The European Union is drafting legislation that would allow its citizens to have their data erased from the internet on demand.  While this sounds like a good idea, Facebook is warning that they would have to implement more user tracking in order to accomidate this.  Right now most of your activity online will not personally identify you.  If you want your data removed from the site, then the website will have to track all of your activity so that it can properly remove all traces of it upon request.  Brendan Spaar suggests that users of the internet not live under the false sense that they are not being monitored and tracked at all times.  If you watch what you post online then you shouldn't have to worry about having it deleted at a later date.  Think twice before posting an embarassing photo or long winded rant against an ex-lover.  Those posts may come back to bite you later and will be nearly impossible to remove.

Source:  http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/facebook-europe-right-to-be-forgotten-tracking-101253

Many of us have seen the action movie I-Robot staring Will Smith where a self aware robot begins killing people.  Google has been working for many years on perfecting a self driving car that may one day eliminate the need for humans to drive vehicals.  Brendan Spaar welcomes this day because there are some crazy people on the roads.  This advance in science is a both a convenience and a limit on human rights.  Sure we don't have the right to drive a vehicle but shouldn't we be allowed to drive it?  The population is growing at an exponential rate and computer automation is limiting what we can actually do.  Robots exist today that will clean your home (althought they aren't very good at it), build your cars, and connect your phone calls.  All of these jobs were once done by humans.  Any boy or girl in school today should think about making a career in robotics.

Source:  http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/11/google-driverless-car-morality.html

It's every person and company's worst nightmare.  You have been hacked.  Your identity has been compromised or your data has been stolen.  It's one of the worst kind of robberies there is and what's even more troubling is that the police do not have the knowledge or resources to go after hackers.  What if you had the knowledge and resources to go after these criminals?  This kind of vigilante justice is illegal according to The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.  Should this be changed?  That's the great debate that's taking place right online now.  Counter hacking is sort of an eye for an eye justice where hackers inflict digital damage upon those that hack them.  Brendan Spaar does not think that you should be allowed to hack your hackers just like you shouldn't be allowed to burn down someone's house that wrongs you.  Now that's not to say you can't use your resources and knowledge to have the hackers arrested.  Why not turn all of the evidence that you are able to collect over to the sherrif deputies so that they don't have to do any work?  Then the hackers will go to jail and not be able to hack ever again.  Read more about the debate below.

Source:  http://www.steptoecyberblog.com/2012/11/02/the-hackback-debate/

It's one thing to tax people on goods that are bought and sold in your state but Brendan Spaar feels that California has gone too far.  California is taxing its residents on shipping and handling.  Most of handling is labor costs and aren't generally taxable.  California is so far in debt that they are tryin gto get money any way that they can.  Taxing costs that are intangible seems to be a step in the wrong direction.  It won't be long until California starts taxing the tax on your bill.  This is going to have a huge impact on online retailers like Amazon.com because big box retailers aren't subject to the same taxes.  So if you live in California, beware the next time you order something online.  You may be paying more than you would by going to pick it up in a store.

Source:  http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-california-internet-shoppers-paying-sales-tax-on-shipping-20121102,0,4934561.story