Internet search engines scolded by EU regulators

Euractiv.com reports that EU regulators have reprimanded major search engines Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft's Bing for storing data search queries for too long and by so doing overlooking the bloc's Data Protection Directive. More here

EU countries probe Google data breach

According to Euractiv.com, Google is starting to feel the heat in Europe as several countries launch probes and demand more details about the companies' street-mapping technology, after it emerged that the application had inadvertently collected people's private information.

continue reading here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-countries-probe-google-data-breach-news-494433?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e367f6aa96-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Brussels rolls out 10-year internet masterplan

Half of Europeans subscribing to ultra-high-speed broadband by 2020, bringing an end to 'digital virgins' and the creation of a European cyber-attack response system - these are just some of the ambitious goals contained in the EU's 10-year plan for the online world.

http://euobserver.com/9/30105/?rk=1

Update - change of venue: Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas

I am pleased to inform you that as an exclusive membership benefit, ARMA Europe members will be entitled to a 10% discount on Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas conference that will take place in London on 22-24 June.

Please find the relevant information below.

Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas

Dates:
22 - 24 June 2010

Venue:
CTT Venues, Canary Warf, London

Critical regulatory updates, anti-corruption compliance policies and information privacy, retention and disclosure strategies to reduce exposure and minimise risk

Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas includes 15 industry case studies that will provide you with the strategies and tools you need to minimise liability, maximise compliance and manage the risk – and expense – associated with conducting or responding to an internal or regulatory investigation.

We're excited to announce our latest speakers:

• Ian Johnson, Company Secretary and Group Head of Legal, John Wood Group PLC
• Manuel Soudant, Senior Counsel, Shell
• Vivian Robinson, General Counsel, Serious Fraud Office

You’ll get the latest updates from the regulators including the Serious Fraud Office (UK), FSA, US Department of Justice and more plus in-house case studies on:

• Identifying how recent enforcements will affect you
• Balancing the cost of compliance with the risk of exposure
• Designing an anti-corruption program that addresses your company’s greatest risks
• Building an airtight international compliance programme
• Managing sanctions and risk in eDisclosure and information retention
• Developing strategies to manage multi-jurisdictional and joint investigations

For more information or to register:
Tel: +44 207 368 9300
Email: enquire@iqpc.co.uk
Visit: http://www.oilandgasinvestigations.com/Event.aspx?id=284202&utm_campaign=ARMA&utm_medium=online&utm_source=WebListing&MAC=18722.001_ARMA_WEB

Call for Volunteers: GARP® Steering Task Force

ARMA International's task force structure is built to give you the opportunity to volunteer for targeted, specific opportunities to help the association, the profession, and your own development in a time-sensitive manner. Thank you for considering this volunteer opportunity!

The ARMA Board of Directors has chartered the GARP® Steering Task Force in February 2010, to guide the development of new products and services relative to GARP® Principles and the GARP® Maturity Model. The task force leader is specifically seeking individuals with business development and strategic planning expertise, who can provide oversight and input to the development of new products and services. The GARP® Steering Task Force is expected to charter sub-task forces to accomplish specific pieces of work. However, the members now being sought will provide strategic direction to the overall initiative, within the Board-approved parameters.

Task force members will be asked to serve for one (1) year, with the potential for being re-appointed for a second year if their particular skill sets are still needed. The work of the task force will be conducted almost exclusively by conference call, email, and use of collaborative web sites. There may be a meeting at the San Francisco conference, for those already in attendance.
The task force is seeking three (3) individuals with expertise in the following areas:

• Business development and rollout of new products/services
• Strategic planning and forecasting
• International base and/or perspective

If you are interested in being considered for this task force, please submit your resume and a short (150-200 words) description of why you would like serve on this task force.
Submission deadline: March 15, 2010
Interested candidates should contact:
Diane Carlisle, CRM Director, Professional Resources
Send E-mail

Google bosses convicted in Italy

The BBC reports that an Italian court has convicted three Google executives in a trial over a video showing a teenager with Down's Syndrome being bullied.

The Google employees were accused of breaking Italian law by allowing the video to be posted online.

Judge Oscar Magi absolved the three of defamation but convicted them of privacy violations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8533695.stm

Internet Companies Voice Alarm over Italian Law

Internet companies and civil liberty activists are concerned about a proposed new Italian law that “would make online service providers responsible for their audiovisual content and copyright infringements by users, an article from the Reuters wire stated. The EU Commission might "open an investigation into the decree for infringing EU norms" if the law is passed. The draft legislation has also raised concerns from Italian groups dedicated to freedom of speech.
Further, the new decree could postpone the development of the web even further in a country that already significantly lags behind other Western European nations in terms of Internet usage. As an example, "Only around 10% of Italians buy online compared with around 55% of Britons and Germans," the articles stated.

from the ARMA International International Policy Brief, February 2010
Full International Policy Brief