Search Engine Optimization

NEW DELHI: As part of its 'transparency report', Google on Monday said that it had received 101 content removal requests from Indian authorities between July and December last year, asking it to delete 255 items from its websites. Of these, just five requests were made by courts. Google, which runs services like YouTube and Blogger apart from the widely used search engine, said the number marked an increase of 49% in such requests compared with January-June 2011 period. In terms of requests made by the government bodies excluding courts, India topped the list as it sent 96 requests to Google to remove content. However, in terms of number of items that governments wanted to remove, Brazil, US, UK, Germany and Spain were ahead of India. According to the Google data, the company was asked to remove 130 items, including 77 videos on Youtube, because they were deemed defamatory. Another 25 items, including 24 videos, were considered hate speech. The interesting bit was that of the...

Facebook fiasco: Two lakh accounts hacked in 24 hrs Users of the popular social networking site woke up to a harsh reality yesterday when they found their pictures morphed, put on pornographic sites and feeds sent to friends; experts fear this may bring about site's downfall Over two lakh city Facebook users woke up to a social media embarrassment yesterday morning as their accounts had been hacked and weblinks to their morphed pornographic pictures sent as feeds to friends and family. According to global media reports, more than 60 lakh Facebook accounts were hacked since Sunday night. Social networking analysts have claimed that officially more than 2 lakh Bangalore Facebook accounts were hacked. The cyber crime department has received many calls and complaints regarding the mass hacking. They have started preliminary investigations in a few cases too. All Porn and gore A resident of Koramangala logged on to her Facebook account yesterday morning from a cyber caf ©, onl...

Con artists are lurking in the shadows of your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and eHarmony accounts, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, the oldest international investor protection association. Crooks have always gravitated to so-called "affinity" frauds, which target the members of a set group such as members of a particular church, alumni association or country club. That's because victims let down their guard when they're introduced through a friend, even if that introduction is second-hand. (Think: "I was referred to you by Father Jim." Or "Susan suggested that I give you a call.") In fact, scammers purposefully infiltrate tight-knit groups, figuring that common hobbies, lifestyles, professions or faith will help them establish a bond with their victims. Because we assume that our friends won't betray us, that bond increases the likelihood that even a reasonable, thoughtful individual will become a victi...

Microsoft has bought Skype for $8.5 billion, in an all-cash deal. Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, is said to be a big champion of the deal, the largest in the history of the company. Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates will host a press conference to announce it officially. The deal is Microsoft's largest cash purchase in its 36-year long history. "The combination will extend Skype's world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft's existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services," according to Microsoft's press release on the deal. "With 170 million connected users and over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations in 2010, Skype has been a pioneer in creating rich, meaningful connections among friends, families and business colleagues globally." Skype has been up for sale for some time, thanks to some very antsy investors. Facebook and Google were said to be earlier dance partners...

A Facebook conman has been posting women's photos on porn sites after breaking into their accounts, in an incident that underscores the need for greater awareness of social networking security. Timothy Noirjean, 26-years-old, was arrested in his parents' Minnesota basement today for stealing and illegally posting Facebook photos of 13 young women on porn sites. Noirjean says he didn't know hacking into 100 Facebook accounts was a crime. Police tracked down Noirjean after a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint saying she was instant messaging with someone she thought was a friend when her account password was suddenly changed. After managing to log in again, she discovered links to a sexually explicit website that contained three photos of her. Noirjean explained that he accessed the woman's and others' accounts by friending them on Facebook, obtaining their e-mail addresses, and then subtly persuading them to give him answers to their security questions. Noir...

Google Rolls Out Plus One Google is rolling out a new service that will allow its members to share their opinions of web pages with friends. The service, called Plus One, will allow users to give their recommendations to contacts in their Gmail account, Google reader, and Buzz initially, and there are plans to further expand this to Twitter contacts. Google is also planning on extending the service to news sites to allow them to include the Plus One function with stories. There is no announcement of plans to incorporate Facebook contacts at this time. Unfortunately, only 2 percent of Google’s English-language users will be included in the initial trial of the service. This new function is seen by many as an attempt by Google to copy Facebook’s “Like” function, but the search giant is denying the claim pointing out the differences. Their service, unlike Facebook’s, will only be provided during similar relevant searches instead of a blanket distribution to all contacts in a spam fashi...

Govt to ask Google, Skype to give data access   Govt will send notices to Google and Skype asking them to set up servers in the country and give access to its internet data, a top interior ministry official has said. Concerned about militants using BlackBerry or Internet to plan attacks, India is pushing the smartphone maker Research in Motion, Google and Skype to open up its data for government monitoring. India's BlackBerry users heaved a sigh of relief late Monday after the government gave the smartphone's Canadian manufacturer a two-month window to provide a permanent solution to avert a ban on its messaging services. India is also targeting "virtual private networks", which give employees secure access to their company networks when they are working out of the office. The maker of the BlackBerry, Canada's Research in Motion (RIM), has proposed setting up a server in India through which BlackBerry messages can be routed, giving security forces access,...