Archive for May, 2012

Probe into retailing on the net

Friday, May 18th, 2012

The Australian competition watchdog will launch an investigation into clothing importers who are reaching agreements with overseas suppliers to stop selling their products to Australians on websites or instructing them to lift their web prices.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims has acknowledged that anti-competitive practices revealed by The Age last week could breach competition legislation.

He said an investigation would be launched, and companies found breaking the law would be prosecuted. ”We are extremely committed to having a close look at this,” he said.

”Making sure Australian consumers benefit from the revolution that we’ve got in the online world is a top priority … We will therefore use the [Competition and Consumer] act to its fullest.”
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/probe-into-retailing-on-the-net-20120517-1ytns.html#ixzz1vBTtABDq

Australian Privacy Probe

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Google could face new investigations by the Privacy Commissioner over its harvesting of personal information using Street View cars after a 17-month investigation by US authorities found it wasn’t the act of a “rogue” engineer.

From 2007 to 2010, Google’s ­specially designed Street View cars travelled the world taking detailed photos, recording wi-fi details and sucking up data carried on open wireless networks.

Read the article in full here.