Public Policy Blog
Updates on technology policy issues
Staying connected in post-earthquake Haiti
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Posted by Jacquelline Fuller and Prem Ramaswami for the Google Crisis Response Team
(cross-posted from the
Official Google Blog
)
With relief efforts underway, many displaced Haitians and their friends and families around the world are deeply concerned about the safety and whereabouts of loved ones. In response to the Haitian earthquake, a team of Googlers worked with the U.S. Department of State to create an online People Finder gadget so that people can submit information about missing persons and to search the database.
You'll find this gadget on our
Haiti earthquake response website
as well as on the
State Department website
. In order to prevent the proliferation of multiple missing persons databases (a big problem during Hurricane Katrina), we've made the People Finder gadget standards-based and easily embeddable on any website (
see here
for instructions). The gadget is currently available in English, French and Creole.
We're also helping families in the U.S. stay connected with their loved ones in Haiti by offering free calls to Haiti for the next two weeks via Google Voice. If you don't have a Google Voice account already, request an invitation at
www.google.com/voice
.
For anyone interested in viewing updated imagery in Google Earth, we've now included GeoEye's shots from Wednesday in the
Historical Imagery feature
. Now you can view the imagery without downloading the
KML file
and can use the time slider to easily compare the stark before-and-after images, such as those below. To help relief organizations, GeoEye has made professional-quality files of their recent satellite imagery of Haiti downloadable via our
earthquake response website
. We hope the imagery in this format will be valuable to GIS organizations and aid workers.
(click image to see full-size)
We have also made
Haiti Map Maker data
publicly available for download for non-commercial use and attribution. Data can be used by relief workers to do things such as create offline maps, combine data sets and run analysis, all of which we hope will help with their efforts on the ground. Please help
improve Haiti maps
with Google Map Maker.
News and user footage
continues to roll
into YouTube. Oxfam and the American Red Cross are even responding to donations by
uploading videos
that show viewers exactly where their contributions are making a difference.
Our common ground on the open Internet
Friday, January 15, 2010
Posted by Tom Tauke, Verizon’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Policy and Communications and Alan Davidson, Google’s Director of Americas’ Public Policy
(Cross-posted on
Verizon Policy Blog
)
Last night Google and Verizon filed a
joint submission
in response to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Preserving the Open Internet. This submission, which is in addition to the separate comments that each company filed today, expands on our October
joint blog post
. In that post, we endorsed a principled approach to finding common ground with respect to an open Internet. We expand on that common ground in our joint submission today.
Hey FCC, keep the Internet open -- and awesome!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Posted by Rick Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
There's a lot of awesome stuff on the Internet:
Cats talking LOLspeak
.
Iranian dissidents tweeting
.
Live traffic updates
.
Science experiments
.
All of these things, and so much more, are possible because of the
openness of the Internet
. Any entrepreneur with an idea has always been able to create a website and share their ideas globally – without paying extra tolls to have their content seen by other users. An open Internet made Google possible eleven years ago, and it's going to make the next Google possible.
In
our comments
filed today in the FCC's proposed rulemaking docket, we explained that our goal is straightforward: "to keep the Internet awesome for everybody."
The Internet was designed to empower users. Its open, "
end-to-end
" architecture means that users – not network providers or anyone else – decide what succeeds or fails online. It's a formula that has worked incredibly well, resulting in mind blowing innovation, incredible investment, and more consumer choice than ever.
For the online world's first three decades, a set of FCC regulations protected the openness of the communications on-ramps. Unfortunately, those safeguards were stripped away back in 2005, which since then has led to confusion, uncertainty, and, in some cases, bad acts.
That's why we've argued that the FCC should re-adopt rules to prevent network providers from discriminating against certain services, applications, or viewpoints on the Web, and requiring them to be transparent about how they manage their networks.
More specifically, in our FCC filing, we support:
Adding a nondiscrimination principle that bans prioritizing Internet traffic based on the ownership (the who), the source (the what) of the content or application;
Adding a transparency principle that ensures all users have clear information about broadband providers' offerings;
Providing a carefully-defined "reasonable network management" exception so that broadband providers are empowered to address genuine congestion issues and protect against hazards like malware and spamming;
Applying general openness protections to both wireline and wireless broadband infrastructure; and
Creating better enforcement mechanisms at the FCC, and introducing the concept of technical advisory groups (TAGs) to potentially provide expert advice and resolve disputes.
I sat down with Megan Stull, our telecom policy counsel, to discuss these and other issues. Forgive our video editing, it's a little
Max Headroom
-ish, but hey that's one of the things that make the Internet awesome.
Disaster relief in Haiti
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Posted by Pablo Chavez, Managing Policy Counsel
We have been heartbroken by the footage streaming onto
YouTube
of the devastation caused by yesterday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti and inspired by the generosity people are showing toward relief efforts. Here's a
Google site
that provides disaster relief information -- including ways to donate to the effort online and through SMS.
Video from Monday's Google D.C. Talk on ACTA
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Posted by Mistique Cano, Public Policy Communications Manager
This past Monday, our Washington office
hosted a Google D.C. Talk
on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA. Panelists included Jonathan Band, Ryan Clough, James Love, and Steve Metalitz, and the talk was moderated by Washington Post Consumer Technology Columnist
Rob Pegoraro
. Special thanks to the folks who
submitted questions
on Google Moderator.
In case you missed it, check out the video here:
A new approach to China
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer
(cross-posted from
Official Google Blog
)
Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of US-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.
We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more
here
about our cyber-security recommendations. People interested wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks, can read this U.S. government
report
,
Nart Villeneuve's blog
and
this
presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.
We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.
We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time
we made clear
that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.
New online safety video: Steering Clear of Cyber Tricks
Monday, January 11, 2010
Posted by Mandy Albanese, Policy Communications
Today we're releasing the latest in a series of
online safety videos
as part of our Digital Literacy
campaign
. As we engage more students, parents and teachers about how to make good decisions online, many have noted how difficult it is to identify and avoid online scams. We know how
tricky
scammers can be. Our new video,
Steering Clear of Cyber Tricks
, shares some tips on how to avoid tricky online scams.
FCC seeks short extension to complete National Broadband Plan
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
Today the
FCC asked Congress
for a one-month extension to deliver its National Broadband Plan, explaining that it needs more time to review the public record and to brief key officials. The deadline originally had been set for February 17th.
For years Google has been a vocal proponent of a national broadband strategy, and we're eager to see this plan delivered to Congress as soon as possible. That said, given the immense challenges faced by FCC staff in putting together such a comprehensive and far-reaching document, asking for an additional four weeks is not at all unreasonable. A broadband plan for our country may be too many years overdue, but with so much at stake, it's important to get this done right.
We
continue to believe
that the FCC should set both shorter-term "ubiquity" goals of bringing high-speed Internet access to every single American, and longer-term "stretch" goals of driving the adoption of truly high capacity broadband pipes. We hope the Commission shares this dual vision, and we look forward to seeing their final product.
Introducing the Breaking Borders Awards
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Posted by Rachel Whetstone, Vice President Global Communications and Public Affairs
(Cross-posted from the
European Public Policy Blog
)
Last year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When I visited Berlin last November to participate in a conference entitled
Breaking Borders
, politicians, policy makers, netizens and journalists all agreed on the importance of freedom of expression for a functioning democracy. The web is providing once unimaginable possibilities for political participation, free exchange of information and democratic movements around the world.
As part of the Berlin conference, we announced a plan to work with an NGO called
Global Voices
and with
Thomson Reuters
to establish the Breaking Borders Awards.
The awards will honor outstanding web projects by individuals or groups who have shown courage, energy and resourcefulness in using the Internet to promote freedom of expression, making us aware of diverse political viewpoints and standing up to those who censor information. The winners will be those who are making a real difference. We are delighted to share
further details about the awards and invite nominations
.
Closing date for submissions is February 15. Details on how to apply and the opportunities to join the award committee can be found on the website.
First 2010 Google D.C. Talk on ACTA: the global treaty that could reshape the Internet
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Posted by Mistique Cano, Public Policy Communications Manager
The first Google D.C. Talk of 2010 will be this coming Monday, January 11th and it should be an interesting exchange.
It's on the
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
, known as ACTA, which the U.S. and other countries have been negotiating for the last two years. A number of consumer advocates and technology companies, including
Google
, have raised serious concerns about ACTA's potential reach and the impact it could have on Internet users' rights and innovation.
The talk will be moderated by
Washington Post
Consumer Technology Columnist Rob Pegoraro, who wrote a
must-read piece
on the issue.
The panel will tackle important questions like: Will ACTA preserve the existing balance in intellectual property laws, providing not just enforcement for copyright holders but also appropriate exceptions for technology creators and users? Will it undermine the legal safe harbors that have allowed virtually every Internet service to come into existence? And will it encourage governments to endorse "three strikes" penalties that would take away a user's access to the Internet?
What other questions should be raised? Submit and vote for questions through
Google Moderator
. And, if you can make it, come be a part of the exchange:
When: Monday, January 11, 2009
4:30 p.m. Discussion
Where:
Google D.C.
1101 New York Avenue, NW 2nd Floor
Entrance on Eye Street, Washington, D.C. 20005
Please
RSVP
so we've got enough chairs!
Apple's acquisition of Quattro: more proof of mobile advertising competition
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Posted by Paul Feng, Group Product Manager
When we announced our planned
acquisition of AdMob
in November, we noted that the mobile advertising space is
highly competitive
-- with more than a dozen mobile ad networks. In fact, the experts at
MobiThinking
recently called mobile advertising a "very fragmented" space, in which "no ad network is dominant" and "no one really knows what ad network is biggest."
Today's news that Apple is
acquiring
one of AdMob's competitors, Quattro Wireless, is further proof that the mobile advertising space continues to be competitive. And with more investments and
acquisitions
in the space, including from established players like Apple and Google, that's a sign that vigorous growth and competition will continue. That's ultimately great for users, advertisers and publishers alike.
Our proposal to build and operate a white spaces database
Monday, January 4, 2010
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
It's been a while since we've talked about what's happening with
white spaces
being freed up for wireless broadband, but today we took another step towards making "
Wi-Fi on steroids
" a reality for consumers. In a
submission to the FCC
, we're asking the Commission to designate Google as one of potentially several administrators of a white spaces geolocation database.
When the FCC
voted to open the white spaces
to unlicensed use in November 2008, it required that such a database be deployed before consumer electronics companies could start selling PCs, smartphones, e-book readers or other devices that used this spectrum. Before sending or receiving data, these devices will be required to connect to the database to determine what frequencies can and can't be used in a particular location. Licensed television and wireless microphone signals will be fully protected from harmful interference.
Why are we offering to do this? We continue to be big believers in the potential for this spectrum to revolutionize wireless broadband, and we think it's important for us to step forward and offer our assistance to make that vision a reality. Since
launching the White Spaces Database Group
last February, we've been working with other stakeholders to exchange ideas and perspectives on how to best operate a working database, and we believe we're in a strong position to build and successfully manage one.
We propose to build a database that is publicly accessible and searchable, so that any individual could access and review the data. You can read our full proposal here:
01-04-10 Google White Spaces Database Proposal
We anticipate that the Commission shortly will accept comments on the various database proposals, and will make its final decision sometime this spring.
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