Tell me all that you are, and there will be no sex offenders on SNS. Identity stakes go up another notch in NY

Outlaw reports that "sex offenders will be banned from using social networking sites under a law proposed in the US state of New York." The law would, if enacted permit the release of offenders details to SNS operators in order to restrict them from using these sites. In this regard, the "offenders" would have to register all of their online identities, internet acounts and email id's with with the police as conditions of their probation or parole. The New York Senate passed the proposed law this week, and it remains to be debated by the Assembly.

A step forward, but a bit over ambitious I think for the following reason: how would you register a uncreated identity? How will they deal with new identities? How will they prevent these people from stealing other people's identities or using them to their own benefit ? The identity stakes have gone up another notch in New York

Is a single digital identity good for me?

Thought for the day:

You have one key that opens all the (many) doors you need to access.

This is very convenient for you, saves time and makes life so much more hassle free and easy to manage. It saves you the trouble of carrying aorund many keys or remembering where you put them all.

This one key thus becomes a very valuable asset. But surely, this must be ok. Of course, it is. Provided you dilligently look after the key, and keep it safe. Or insure it.

But, what if someone stole that key, and gained access to all your rooms, lockers and hideaways. Yes, you could change the locks and get another similar key.

Then again, what if your key was compromised without your knowledge? And you were targetted on the basis of someone knowing something about you? Perhaps you may never wisen up to this, if you are not overly affected or then again something nasty might happen to you and your personal effects.

Defining digital identity

Here is something I have come up with in my quest for the definition of digital identity. This is only a working definition and all comments and suggestions are welcome.

"Digital identity refers to any digital representation (whole or partial)
of an entity,
in tangible or abstract form,
either self-created,
externally assigned
or consequentially generated."

Watch this space.

Links to this definition: http://citizenl.hors-sujet.com/?p=12

My quest to find the perfect ( or rather holistic) "digital identity" definition is on.

The question is is this possible? Or even advisable?

I'm also very, very upset by the whale killing pictures I've seen. And I'm no vegetarian.

The right to DI life and privacy

Can the right to digital identity be read into the right to life and privacy? or need it be made a separate right altogether? I going to think long and hard about this one. So should you.

Catching up with news

A lot happened while I was busy in the real world. Google, NTT and the US GSA deployed SAML 2.0. Yahoo rolled out OpenID 2.0 framework. The ECJ ruled that the identity of file sharers was to be protected in civil suits. Press reports like this show how golden the biometric goose is. And in India, the MNIC came under fire once again.

Helping men pursue women: another lesson learnt in e-governance

BBC News reports that a text messaging service launched in Madhya Pradesh was withdrawn after complaints that it was being used to gain contact details of women and harrass them !

Virtual thieving = thieving: Its that plain and simple

An arrest for virtual theft. Read the story.

Tch, tch.... wrongful arrests..and who can you trust ?

An IANS report states that a man ( a tech guy) was arrested on "suspicion of having posted insulting images of Chhatrapati Shivaji on Internet networking site Orkut". His innocence was later discovered - and a certain telecom company (who revealed the identity of its customer) and an ISP ( whose networking site the images were posted on) were said to be at fault for providing the wrong information to the police.

See what happens when we leave it to the ISPs?

Chris Soghoian offers an analysis of the events.

Will we get a landmark damages judgment here?

Buddies now -Google and My Space

A BBC report states that MySpace is to join Google's OpenSocial.

And so the Facebook - Google competition is expected to hot up ( in terms of their applications being thrown open to outside software developers.)

Huh, according to a very geekie friend of mine and in anticipation of advent... Its all about Google now

You better watch out ....
Google is taking over town.

So much for the Facebook hype, can we please talk about Orkut now?

Orkut in the dock in Brazil

Google found itself in a not so good position after it reportedly put ads on Orkut beside images of pictures of naked children and abused animals. The ads were suspended and Google's Brazilian Head of Operations is facing criminal contempt charges for refusing to turn Orkut users' data over to police. Orkut has been accused of becoming a portal for criminal acitivities ranging from child porn to racist speech [vide Prof T N De Oliveira's report on the matter]

Update: Reporters Without Borders has urged the Sao Paulo state prosecutor, Rodrigo Cesar Rebello Pinho, to safeguard freedom of speech on 13 November 2008, when an attempt at conciliation between the Brazilian judicial authorities and Google’s Brazilian subsidiary is due to take place.

Truth, distortions and manipulations: Indian ISP liability in the dock

An article in the Times ( a much impassioned one, I must say), alleges that there is a clear and present danger to the Internet in India( don't hold your breath!). Read the full article.

So I thought I would check this out.

And then I saw this- Naavi's rebuttal of the Times of India report.

I shall defer my opinion till more comes to light.

Watch this space.

More data sharing plans

While the plan to merge to merge the U.K.'s General Register Office (which deals with the registration of births and deaths), into the nation's Identity and Passport Service have come under criticism from several quarters- perhaps this is a necessary evil?

Ode to ID Cards

The Pet Shop Boys show their dispproval for ID cards in their new single.

The song is called Integral and is supposed to be an authoritative rant for privacy - perhaps, this form of protest may generate a heightened interest in the debate!

All things real and virtual…

Problem with your company in the real world?
Make a virtual protest…especially if your company has a significant online presence.

Read Outlaw’s Report on Second Life picketing.

There are “real” problems,
There are “virtual” problems,
And there are problems that are both.
Take a “virtual” problem, make it “real”
And a “real,” “virtual”
And that’s the way it should be (is).
© RERodrigues

Creative Commons licenses take a bit of heat with Virgin Mobile being sued over it allegedly using a photo of a girl in an ad without her permission.

Recommended: The ICO's films on identity

I enjoyed ( rather was more than amused) to see the ICO's films on protecting personal information and identity. Have fun watching.

Here's to the Manifesto of Radical Inaction

The Manifesto for Radical Inaction in relation to the legal challenges/ threats posed by Web 2.0 was proposed at the SCL Law 2.0 Conference held in London. It can be found at PanGloss.

My pithier/shorter version:

1. LEGISLATE NOT IN HASTE, NOR GET CARRIED AWAY BY THOSE THAT KNOW NOT WHAT TO DO (BUT LIKE TO PRETEND THEY DO!)

2. LET WEB 2.0 BLOSSOM

3. WHAT (LAW THERE) IS, MUST BE EXTENDED AND APPLIED.

4. AND WHILE WE FIGURE OUT THE BEST SOLUTION, IP AND PRIVACY MUST TAKE CENTRESTAGE!

I think I'm going to carry these in my wallet as a perpetual reminder. Hurrah to Chris Reed.

Bitten by the bug: so who else can I find on Orkut?

It was hard to undertand why employers were rushing off to ban the use of social networking sites. There was I over the weekend with a bit of time to spare -and decided to take a peek into the going ons in the social networking world. Now I'm in and I understand just how those employers must feel. Everyone seems to be in ( and everything as well!).

It starts like this- you create a profile and start finding friends who have friends who you were once friends with and you want to be their friend again, or simply say hello and then you discover they are connected to another of those elusive acquaintances of yours. I'm sure you get the drift.

I always did wonder

Doctorow gives a very illustrative account of what would happen in a Googled world.

What will the future be, I ponder...

Bored of Web 2.0, then here's Web 3.0

There was me
Just getting friendly with Web 2.0
And now it looks like
it will soon be the next decade and Web 3.0!

Found this very interesting Round-up on web 3.0 and maybe you can also re-think the history of the web.