Cybersecurity

Google to end China censorship after e-mail breach

Published on: January 13, 2010 | by Law Offices of Salar Atrizadeh

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Google Inc. will stop censoring its search results in China and may pull out of the country completely after discovering that computer hackers had tricked human-rights activists into exposing their e-mail accounts to outsiders.

The change of heart announced Tuesday heralds a major shift for the Internet’s search leader, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws requiring some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results available in other countries. The acquiescence had outraged free-speech advocates and even some shareholders, who argued Google’s cooperation with China violated the company’s “don’t be evil” motto.

The criticism had started to sway Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who openly expressed his misgivings about the company’s presence in China.

Changes to Facebook User Privacy Settings

Published on: January 5, 2010 | by Law Offices of Salar Atrizadeh

Facebook Privacy Changes Claimed as Unfair and Deceptive

On December 17, 2009, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) petitioned the Federal Trade Commission claiming that changes to Facebook user privacy settings constituted an unfair and deceptive practice.

In early November and December, 2009, Facebook changed the process by which users set their respective privacy settings. EPIC alleges that the changes are confusing, replace the simple complete opt-out of information sharing through the Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect functions, and require third party application users to provide developers with personal information that users formerly would have been able to prevent application developers from accessing. The complaint requests that the FTC compel Facebook to restore its former privacy settings.

Cyber and Internet Law — Computer Intrusion

Published on: November 11, 2009 | by Law Offices of Salar Atrizadeh

Dear Blog Members: In this first blog I have posted information that was obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website relating cyber crimes and computer intrusions. As an attorney, I believe that consumers need to be aware of the risks involved in using computers at home or your workplace. Please read the following excerpt and contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

My website is

www.atrizadeh.com. Thank you!