The Information and Privacy Commissioner for Ontario, Ann Cavoukian, together with Facebook have jointly released a brochure called When Online Gets Out of Line: Privacy – Make an Informed Online Choice.

The brochure is suggested reading for high school and university students. Four questions that are raised in the press release for end users to consider when using a social networking website:

• Does the service offer the choice to block availability of certain sensitive information?
• Can you limit your profile to being viewed only with your permission by those who are not “confirmed friends?”
• Are the pictures and information on your profile or in your blog appropriate?
• Are you comfortable sharing all of the information on your profile with people you have never met?

The brochure appears to be a good start. There is a need to get safe surfing taught to younger age groups. The press release says:

Before you begin to register or create a profile, look for the privacy statements and policies offered by your social networking service.

Primary grade kids are avid internet users, including social networking services. This age group doesn’t know how to read or understand a privacy statement. How will they learn which sites are safe or which sites protect these vulnerable users?

Parents should oversee their kids’ online activities and demand that popular websites for children adhere to a code of child-safe best practices.

We are involved with KINSA – the Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance – working to eliminate the online exploitation of children and youth.

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privacy, Facebook, KINSA, Ann Cavoukian, Mark Goldberg

Last night was the 2006 induction dinner for Canada’s Telecom Hall of Fame. Inductees included Ted Rogers and his father E.S. Rogers, Leila Wightman, Ernie Saunders, Donald Hings and Francis Dagger.

A special award was given to Nortel’s Digital World project, the R&D; and commercial launch of digital switching that triggered Nortel’s global expansion.

Each of the hall of fame laureates have interesting stories. Visit the Hall’s website.

And congratulations to Lorne for putting together a great evening.

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The issue of Rogers’ multi-million dollar comma we discussed last August has not gone away. Rather than accept the CRTC’s initial grading of their grammar skills, Rogers has filed an appeal with the regulator.

In its application to review and vary the original decision, Rogers cites supporting correspondence between the cable association and Stentor which discussed the termination provisions. Because the support structure agreement was a standard form contract, there was also a French language version of the document. Rogers claims the French version supports its perspective.

There is a story in the Globe today. Interestingly, especially for a story following the need to be careful with punctuation, the story messed up the spelling of the name of Rogers’ VP Regulatory and transplanted Aliant’s headquarters from New Brunswick out to Newfoundland.

We’ll follow this.

T-Mobile has announced the launch of a WiFi enabled phone and data device that will operate on its cellular network and enable “superfast” data connectivity using WiFi hotspots. The phone is GPRS/EDGE and WiFi enabled.

It appears to be an attractive package, manufactured for T-Mobile by High Tech Computer. It may provide a consumer grade alternative to Blackberry or other similar devices. The device runs Microsoft Windows Mobile applications, includes a still and video camera and music player.

According to T-Mobile:

Everything you need to stay connected, all in one sleek package. Send, receive, and reply to your personal and business e-mail easily with a full QWERTY keyboard and the convenience of Microsoft® Office Outlook® Mobile. View photos, videos, and large attachments, and share them with others or browse the Web using super fast Wi-Fi connectivity. All of this in a slim Windows Mobile® Smartphone that’s comfortable to hold and provides crystal-clear calling.

Why would T-Mobile introduce such a device and what inhibits the launch of a similar product in Canada?

Clearly, there are different market conditions in the United States. Among them:

• T-Mobile operates an extensive network of WiFi hotspots – claimed to be the world’s largest private WiFi network – and the network is a differentiator. Canada’s wireless carriers agreed to intercarrier WiFi roaming, expanding reach but at a cost of competitive differentiation.
• The US cellular market has more flat rate plans available to consumers – WiFi provides opportunities for network cost reductions for suitably equipped carriers. If consumers are going to consume lots of minutes or bytes for a fixed price, the winning carrier will be the low cost network operator.

T-Mobile can leverage its WiFi network assets to reduce its cost to serve customers and acquire customers with an offering that cannot easily be replicated by its competitors.

Only in America? Hardly. But will combo WiFi / cellular be coming soon to Canada?

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T-Mobile, Dash, CWTA, WiFi, Mark Goldberg