Articles by Lachlan Urquhart

About Lachlan Urquhart

Lachlan Urquhart is a legal academic from Edinburgh, Scotland who has completed an LL.B at the University of Edinburgh and recently concluded a postgraduate LL.M in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law at the University of Strathclyde. For more articles from Lachlan, visit his blog.

ACTA update: The fight goes on...

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ACTA has received considerable criticism from a number of high-profile sources, but don't write it off just yet. there is still a chance it could become law.

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New Bill in the UK wants internet to be censored from porn by default

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A new Bill wants to protect children by requiring all users to opt-in if they want to access porn. This would create a system of censorship by default. Is this necessary when parents already have access to porn-management tools?

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A new cookie recipe: The International Chamber of Commerce UK Cookie Guide

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As of next month, the ICO will be enforcing new(ish) rules on cookies and consent, but is the business world ready? And if not, will the International Chamber of Commerce's UK Cookie Guide provide the tools to help them comply?

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Stopping the zombies: introducing the new FCC anti-botnet code

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A new voluntary code of conduct for ISPs in the US creates new measures for addressing botnets. Does it go far enough?

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Cyberwar: hype or reality?

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Is "cyberwar" really upon us? Is a "digital Pearl Harbour" imminent? And is an international agreement on "cyberarms" a plausible solution?

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Smartphone apps are sending your data to China

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A Sunday Times report found that many smartphone apps are collecting too much personal data and then sending it outside the EU to the US, Israel, China and India. But do these countries meet EU data protection standards?

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New privacy guidelines for mobile app developers

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Host of the Mobile World Congress, the GSMA, have launched new guidelines for mobile app developers to increase transparency and trust between users and companies. Will it work?

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Controversial ACTA is referred to the European Court of Justice

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The heated debate across Europe about ACTA has led the European Commission to refer the controversial agreement to the European Union's highest court.

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IMP or CCDP? Who cares, it's still storing your data

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The Communications Capabilities Development Programme is the British government's attempt at rehashing the opposing Labour party's failed surveillance reforms.

The Interception Modernisation Programme was the subject of much criticism; does this new programme look any better?

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Canadian politician accuses bill opposition of siding with child porn peddlars

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Canadian politician causes stir, saying anyone who objects to the "Protecting Children from Online Predators Act" sides with child pornographers. Do statements like this serve anything more than muddying the waters?

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Who has better privacy laws: USA or European Union?

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The need for a digital consumer bill of rights for data protection really depends on where you live. If you're in Europe, you are already pretty well protected, but it's a very different if you live in the US.

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Should having autism be a legal defence to hacking charges?

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Gary McKinnon and Ryan Cleary have raised the profile of hackers with autism. With this week marking the 10th anniversary of Gary McKinnon's arrest, and with his fate still hanging in the balance, how likely is it that his condition will play a part in preventing his extradition?

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What's all the fuss about ACTA?

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Widespread protests about ACTA have occurred in Europe. Why is there such anger, and what can be done about it?

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US Police use games consoles in crime investigations

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Police in the US use XBox 360 and PS3s as key parts of investigations. With police now cooperating more closely with companies like Microsoft, is it time to ask for greater transparency about their relationships?

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Canadian resident sentenced to death for writing a computer program

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A Canadian resident has been sentenced to death in Iran for offending the faith, after his computer program was used without his knowledge to upload pornography.

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The extradition of TVShack's Richard O'Dywer: is it right?

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With the another UK citizen facing extradition to the US, this time for copyright offences, should the UK really be doing more to rebalance the US-UK extradition process?

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ICANN now accepting new gTLD applications; are cybersquatters still a real risk?

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With ICANN opening their high cost registration process for new gTLDs, what are the legitimate concerns and risks trademark owners may face from cybersquatters?

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Can you be forced by law to decrypt your computer? US v. Fricosu court case rages on

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Ramona Fricosu, accused of committing financial fraud, is currently in a court battle fighting to keep her encrypted data private. The prosecution say that if the government fail to demand data decryption, it will harm public interests. This article looks at the arguments for both sides and asks whether this would be possible under UK law.

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Is Yahoo's $610 million anti-spam win meaningless?

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US courts find in favour of Yahoo in a recent spam case, awarding the company a gob-smacking $610 Million. While this figure makes a great headline for the fight against fraud and spam, it begs the question, will Yahoo! ever actually see any of the cash?

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Online code-breaking test could get you a job at GCHQ

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Forget the Aston Martin DB5 and Walther PPK; today's spy needs to handle C++, cryptography and armies of zombie botnets. Does this sound as appealing? If so, you are in luck because GCHQ (The UK's Government Communications Headquaters) is looking for new operatives.

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