White House urges Congress to finalize cyber bill

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) – The White House on Wednesday praised U.S. senators for passing key portions of cyber security legislation aimed at protecting the nation from computer hacks and urged them reach a final measure with counterparts in the House of Representatives

Read more

Internet gap hinders small firms in poor countries, study shows

By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) – A study of small and medium-sized businesses around the world has found that one of the main reasons they underperform – especially in poorer countries – is that they make too little use of the Internet. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Brazil are three times less productive than big firms there while those in India are 10 times less productive

Read more

China will work with U.S. on hacking, defend its interests: official

By Michael Martina BEIJING (Reuters) – China opposes Internet attacks and wants to work with the United States in cyberspace but will defend its interests, a senior Chinese official said on Thursday, after U.S. President Barack Obama warned of a forceful response to hacking

Read more

Facebook must obey German law even if free speech curtailed: minister

By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) – Facebook will have to abide by German laws banning racist sentiment even if it might be allowed in the United States under freedom of speech, Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with Reuters. Maas, who has accused Facebook of doing too little to thwart racist and hate posts on its social media platform, said that Germany has zero tolerance for such expression and expects the U.S.-based company to be more vigilant.

Read more

Google rejects ‘unfounded’ EU antitrust charges of market abuse

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Google, the world's most popular Internet search engine, rejected on Thursday European Union antitrust charges that it abused its market power, saying they lacked any economic or legal basis. “Economic data spanning more than a decade, an array of documents and statements from complainants all confirm that product search is robustly competitive,” Kent Walker, Google's general counsel, wrote in a blog

Read more

U.S. TV networks court YouTube crowd in quest for digital viewers

By Lisa Richwine ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) – For the first time, cable TV network Nickelodeon staged a casting call at VidCon, a convention that draws stars of YouTube and social media like Vine, Instagram and Snapchat and their passionate followers. The Viacom-owned channel's talent search is one way traditional TV networks are recruiting Internet personalities to build audiences. YouTube stars include comedians, beauty gurus, product reviewers, gamers, musicians and fitness buffs who post videos of themselves, often looking directly into the camera.

Read more

Clinton, congressional Benghazi panel at odds over appearance date

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign said on Saturday the former secretary of state will testify on Oct. 22 before a House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attacks, but a spokesman for the panel said no date had been set. Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, chairman of the Benghazi investigation committee, had sought to hear from Clinton on the attacks, in which four Americans were killed, and her use of a private email account while she was America's top diplomat.

Read more