Cloud computing is transforming entire industries by making massive quantities of computing power available to even the smallest companies on a pay-as-you-go, use-what-you-need basis. Like all new technologies, however, the innovations that have made cloud computing possible also have a darker side. In an article for Ars Technica, veteran journalist Sean Gallagher explains how network hardware manufacturers are combining packet inspection technology with cloud-scale storage and processing capabilities to build internet surveillance systems that can watch the moves that millions make online.… More
Tag Archives: Computing and Software
Microsoft Makes Unilateral Software License Available to Protect Freedom of Expression in Russia
On September 13, Microsoft Corporation announced a major change in policy whereby the company will make a new unilateral software license available to NGOs and certain journalist organizations in Russia.
Microsoft’s announcement came shortly after The New York Times published a front-page article stating that Microsoft’s local counsel had provided assistance to Russian authorities in the criminal prosecution of NGOs and independent journalists on the basis of allegations that these groups were utilizing pirated Microsoft software. Although software piracy is a serious problem across Russia, Russian authorities allegedly targeted journalists and advocacy groups for criminal prosecution. This is not surprising,… More