Comcast Discusses Privacy-Pricing Plans with FCC

Did you know that in some parts of the country, Internet providers such as AT&T offer a special deal on broadband prices? The plans lower your monthly payments, but there's a catch: To qualify for them, you have to agree to let the carrier track your Web history, search activity and other valuable behavioral data that can be used for advertising purposes. Now, Comcast is telling regulators it wants the flexibility to offer these types of plans, too. In a meeting with the Federal Communications Commission, officials from the cable company argued that it and other Internet providers shouldn't be prohibited from trading discounts for data.

N.J. Man Files Class-Action Over 'Pokemon Go' Trespassing

A New Jersey man has a message for the millions of players obsessed with the mobile game Pokemon Go: "Get off my lawn!" Jeffrey Marder of West Orange has filed a federal class action against the companies behind the game, Nintendo Co Ltd, Niantic Inc and Pokemon Company International, claiming it has brought unwanted trespassers to his house and countless other private properties.

Kudelski, Apple Settle Patent Suit Over Video Streaming

Swiss digital TV security company Kudelski reached a settlement with Apple Inc., ending a patent dispute in the United States and Europe and removing a threat to Apple's video streaming features in devices sold in Germany. Kudelski said in a statement that the deal includes a "comprehensive patent license agreement" with Apple and that all pending patent litigation between the two companies would be dropped.

Iranian Hackers Attack 'Telegram' Instant Messaging Accounts

Iranian hackers have compromised more than a dozen accounts on the Telegram instant messaging service and identified the phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users, the largest known breach of the encrypted communications system, cyber researchers told Reuters. The attacks, which took place this year and have not been previously reported, jeopardized the communications of activists, journalists and other people in sensitive positions in Iran, where Telegram is used by some 20 million people, said independent cyber researcher Collin Anderson and Amnesty International technologist Claudio Guarnieri, who have been studying Iranian hacking groups for three years.

N.Y. Governor Restricts Sex Offenders from Playing Pokemon Go

New York’s governor said he had instructed the state’s corrections agency to restrict sex offenders on parole from using Pokemon Go and similar augmented-reality games. “These actions will provide safeguards for the players of these augmented reality games and help take one more tool away from those seeking to do harm to our children,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in a statement.

Free Wi-Fi Kiosks in New York Being Used for Porn

LinkNYC has launched more than 300 stations in New York this year by transforming old payphone booths into digital towers. Each is equipped with USB charging ports, high-speed Wi-Fi access and an Android-powered tablet that anyone can use for free. But over the past few weeks, there's been an uptick in reports of people using the kiosks to access porn in public -- and even pleasuring themselves while doing so.

Apple Urges Supreme Court to End Samsung Patent Case

Apple Inc. asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clear the way for the iPhone maker to secure hundreds of millions in damages from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in a case over smartphone design patents. The world's top smartphone rivals have been feuding over patents since 2011, when Apple sued Samsung in a northern California court alleging infringement of the iPhone's patents, designs and trademarked appearance.

Tech Firms Test Online Ads to Counter Extremist Propaganda

Three experiments -- funded by Google parent Alphabet Inc., with help from Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. -- explore how to use the machinery of online advertising to counterbalance the growing wave of extremist propaganda on the internet, both from Islamist radicals and far-right groups. The goal: See what kinds of messages and targeting could reach potential extremists before they become radicalized -- and then quickly roll the model out to content producers across the internet.

Navy Officials Say U.S. Uses Submarines for Cyberattacks

The U.S. military uses its submarines as underwater hacking platforms, as an important component of America's cyber strategy. They act defensively to protect themselves and the country from digital attack, but — more interestingly — they also have a role to play in carrying out cyberattacks, according to two U.S. Navy officials at a recent Washington conference.

N.Y. Lawmakers See Link Between Pokemon Go, Sex Offenders

According to two New York State lawmakers, the app known as Pokémon Go has the potential to lead children to a more frightening locale: the homes of sexual predators. In an informal investigation by Senators Jeffrey D. Klein and Diane J. Savino, staff members took a list of 100 registered sex offenders across New York City and compared it with locations where Pokémon Go players could collect virtual items or use other game features.

U.S. Officials Struggle with Response to Political Cyber Attacks

The recent revelations of hacking into Democratic campaign computer systems in an apparent attempt to manipulate the 2016 election is forcing the White House to confront a new question: whether, and if so how, to retaliate. Even if officials gather the proof, they may not be able to make their evidence public without tipping off Russia, or its proxies in cyberspace, about how deeply the National Security Agency has penetrated that country’s networks.

Fed Wants Philippines Bank to Recover Stolen $81 Million

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has asked the Philippines' central bank to help Bangladesh Bank recover the $81 million that was stolen by hackers in February from its account held at the Fed, boosting Dhaka's efforts to retrieve the money. In a letter sent on June 23, the New York Fed's General Counsel Thomas Baxter asked Elmore O. Capule, general counsel for the central bank of the Philippines, "to take all appropriate steps in support of Bangladesh Bank's efforts to recover and return its stolen assets."

FBI Probes Cyber Attack Against Another Democratic Committee

The FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another U.S. Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election campaign to help Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Tech Specialists Debate Identity of DNC Hacker, 'Gucifer 2.0'

Who is Guccifer 2.0, the self-proclaimed Romanian “lone hacker” responsible for copying thousands of emails and other files from the Democratic National Committee — a real person, or a front created by Russian intelligence officials? Technology specialists have been debating that question since June 15, when CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm hired by the Democratic National Committee, announced that sophisticated hacker groups with Russian links were responsible for breaching the committee’s computer servers.

Internet Trade Group Wants Appeals Court to Revisit Net Neutrality

Internet providers who oppose the government's net-neutrality rules will once again take the issue to court as they ask more than a dozen federal judges to throw out the regulations. A Washington trade group representing cellular carriers, CTIA, will be requesting a rehearing of the case by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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