One Direction in hot water for tweets that asked for photos of tattoos from fans that could be seen to encourage use of “body art” in young fans

Think your internet password is safe? Think again |How Twitter Knows So Much About You Before You’ve Even Signed Up |How Facebook could get you arrested |One Direction Social Media Mistake; forced to delete social media requests for tattoo photos for ‘encouraging body art’

The DigitalLawUK Examiner is out today – click here for a closer look!

As work and social life shift on to the internet, and people freight their profiles with more valuable data, there’s growing consensus that passwords – ‘icecream’, ‘tomcat’, ‘loveyou’ – are no longer up to the job of keeping out intruders (be they 14-year-old ‘script kiddies’ or state-sponsored agents). Passwords can be forgotten, guessed, tricked or stolen from databases. Bill Gates was among the first – almost 10 years ago – to pronounce them “dead”; now the reedy voice of Microsoft’s founder has been joined by a chorus of hundreds – from hacked individuals to governments to Google itself.

If you’ve been on Twitter for years, like many people in the tech and business world, it’s easy to forget what it was like signing up and using it for the first time.The truth is that learning to use Twitter was really hard back then, and many new users abandoned the service. In 2009, its retention rate was worse than MySpace, threatening its ability to grow to critical mass. Too many new users were simply too confused to stick around and learn how to read and write 140-character posts.It got over that. Twitter now has more than 200 million active monthly users. And a key reason why is its slick process for onboarding users.

The police have a very bright future ahead of them – and not just because they can now look up potential suspects on Google. As they embrace the latest technologies, their work is bound to become easier and more effective, raising thorny questions about privacy, civil liberties, and due process.For one, policing is in a good position to profit from “big data“. As the costs of recording devices keep falling, it’s now possible to spot and react to crimes in real time. Consider a city like Oakland in California. Like many other American cities, today it is covered with hundreds of hidden microphones and sensors, part of a system known as ShotSpotter, which not only alerts the police to the sound of gunshots but also triangulates their location. On verifying that the noises are actual gunshots, a human operator then informs the police.

Finally, One Direction have been forced to delete social media requests for fans to submit photos and footage of their tattoos after accusations they were encouraging their young fans to have body art. On Saturday night, statues on their Facebook and Twitter pages asked for devotees with One Direction tattoos to share photos of them online. As many of the boy band’s fans are under 18 – the legal age in the UK to have a tattoo – there were fears many would want to go under the needle in a bid to be noticed by their idols.

Think your internet password is safe? Think again… – Features – Gadgets & Tech – The Independent

ICO publishes BYOD data protection guide | IT PRO

EU ministers agree on risk-based approach for data protection

Infosecurity – Brussels under pressure to soften EU data protection rules

Google nears settlement over Street View privacy breach – SlashGear

US School Official Accused of Accessing Student’s Facebook Page – ABC News

At The Vatican, A Social Media Blackout Keeps Cardinals Pure : NPR

How Twitter Knows So Much About You Before You’ve Even Signed Up – SFGate

Trending for the wrong reasons: Clegg falls foul of Twitter’s ire – Telegraph

White Cliffs of Dover are in France, according to the local phone signal | Metro News

BBC News – Google Street View – a closer look – Raising issues of Privacy

How Facebook could get you arrested | Technology | The Observer

One Direction Social Media Mistake; forced to delete social media requests for tattoo photos for ‘encouraging body art’

Ever sat down and read Facebook’s 14,000 word terms of service?

When Instagram released a new privacy policy last December that suggested the company would sell users’ photos to advertisers without any compensation to the user,many users were worried. After Instagram announced the policy change, more than half of its 16.7 million users deleted their accounts. Instagram returned to the original privacy policy soon after the debacle, but much of the damage carried on into 2013.

Instagram’s slip-up is only one of many social media scandals in recent years. Sites including Facebook and Instagram have attempted to monetize their products, often at the expense of their users’ privacy. Instagram’s recent controversy serves as a reminder of the struggle social media users face: walking the line between sharing their content and protecting their privacy. When Instagram announced its policy change, some of its users were outraged, and many were confused about how Instagram had the right to sell their photos at all. many did not see how it could possibly be legal. 

However, it’s all explained in the terms and conditions agreement. The Terms and Conditions page determines what a company, such as Facebook or Instagram, can and cannot do with its users’ content and its policies. It’s like signing a contract: It’s a commitment that users sign willingly. Facebook users are at a serious disadvantage when signing up for an account because there is no contract negotiation involved.

When you agree to the terms and services — their terms and services — you are giving up your right to negotiate those terms. What you’re giving up is a good amount of control for your privacy. You are trusting that Facebook is not going to violate a general norm in society when it comes to acceptable protections of privacy and change its rules mid-game.

Without power to negotiate, users cannot fight against any changes that Facebook decides to make in its terms and agreement, now or in the future.  Last May, Facebook introduced the new “Timeline” format, and with it, a few data policy changes that required information such as gender, profile picture and cover photo to remain public.  Users who were unhappy with these requirements were simply told by Facebook’s blog site that they could delete their profile pictures and cover photos.

Similarly, when Instagram published their controversial public policy, the company was within its rights to make such changes.  Just as Facebook utilizes its user information to personalize ads, Instagram could have taken its users’ photos, if not for the consumer backlash that cut their consumer base in half. It’s all in the terms and conditions. But because of heavy legal jargon and length (Facebook’s terms and conditions page is more than 14,000 words), not many people bother to read the document. Research suggests less than one percent of social media users read it. Of that percentage, only a fraction understands what they’re reading. That means 99 percent of Facebook users do not realize what they’re signing up for.

Because of the confusing nature of the terms and conditions, many people have risen up to protest, forming websites like biggestlie.com and commonterms.net. Both these websites petition for easier-to-understand terms and conditions agreements.   They also summarize the documents for those who don’t want to spend time reading. The terms and conditions may be binding, but concerned users can still protect themselves. Just hit “delete.” There is no foolproof, iron-clad way of protecting ourselves, but if you don’t like what a site is doing though, you can always delete your account.

But for many people, opting out of social media is not a realistic option. Its role in most people’s lives continues to expand and social media sites are gaining users everyday.  Facebook itself recently passed over one billion users—nearly one-seventh of the global population—according to Facebook’s website. Many professions all but require Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, especially those in the communications field.

If deleting an account isn’t a plausible or desirable option, users can stay informed of the changes that social media undergoes.  It requires reading the new Terms and Conditions every time there is an update and learning how to use privacy settings effectively.

A site launched in summer 2012 called “We Know What You’re Doing” proves that perfect strangers can see what others post, depending on their privacy settings. Any publically-posted Facebook status is fair game and can be posted to the website. Statuses range from complaints about bosses to descriptions of personal alcohol and drug use. The authors of these posts could have prevented the publicity if they had used their privacy settings, or had not posted it at all.

The newest concern is “Graph Search,” a Facebook feature announced mid-January that is currently in beta testing.  Graph Search was given to a small percentage of Facebook users at random, and the company will open it to all users later in the year. Graph Search acts a lot like Google. Users type in key words and phrases to discover friends with similar likes and interests. It’s like searching tags on Pinterest or Twitter, only it’s searches are much more selective and personal.  Want to find married men in Manchester who like prostitutes? Type it in on Graph Search and the engine will instantly compile a list of candidates who fit the bill. If Facebook permanently installs the Graph Search, it will change how users find their friends and what information they can and cannot protect.

But Graph Search could propel Facebook to the top, overthrowing Google and taking the throne as the new number one search engine. Graph Search can find people and places based on what users and their friends want and like, making it the most personalized search engine on the Internet. Further speculation will likely arise when Graph Search goes into full effect. But users still are not completely powerless. Instagram pulled back when users protested its new private policy by deleting their accounts, and Facebookers can decide whether Graph Search is a desirable tool.

via Privacy Check: Social media changes highlight importance of terms and conditions | The Pendulum.

Another brand that we grew up with looks like heading south with the news that Atari in the US has filed for Bankruptcy protection. The US business has actually boasted modest growth having moved into Digital gaming and looks set to safely emerge on the other side. However its French parent company continues to struggle. So much for the prophecy in Blade Runner where Atari logos can be clearly seen in the futuristic LA depicted in the film.

The Telegraph reports on how Students are losing the art of being able to write the established academic yardstick of the Essay. Text speak has infiltrated the hallowed halls of Oxbridge, with the changing standards of prose seemingly indicative of students spending the majority of their time on social media rather than the library as used to be the case.

The aptly – named Kim Dotcom (yes he did changed his name) has launched the sequel to his ill – fated Megaupload cloud storage facility with a huge party at his New Zealand mansion. He claims his new product is identical to those such as Dropbox.  The creatively – named “Mega” gives users 50GB of free storage space and has already attracted 250,000 users, many of whom struggled to attain access due to the nascent service’s limited server capacity. Mr Dotcom was previously raised by the US and continues to fight extradition to the US over charges that Megaupload facilitated piracy between its users. Any users tempted by the 50GB offered by Mega would be wise to look at the legal limbo currently enjoyed by Megaupload  users who are still unable to access their data.

In Data Protection news, EU commissioner  Reding argues that the proposed EU 2012 Data Protection Regulations  would aid commerce by having modern up to date data protection rules in force across the EU. This is in response to the increasingly vocal business community that is fearful of the effect on growth of more EU red tape in imposing restrictions like the need to report Data Protection breaches within 24 hours along with the trouble of implementing the much – heralded “Right to be Forgotten”.

The BBC also looks at the prevalence of Apps that can record telephone conversations on smartphones. An increasing number of suppliers of VOIP to business users also provide this service. However a quick note to over – zealous business – owners – in the UK  you still need to make sure the caller is aware that you record calls, so having it in a message before you connect the caller is good practice. Those recordings also amount to personal data under the Data Protection Act as the individual can be identified  by their voice, and consequently this data should be stored securely and encrypted in order to comply with the Act.

BBC News – Atari US operations file for bankruptcy protection

BBC News – ‘Curious’ Cuban net cable has activated, researchers say

BBC News – Donated genetic data ‘privacy risk”

BBC News – Kim Dotcom starts new file-sharing site

Art of essay-writing by Students damaged by Twitter and Facebook, Cambridge don warns – Telegraph

BBC News – Web ‘re-defining’ human identity says chief scientist

thinkbroadband :: Welsh dragon awakens from its broadband slumber

Reding: “A modern set of data protection rules is good for growth” | New Europe

Data Protection wars – what is at stake for whom under the new EU Directive – When IT Meets Politics

BBC News – Should we be recording our phone calls?

Exclusive: UK firms seek to limit ICO powers in data protection shake-up – IT News from V3.co.uk

What Businesses Are Doing Wrong on Social Media (And 5 Tips For Success) | LinkedIn

What a difference a day makes. We reported yesterday on the very bitter and personal online feud between Joey Barton and Dieter Hamann. After Hamann considered legal action and presumably after Barton’s Club threw threw the rule book at him he has issued a full and unreserved apology to Hamann for the distress caused to him and his family. While allegedly no publicity is bad publicity, Barton can’t be doing his troubled career much good with engagements like this.

UK consumers could be able to pay via secure transactions using their mobile phone numbers by 2014 according to the BBC. The development of the “mobile wallet” in the UK is behind many other countries in this respect, as it is with 4G, and this date is still a year away.

Meanwhile Regulator PhonepayPlus has noted a 300% increase in complaints from consumers faced with an unexpectedly large phone bill. Many apps can be downloaded for free, but users are then encouraged to buy extra items. Other free apps contained malware that tricked users into running up bills, the regulator added. Another reason to be careful with what you download onto your smartphone.

Finally Google has revealed plans to build a Billion pound HQ in London. Perhaps a pay back for the low UK taxes paid by the corporation to date.

Joey Barton-Dietmar Hamann Twitter row: Barton issues a formal apology to Hamann over online abuse

BBC News – Payments by text message service to launch in UK in spring 2014

BBC News – Phone bill warning to parents over mobile app charges

BBC News – Facebook adds free calling feature for US iPhones

BBC News – ‘Nightclub bouncer’ phishing scam found by researchers

Google to build new £1 billon London HQ in Kings Cross | TechRadar

Graph Search augurs Age of Enlightenment for Facebook | Internet & Media – CNET News

AFP: US software engineer outsources his job to China

The Guardian writes: They were once team-mates at Manchester City but now Joey Barton and Dietmar Hamann have become Twitter enemies following a lengthy, vicious and, at times, hilarious row between the pair on the social media site.

The spat kicked off after Barton sent out a tweet in which he claimed his Marseille team-mate Loïc Rémy had “signed for QPR”. Barton being Barton, however, he could not leave it there and, querying why the France forward had appeared to have pulled out of a long-mooted move to Newcastle, he added: “probably Llambas [sic] again!” in reference to the north-east club’s managing director, Derek Llambias.

Bringing back memories of his days at Liverpool, Hamann then stuck the boot in, telling Barton to “do yourself a favour and stay out of club politics QPR and NUFC have paid you well for playing not to commentonrecruitment”.

Bringing back memories of his days at most of the clubs he has played for, Barton launched back aggressively, tweeting: “trying to give me stick you cheeky man. Get your own life in order first… #peopleinglasshouses”.

Back came Hamann with: “I never said a bad word about my ex clubs and I never will as that’s called respect and dignity Joseph. You got a lot to learn”, before Barton went in two-footed with: “what about they way I seen you prepare for a game. That dignified? Worst pro I’ve ever seen Youve got more front than Harrods” and “only cos your trying your b*llocks off to get a job now your skint. Don’t try a be all self righteous u blert. I know u!”

Hamann, who played with Barton at City during the 2006-2007 season, has admitted in the past to having a gambling problem that “one night cost me over £200,000″ and, during Monday evening’s Twitter row, admitted he “loved a pint”, but he denied other, stronger accusations from Barton, instead telling his one-time City team-mate to “light a candle for [Tony] Fernandes [the QPR chairman] and Llambias every day for paying you that money”.

To that, Barton replied with: “Not having idiots like you talking like u actually have a clue!”, having challenged Hamann, in the same tweet, to “have it out publicly”.

Showing a tad more class, Hamann responded with: “The problem is that you think because you play in France you think you are an international player #farfromit”.

The argument ran on and on, with Barton calling Hamann a “maggot” and the former Germany international sarcastically referring to the Huyton-born 30-year-old as an “England international”. In total, there were more than 50 tweets exchanged between the pair, with Barton’s final message containing the sort of crass oddness he has become renowned for using on Twitter: “Disappointed in myself for getting involved in that. But never let a dog try to tell u its not a dog an that u are! A dogs a fucking dog…”

To that, Hamann’s replied with: “I’m chuffed to be a dog in your eyes … i hope you can look in the mirror tomorrow”.

The world awaits the next instalment of this 140-character slag-off.

via Joey Barton and Dietmar Hamann trade insults in vicious Twitter row | Football | guardian.co.uk.

CBS recommends that prior to looking for a job candidates should check the privacy settings of their social media accounts and review them for any inappropriate comments and photos. However a line has to be reached between sanitizing a profile and keeping it as a useful tool for an employer to see. Some extreme examples are also available from The Drum of tweets and posts that have lost people their jobs. Suffice to say anything that could be viewed as discriminatory or offensive should never be posted online as you never know who may see it. Meanwhile in frustration a MP appears to have tried to pull the social media equivalent of a “don’t you know who I am?” on her twitter account after being delayed on an automated line and use her 25,000 followers as leverage. However the tweet was not actually sent to the bank but to a long vacated handle. Consequently the MP was left feeling as annoyed and powerless as everyone else who has to go through the misery of an automated call system.  Twitter has also come under fire in France due to a series of posts that are highly controversial,  discriminatory and offensive. Several matters have gone to court with moves taken to get Twitter to take such posts down.

In technology news, Lenovo gets around the accusation that technology is stopping people from communicating in family and social environments by looking at a large coffee table sized tablet that could be used by up to 4 people. This could make checking email and updating social media a communal experience!

Meanwhile the EU Data Protection regulations drafted last year continue to worry the tech industry, with Facebook and Google both concerned over how the way they currently take users data and manage it could be under threat in the EU as the regulations are currently drafted. BT Has faced censure from the Advertising Standards Agency after it was found to have  exaggerated and then progressively moved back the anticipated availability of fibre optic broadband for customers, with customers waiting many months after they were originally advised that the technology would be available for the service to be supplied.

Finally, a Scottish Council has created new guidelines and practices for how staff should handle personal data after confidential personal data was found lying in a car park and the loss of data was said to have become “endemic” in the organisation.

Social Media

CBS News

Job interview? Prep your Facebook, Twitter profile

Telegraph

MP tries to use Twitter to jump the call centre queue. And messes it up

The Drum

Twitter and Facebook posts that have got people sacked

The Drum

Twitter reveals that people power lies behind analysing data in real time

 London Evening Standard

“Help, I’m addicted to Facebook and Twitter”

Guardian

Twitter under fire in France over offensive hashtags

Gizmodo UK

Facebook: Instagram User Exodus? What Instagram User Exodus?

Huffington Post

Facebook Data Will Be Better Understood And Better Utilised By Retailers In 2013, Claims Venda

Telegraph

Texan property developer one of just three accounts followed on Twitter by North Korea

Data Protection

Businessweek

Facebook, Google May Face Tougher EU Curbs on Data Usage

Guardian

Facebook and Google may be forced to ask permission to use personal data

Wired UK

MEP’s strict amendments to EU data protection worry tech industry

Dumfries and Galloway Standard

Council steps up data protection policy change

New Statesman

Can Ned RocknRoll’s facebook pictures really be called “private”?

Regulatory

The Register

BT in ad slapdown after ‘misleading’ punters on fibre deployment dates

The Inquirer

BT gets its wrist slapped over Infinity promises

Technology

Mail Online

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC: The PC that can bring the family together

If you see any other Digital Law related news online today, please let me know in the comments below

 The Independent gives guidance on why Students shouldn’t use twitter. However they have ignored the most important reason why Students should not go on Twitter – damage to their job prospects. Unless they can be sure that they will use the account to promote themselves and their skills applicable to their chosen career, the damage that can be done by a poorly thought out twitter account carrying stories of late nights out, unattended lectures and seminars that could easily be classed as “boring”, you could be giving ammunition to a future interviewer to shoot them down in that crucial job interview. I have heard of candidates seeing to their horror full printouts of their Twitter or Facebook account being produced in an interview and being asked to account for a specific post or tweet.Unless you want to take the time and care to maintain your Digital Footprint and avoid this kind of thing happening, keep your social media accounts limited and the privacy settings turned up as high as they will go!

In the meantime Twitter, like a large number of international corporations that operate in the UK, is posting tiny profits that will attract a minimal tax liability. Twitter has also seen another data protection breach after the wife of Michael Gove posted his mobile phone number in a tweet last night.

The BBC runs with comments from an MP that the UK is dangerously unprepared for a cyber attack and complacent to the risks. This comes on the same day that President Obama has proposed 3 appointments to the US State Dept who are keen to introduce more technology along the lines of drone and cyber attack and defence capabilities. meanwhile the Guardian carries the concerns of the UK ICO Christopher Graham who has warned of the effects on journalism that could take place if all of the Leveson recommendations concerning Data Protection were to come into force. To put these remarks into context it must be remembered that the ICO came in for quite a rough ride when he was interviewed at the Leveson Inquiry.

The new Draft EU Data Protection Regulations are covered in a report from MEPs, while Facebook continues to wrestle with the strict German Data Protection laws in Schleswig – Holstein. Already there is no “like” button in this German state, and they are now looking to levy $27,500 in fines due to Facebook prohibiting users from having anonymised pages. This choice has to be provided under German law.

The immense size of the smartphone and technology market is also illustrated with Samsung’s aim to achieve sales of $232 Billion in 2013. The escalation in smartphone and tablet ownership forecast for 2013/4  will lead to similarly large projected sales for most of the sector, but with many manufacturers including Nokia, HTC and Blackberry facing a squeeze in the face of the products from Samsung and Apple.

Independent

Sony Xperia Z: The waterproof smartphone that takes the peril out of texting in the bath

Asiaone.com

Samsung expects to post $232 billion in sales

guardian

Leveson data protection plans ‘could have chilling effect on journalism’

PC Advisor

MEP’s report on new EU data protection rules gets critical reception

Socialbarrel.com

Facebook Takes Firm Stand Against German Data Protection Law

TechRadar

Twitter posts meagre profits of £16,500 in the UK

Sun

Security alert after Wife sends Tweet containing Michael Gove’s Mobile phone number

The Independent

9 reasons why students shouldn’t join Twitter – Student

BBC News 

UK ‘complacent’ over military cyber attack risk, MPs warn

Please let me know in the comments below if you see any other Digital Law news online today

The Independent reporrts that this March will mark Twitter’s seventh birthday, and the service now has in excess of 500 million users, sending over 340 million tweets per day. But what do your fellow students actually say on there which is of any importance to anyone?! People with too much time on their hands natter on about what’s “trending” and about their #lols #jokes #hashtags but should you care? The dreaded January exam season is about to grip us, so in order to limit procrastination this is more important than usual; here are nine reasons why NOT to join Twitter:

You’re only doing it because you feel you should

All of your friends are guffawing over that hysterical hipster parody account, and you just feel a bit left out. What if Twitter is actually something you really enjoy once you begin?! But lets face it, Twitter has been around for almost seven years so if you really wanted to join you would have done it before now. I don’t think you and Twitter are going to get on.

It’s just another way to avoid revision

You think Twitter is futile and find it hilarious to refer to people who use Twitter as “twits.” But by the time you have chosen your background and gone through all 137 of your Facebook profile pictures to find an appropriate photo, you realise that an hour of your day has already disappeared. An hour where you should have been cramming for this afternoon’s exam. Turn back now before it is too late.

You don’t have time

That hour which you have just wasted making your profile and thinking of a witty ‘bio’ (whilst only managing to muster something along the lines of “I’m 20 and study Geography at Southampton Uni”) can never be returned to you. And this is just the beginning. You have plenty of other beneficial things to be doing; just look at that stack of reading and ennui-inducing lecture notes which you need to squeeze into your exhausted mind! You persuade yourself that Twitter will be worthwhile. You are wrong.

You feel weird about the concept of ‘following’ people

If you ‘follow’ people around in real life, it is illegal, but you’re somehow expected to find it acceptable to ‘follow’ people on here?! Firstly you ‘follow’ your close friends but you’re unsure whether it is weird to ‘follow’ people that you’ve only met a few times. It is all a bit strange but before you know it you are following your lecturers, a parody account of Big Ben, and Humphrey, a divorced plumber who lives in Scarborough.

You have nothing to say

After editing your profile and following a few people, you’ll sit there for 10 minutes deliberating over what your first tweet should be, before posting something truly exhilarating to your 0 followers like “omg so drunk last night, now going to my lecture #hungover.” Deep down you know that in 140 characters, whatever you say is either not worth saying, or is worth more space than Twitter allows.

The amount of useless information is overwhelming

Soon enough you are following swarms of mindless individuals who tweet about their increasingly intriguing days (“Lush 10 and a half hours sleep! Now for a day in the library!”). Your timeline is riddled with morons lamenting over their burnt dinner, and Humphrey the plumber trying to sell you an excellent deal on a second hand kitchen U-bend.

You will get addicted

It might take a few hours, days or weeks, but it will happen. You will spend every spare second scrolling through an unending list of drivel, forcing yourself to read every single tweet, because what if you have missed a really important one? Time spent in lectures, on the bus, and waiting for friends becomes time when doing anything but checking Twitter is inconceivable. It is the last thing you do before you go to sleep, and as soon as the morning comes you check it to find out all of the important information that you missed whilst you were asleep; the news that Joey Essex really likes Marmite.

Hashtags are annoying

Procrastinating Twitter rookies are the biggest culprits of mind-blowingly aggravating hashtags. Some of those which I have seen implicated include: #lovegeography #mushroomcurry #somuchh #hotbath #IMSOOOOOOOOCOLD #arrrrhhhhh #9amlecture #xxxxx. No one needs these in their life.

No one wants you there anyway

If your friends were to tell you the truth, they would admit that they let out a thundering groan when they received that e-mail informing them that you were their new follower. They feel obliged to follow you back in order to avoid an argument but you are boring enough in real life. No-one wants to see you moaning about how you really need a hair cut or about the catastrophe when you discovered that there was only one fish finger left in the freezer. Even your lecturers comment on how banal your tweets are. Just leave, now. Leave and never return.

via 9 reasons why students shouldn’t join Twitter – Student – The Independent.

However as some of the Manchester United players have found to their cost, there can be problems when tweets and posts on social media provoke controversy if they are interpreted as being discriminatory or offensive in some way. Players, managers, officials and coaching staff can all be judges as bringing the game into disrepute which can lead to disciplinary measures or even job losses if they make sensitive tweets or posts – even criticising a match official  over Social Media can have dire consequences.

The Independent reports that the Bolton Wanderers manager, Dougie Freedman, has revealed he is concerned with striker Marvin Sordell’s persistent social networking.

Bolton players were issued with social media guidelines after Freedman took charge in October, and the former Crystal Palace manager has pinpointed Sordell as a problem.

“It could be bordering on an obsession with Twitter and Facebook and all the things that go on with these kids,” said Freedman.

“We are trying to work with him – by taking his phone off him. We have just got to get him settled down and help him with some of the off-the-field antics.”

Sordell has faced racial insults on Twitter in recent months after a young Millwall fan was banned for racially abusing him in October.

via Marvin Sordell ‘hooked on Facebook’, says Dougie Freedman – Football League – Football – The Independent.

In the news today: 1 Billion Smartphones to be shipped in 2013 | Facebook Scam targets FB page owners | Smartphone Security Guide | iphone user gets £19K Bill | Footballer “Hooked” on Social Media | Facebook to pay users for sharing content

The news that 1 Billion smartphones will be shipped in 2013 will bring the global total in circulation to over 2 Billion. With more than 50% of website views usually coming from phones and tablets, the way we acccess data online will continue to evolve further in 2013. Yet it is estimated that 1/5 of users never actually use their smartphones to go online due to confusion over tariffs and fear of high data charges. Stories like that of the iphone user facing a £19K bill due to a malfunctioning phone can’t help. The network actually tried to take money from the user’s account and are investigating with Apple to ensure that the charges have indeed been made due to a malfunction, leaving the user to a nervous wait.

Another scam on Facebook targets those operating their own pages. Users are set to receive a phising “security” message confirming that their page is in violation and requiring verification, i.e. for the user to enter personal data. Users should refrain from doing so, and note that the link that the message is supplied with begins “apps.facebook” – hence it is taking users to a third party app, not a official Facebook page.

The US Federal Government has provided a helpful guide to basic smartphone security measures – users can select their type of phone and see the initial steps they should take to guard their privacy and security online.

Meanwhile the Independent refers to a Bolton Wanderers footballer whose addiction to Social Media has led to the club trying to keep him away from his smartphone after he has engaged in exchanges with other users online that have harmed his reputation, that of the club and potentially the FA. All sports organisations should take note.

Mark Zuckerberg and many of his staff became Billionaries and Millionaires overnight in 2012 after Facebook’s IPO. Now, after a court settlement, many users stand to receive a nominal $10 due to the sharing that they carried out online which made Facebook so valuable in the first place.

InsideFacebook.com

New scam targets Facebook page owners

Telegraph 

Lewd Facebook confessions ‘making students unemployable’

UK ICO 

ICO committing to producing by May this year a Code of Practice on the processing of personal data by the press in response to Leveson

FCC.Gov

Make sure you know how to protect your new phone with the FFC Smartphone Security Checker

HuffingtonPost

Facebook’s Sponsored Stories Settlement Means It’s Facebook’s Turn To Pay You

BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT

Think tank calls for ‘broadband for all’ across the UK

Mail Online

iPhone user hit with £19,000 Orange bill for ‘excessive internet usage’ after fault with mobile

Computing News

Barclays’ own cloud technology ‘will slash 90 per cent of IT costs’

USA Today

Apple App Store tops 40 billion downloads

Guardian

Tablet enthralls CES 2013 by treading thin line between computers and paper

Telegraph

Smartphone shipments ‘to reach 1bn in 2013′

Independent

Bolton Footballer Marvin Sordell ‘hooked on Facebook’, Club trying to limit player’s Social Media activity

Wired UK

Facebook’s questionable policy on violent content toward women

Please let me know in the comments below if you see any other Digital Law related news elsewhere online today