line rentals, for $45 per month.  So Optus is taking Vodafone to Federal Court over these alleged misleading ads, seeking an interim injunction from these ads being run.

Optus itself has two ongoing cases in the courts whereby the ACCC argues that it is running misleading ads itself.  One is for the ‘unlimited plan’, which the ACCC argues its not what is promised, and another plan is for limits on downloads, which Optus has allegedly not disclosed to customers.

The full article is on SMH here.

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Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Anonymous Aussies take responsibility for Paypal shutdown

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Sydney Morning Herald reveals that a Sydney man (name to be kept secret) was responsible for the denial of service attacks of Paypal, Mastercard and Visa websites, in support of Julian Assange.

Dubbed “Anonymous“, the group claiming responsibility has taken Operation Payback to target companies which are not co-operating with Wikileaks or ‘doing them damage’ says, the Sydney man. “Anybody who’s accusing WikiLeaks of doing anything illegal – it’s just rubbish, because if that were true every journalist in Australia would be going to jail every time they got a leak”.

At face value, Visa and Mastercard appear to have cut off WikiLeaks based on increased pressure from the US government, although they are now feeling the heat themselves for their actions.

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Posted in Assange, Mastercard, Paypal, Visa, WikiLeaks | No Comments »

Heavy fine for SMS Spammer

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Scott Gregory Phillips was fined $2.5 million by the Federal Court, Brisbane, for obtaining the mobile numbers of people from online dating sites and sending them unsolicited texts, some of which were charged for it.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority took proceedings against Mr Phillips for breaches of the Spam Act and the Trade Practies Act., with Mr Phillips being the first person in Australia who had contested the contraventions of the Spam Act.

Justice Logan of the Federal Court is quoted as saying that Mr Hillips was “…at the most senior level…it it involved systematic and studied deception of those who use internet dating websites.”

Read the full SMH article here.

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Posted in fine, Scott Phillips, Spam Act | 1 Comment »