Yahoo Releases Vast Amount of Data to University Researchers (Chronicle)
The Internet giant Yahoo Inc. will release a vast amount of data about how its users behave on the web exclusively to university researchers, The Wall Street Journal reports. The data amount to 13.5 terabytes, which, the Journal notes, is two-thirds the size of the Library of Congress.
FCC HAD “PRODUCTIVE” NET NEUTRALITY TALKS WITH COMCAST, AT&T, T-MOBILE (ARS Technica)
The FCC says it has held “productive” meetings with Comcast, AT&T, and T-Mobile about whether data cap exemptions conflict with the goals of network neutrality. The FCC sent letters in Dec asking the three carriers to meet with commission staff by January 15, and all the meetings have happened.
TIME WARNER RAISES OTT ISSUES IN CHARTER DEAL (Broadcasting & Cable)
A meeting between Time Warner and FCC officials had analysts buzzing trying to divine the tea leaves as they pertained to the future of the Charter/Time Warner Cable/Bright House merger. FCC staffers invited former TWC parent Time Warner and its HBO subsidiary to a meeting with top FCC legal officials, including general counsel.
SPRINT FINALIZES PLAN TO TRIM NETWORK COSTS BY UP TO $1 BILLION (Recode)
Sprint has finalized plans for a radical overhaul of its cellular network that is expected to save the carrier up to $1 billion. The nation’s fourth-largest carrier has talked publicly about shaving $2 billion in overhead as it aims to revive its fortunes and end six straight years of losses.
As More Pay by Smartphone, Banks Scramble to Keep Up (NY Times)
A millennial-led shift to digital financial services could upend the consumer banking industry.
Twitter hit by massive overnight outage (USA Today)
Twitter continues to rebound from a massive outage overnight leaving millions of users without access to the social network. According to published reports, the outage started around 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, and access to Twitter remains limited. Some users may receive error messages when visiting Twitter on the web.
Cash-Strapped U.S. Carriers May Bid Just $33 Billion on Airwaves (Bloomberg)
A federal auction of TV airwaves that are crucial to help U.S. wireless carriers improve coverage may yield a lot less than anticipated. Blame the price wars and slow growth that have left some potential bidders cash-constrained.
NSA Drops First Transparency Report Under USA Freedom Act (Inside Sources)
The National Security Agency on Friday released its first transparency report under the U.S.A. Freedom Act surveillance reform bill, and reported it’s meeting the privacy standards set down by Congress in the execution of the agency’s new telephone metadata surveillance program.
Major League Baseball Goes On Trial Over TV (Bloomberg)
Major League Baseball and the pay television industry generally limit fans to watching their local teams on regional sports networks. Viewers who live outside the home territory of their favorite clubs — about half of all fans, by one count — have to sign up for unwieldy Internet and satellite TV subscription services like MLB.TV.
Emails Reveal FCC Struggle Over ‘Net Rules (The Hill)
Newly released emails reveal the internal wrangling between Congress and the FCC in 2014 over the agency’s controversial Internet regulations. The emails, made public for the first time, show FCC Chair Tom Wheeler complaining that the agency’s “own words are being used against us” in meetings with congressional allies.
HBO to Launch Spain Streaming Service, Take on Netflix (Hollywood Reporter)
Time Warner’s premium TV giant, which decides case-by-case whether to run traditional networks, offer an OTT service or license programming in foreign markets, is releasing a standalone streaming video service in the country.
Google, Facebook Urge Supreme Court to Take Up Samsung-Apple Patent Dispute (Recode)
Google and Facebook have joined Samsung in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the long-running patent dispute with Apple. In filings made public Monday, six companies and 37 law and business school professors took issue with the way damages were awarded in the Samsung case.
Martin O’Malley: Whether Front Door or Back Door, Government Needs a Warrant (Recode)
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who was obviously frustrated in his struggles to be heard during Sunday night’s Democratic presidential candidate debate, found a brief moment to shine as an advocate for privacy rights. O’Malley said American citizens shouldn’t forfeit their privacy for security.