The passing of the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act (“the SAFE Port Act”) by the US Congress on 30 September 2006 was described by the Chief Executive Officer of a major internet gaming company as a ‘significant setback for our company, our customers and our industry’.
The recent riots in various parts of England earlier this month have sparked controversy on whether governments should take control and shut down social networks in times of social disorder bringing up the eternal question on how our civil liberties and government control can be balanced on the web and beyond.
It’s tough running a monopoly: you need a thick skin. The pay is good, of course, but after a while the slings and arrows of public discontent start to prick. At our Christmas pantomime last December, the buxom yet moustachioed villain, Cinderella’s stepmother, had a sketch where she made a call to the local monopoly telecoms provider.