Beijing official says Chinese have no need for blocked websites

By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) – If Beijing is successful in its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics then foreigners who attend will get uncensored Internet access, but this isn't an issue for Chinese who “don't like” sites like Facebook and Twitter, an official said on Wednesday.

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Battle for African Internet users stirs freedom fears

By Joe Brock JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Google and Facebook are at the forefront of a scramble to win over new African Internet users, offering freebies they say give a leg-up to the poor but which critics argue is a plan to lock in customers on a continent of 1 billion people.

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Battle for African Internet users stirs freedom fears

By Joe Brock JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Google and Facebook are at the forefront of a scramble to win over new African Internet users, offering freebies they say give a leg-up to the poor but which critics argue is a plan to lock in customers on a continent of 1 billion people.

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India’s top court upholds free speech on the Internet

By Suchitra Mohanty NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India's top court struck down a law on Tuesday that gave authorities powers to jail people for offensive online posts, a verdict hailed as a victory for free speech in the world's largest growth market for the Internet. Section 66A of the country's Information and Technology (IT) Act was challenged in the Supreme Court by law students, bloggers, writers and rights groups following arrests across the country for statements posted on social media sites

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Online platform ‘Open Humans’ launches to share DNA, other data

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) – People eager to share personal information beyond what’s on their Facebook profile have another outlet: an online platform launching on Tuesday will let them give scientists information about their genomes, gut bacteria and other biological data. The “Open Humans Network” aims to make more health-related data available for scientists to mine for discoveries and also help volunteers make that data more accessible to more researchers. Open Humans is launching when scientists are increasingly concerned that valuable genetic and other data are being kept under wraps.

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FCC sued by broadband companies over net neutrality rules

By Alina Selyukh WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. broadband providers on Monday filed lawsuits against the Federal Communications Commission's recently approved net neutrality rules, launching what is a expected to be a series of legal challenges. Broadband industry trade group USTelecom filed a lawsuit against the FCC in the U.S.

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Facebook clarifies rules on banned content

Facebook Inc clarified its rules banning certain content from its social network, as the Internet company strives to curb controversial posts such as support for violent militant groups and nudity without damaging its status as a global hub for users to share information. The 1.39 billion-member social network updated its “community standards” late Sunday, providing specific examples of content prohibited under its general rules against direct threats, hate speech and criminal activity.

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N.Y. man missing ahead of fraud trial over Facebook claim: lawyer

By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) – An upstate New York man, who was set to face trial in May for attempting to defraud Facebook Inc and founder Mark Zuckerberg, is missing, his lawyer said on Monday. Paul Ceglia, 41, had been required to wear an electronic bracelet before his trial. Representatives for Bharara's office and the Marshals Service did not respond to requests for comment.

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