French Open Not Taking Bets
The French Tennis Federation has filed lawsuits in Belgium and France to bar Betfair, Bwin and Ladbrokes from taking bets on the French Open. The Federation says it is concerned that online betting is tarnishing the sport's integrity.
Complaints filed in Liege, Belgium, and Paris, France, seek an injunction prohibiting the three operators from taking wagers on the tournament as well as a fine of 50,000 euros per day for violations.
China Open to Competition?
China has eased up on new rules that would have allowed only state-owned entities to operate video-sharing services. Now, existing private operators will be allowed to remain competitive in the field, though state-owned companies will be the dominant force in the development of audio-visual content on the Chinese Web, according to a government statement released in early February. The rules, first announced in early January, went into effect late in the same month.
Stricter Controls for UK Net Surfers?
A Conservative Party leader has said Internet service providers in the United Kingdom should offer a two-tier system, enabling users to pick content suitable for children.
Tory MP Hugo Swire suggested a default Internet setting for children with a password or PIN needed for unfiltered material. He further suggested a blacklist be created of unsuitable Web sites, calling for a U.K. regulatory body for Web sites, which could work "along the lines of the Advertising Standards Authority or the Press Complaints Commission," and would be responsible for policing "harmful content" online. Among the sites coming into this category would be "glorification of violence and terrorism, pornography, cyber-bullying, suicide, Internet gambling and anorexia Web sites."
Israeli Parliament Mulls Net Censorship
A new bill in Israel will require Internet service providers to block sex-, gambling- and violence-oriented Web sites from customers who do not specifically ask for access to said sites. The bill, presented by MK Amnon Cohen of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, received a first reading on Wednesday at the Knesset. A similar bill was passed preliminarily in February 2007, but it didn't make it through government.