Barely-there lingerie maker Victoria's Secret last month agreed to pay a US$50,000 fine to the state of New York after exposing customers' online orders to viewers of its Web site. While visitors were unable to view credit card information, order details including sizes, prices, customer names and addresses were accessible during the glitch. As part of the settlement along with the fine, Victoria's Secret said it will provide full refunds or credits to affected customers in New York. The company has also been ordered to establish an information security program and hire external auditors to review the site yearly. Approximately 560 customers were affected throughout the U.S., however New York was the only state to take legal action. The company is online at www.victoriassecret.com.
Sony accused of selling hate propaganda
As in many video games, the goal of Syphon Filter 4: The Omega Strain is to track down evil terrorist militias and dispose of them using a plethora of assorted weaponry. The difference with this Sony Corp. game is that the so-called terrorists are, in effect, Quebec separatist gangs, which take part in bloody battles in a Toronto shopping mall and subway. According to the Bloc Quebecois, the video game is essentially hate propaganda. It did not take Sony long to take action. The Toronto-based electronics maker succumbed to complaints and opted to change the game by taking out any reference to the group and said in a statement that it regrets any misunderstanding the original game may have caused. For information, visit www.sony.com.
Finland parents to track teenagers using cell phones
Finland recently proposed a law that would allow parents to follow the movements of their children through mobile phones. The law suggests that children under 15 years old could be tracked without their consent, while youth over 15 would be required to give consent before being tailed. So far, Finland's top two mobile operators - TeliaSonera and Elisa - are onboard and are offering positioning services that locate handset users based on the mobile base station he or she is nearest to. The proposal will be up for discussion in the Finnish parliament this month.