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In a digital world where surveillance and privacy invasions are becoming more commonplace, increasing numbers of Internet users are improving their online security.

As a result, in recent years there has been an explosion in people deploying privacy-enhancing tools such as VPNs, which enable anyone to add an extra layer of protection against online snoops.

One of the most successful companies in this field is London Trust Media, the makers of the popular Private Internet Access (PIA) service. The company prides itself on its dedication to security and is possibly the only operator to have its strict no-logging claims tested in public.

But while a no-logging policy is an essential requirement for thousands of VPN customers, authorities in some regions see them as a threat. This morning, PIA is reporting a development in Russia which has left it with no other option than to leave the country.

In an email sent out to its users, PIA explains that due to the passing of a new law last year which requires Internet providers to hold logs of Internet traffic for up to a year, it has become a target for Russian authorities.

“We believe that due to the enforcement regime surrounding this new law, some of our Russian Servers (RU) were recently seized by Russian Authorities, without notice or any type of due process. We think it’s because we are the most outspoken and only verified no-log VPN provider,” PIA announced.

The law to which PIA refers was passed by Russia’s State Duma in July 2014 and enacted September 2015. It requires that all web services store the user data of Russians within the country. This means that international companies could be forced to have a physical local presence, to which Russian authorities potentially have access.

While the deadline for compliance is technically September 2016, Private Internet Access says that given the server seizure and future privacy implications, it will no longer be doing business in the region.

“Upon learning of the [seizures], we immediately discontinued our Russian gateways and will no longer be doing business in the region,” the company says.

“Luckily, since we do not log any traffic or session data, period, no data has been compromised. Our users are, and will always be, private and secure.”

Even though PIA has assured its users that there is nothing to fear, some remain concerned over the seizures. To those individuals, PIA is offering additional assurances that it’s going the extra mile to ensure total security.

“To make it clear, the privacy and security of our users is our number one priority,” the company says.

“For preventative reasons, we are rotating all of our certificates. Furthermore, we’re updating our client applications with improved security measures to mitigate circumstances like this in the future, on top of what is already in place.”

If they haven’t already done so, users should update their PIA desktop clients and Android apps to get the new upgrades.

In response to the Russian incident, PIA says it will take the opportunity to evaluate other countries and their policies.

“In any event, we are aware that there may be times that notice and due process are forgone. However, we do not log and are default secure against seizure,” the company concludes.

Source: TF, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing, torrent sites and ANONYMOUS VPN services.

Das sehr beliebte Spiel Pokémon Go hat sich das Sammel-Motto offenbar zu Herzen genommen: Beim Einloggen mit einem Google-Konto schnappt sich die App unter iOS fast alle Rechte, die eine App überhaupt verlangen kann. Alles nur ein Versehen, erklärt Hersteller Niantic. (Pokémon, Google)

Der Flugzeughersteller Airbus geht unter die Suchmaschinenbetreiber. Über eine eigene Webseite lassen sich Verbindungen finden - allerdings nur mit ganz bestimmten Flugzeugen. Und ausgerechnet der wirklich neue Flieger des Flugzeugbauers fehlt. (Airbus, Suchmaschine)

Höhere Bildrate dank neuer Schnittstelle: id Softwares Doom unterstützt mit dem zweiten Patch das Vulkan-API. Davon profitieren AMD- und Nvidia-Grafikkarten sowie Intel-GPUs messbar. (Doom, API)

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Netflix läuft bei einigen Kabelnetzanbietern langsamer. Die Verantwortung dafür sehen sie beim Streaming-Anbieter und dessen Infrastruktur. Netflix führe die Daten nicht richtig zu, meint der Liberty-Global-Chef. (Liberty Global, Netzneutralität)

Das Trike Can-Am Spyder gibt es bisher nur mit Verbrennungsmotor, doch nun hat der Hersteller Bombardier auch eines mit Elektroantrieb gezeigt. Mit einer Akkuladung soll es erstaunlich weit kommen. (Elektroauto, Technologie)

Copyright holders in Australia have hit out against calls to implement Fair Use legislation in the country.

Fair Use clauses are exceptions to existing copyright law. These exceptions exist for limited purposes in order to ensure copyright does not hinder creativity, freedom of expression and research. Fair Use rights could prevent rights holders from abusing copyright law to silence criticism and remove unfavorable opinions, for example.

While the United States, which has some of the toughest copyright laws around the world, has a Fair Use provision, the same does not exist in Australia. This is why the Australian government's own independent advisory body, the Productivity Commission, called for the introduction for such a provision earlier in the year.

The Productivity Commission also called for a ban on the use of geo-blocking, in order to protect competition and consumer rights.

These recommendations, however, have not been met with open arms by copyright holders in Australia, with most coming out against Fair Use.

Most centered their argument on the grounds that any watering down of copyright laws would harm "innovation", as these groups believe that it's strong copyright laws that help to protect creativity.

"The music industry exists because of copyright. Copyright drives innovation and creativity, enables record companies to invest in artists and repertoire, and gives creators an income," says music group IFPI.

Local pay television operator Foxtel mirrored the same sentiment.

"Fair use will have negative economic consequences and have a significant impact on creative output due to the associated uncertainties. Foxtel strongly believes that this type of reform will have a significant impact on creative outputs due to the uncertainties it will create," writes Foxtel in their submission to the Productivity Commission.

Ironically, Hollywood's staunch pro-copyright stance does include room for Fair Use. Hollywood's trade group, the MPAA, has previously offered support for Fair Use in court cases, and as the group explains in this article, Fair Use is something that rights-holders often rely on as well, when producing their own unique work.

"Our members rely on the fair use doctrine every day when producing their movies and television shows – especially those that involve parody and news and documentary programs," wrote the MPAA.

[Via TorrentFreak and MPAA]

Der ursprünglich für Weltraumeinsätze gedachte Handschuh Roboglove soll Fließbandarbeitern und Kranken helfen, kraftvoller zuzugreifen. Er ist von der Nasa und General Motors entwickelt und vom schwedischen Unternehmen Bioservo verfeinert worden. (General Motors, Technologie)

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