ENCRYPTION IS A LUXURY (The Atlantic)
In 2015, a team of technology experts warned against giving law enforcement special access to encrypted communications. They explained that this special access would “undermine and reverse” the technology industry’s efforts to bolster digital security.
MASS SURVEILLANCE SILENCES MINORITY OPINIONS (Washington Post)
A new study shows that knowledge of government surveillance causes people to self-censor their dissenting opinions online. The research offers a sobering look at the oft-touted “democratizing” effect of social media and Internet access that bolsters minority opinion.
ZERO-RATING HARMS POOR PEOPLE, PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS TELL FCC (Vice)
The nation’s largest Internet service providers are undermining US open Internet rules, threatening free speech, and disproportionately harming poor people by using a controversial industry practice called “zero-rating,” a coalition of public interest groups wrote in a letter to federal regulators on March 28.
Feds Drop Apple Case After Gaining Access to Terrorist’s iPhone (Ad Age)
The U.S. said it has successfully gained access to the data on the iPhone used by a man in a San Bernardino, Calif., terrorism attack and no longer needs Apple’s assistance, marking an end to a legal clash that was poised to redraw boundaries between personal privacy and national security in the mobile Internet age.
Authorities struggle against rising tide of ransomware (Financial Times)
British businesses are increasingly paying online extortionists rather than reporting attacks to police, as authorities struggle to respond to the growing threat of so-called “ransomware”. Ransomware uses encryption to lock users out of digital files until they pay a monetary ransom, often in bitcoin, for a key.
Transparency An ‘Opt-In’ Choice, Say The Agencies (Media Post- Commentary)
There are weeks that I am proud and optimistic about our industry (looking at you, Walton Isaacson and your #turnignorancearound campaign), and there are weeks I am frustrated, angry and disappointed in our business. Both happened last week…
Not The Internet Of Things Generation: Only 9% Of Teens Likely To Own A Wearable (Media Post)
Discussions about IoT adoption often take into consideration the expectations of what the next generation will do. This is a challenging concept, since the next generation won’t be looking at buying the current generation of IoT products. But there are starting to be some early indicators of some of the thinking of the next generation.
ISPs are breaking net neutrality rules, advocacy groups say (Network World)
Internet service providers are picking “winners and losers” in violation of U.S. net neutrality rules by selectively exempting Web traffic from their monthly data caps, according to a coalition of more than 50 advocacy groups.
How Netflix Could Find Itself in Court Over Throttling (Inside Sources)
While last week’s disclosure that net neutrality advocate Netflix has been throttling its own traffic to customers won’t subject the video streaming service to enforcement action by the Federal Communications Commission, the edge provider could find itself in the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission.
Periscope Usage Tops 200M Broadcasts (Variety)
Twitter-owned social live streaming service Periscope celebrated its first birthday by revealing a major usage milestone: Periscope has been used for more than 200 million broadcasts since its launch in March 2015. Periscope users also watch around 110 years (or close to 1 million hours) of live streams every single day.
Cutting the Cord: More movies headed for homes (USA Today)
Hollywood’s latest twists and turns likely mean more first-run movies are headed for your living room. How we watch movies at home is being transformed — one business deal at a time. As you might expect, Netflix is helping drive developments.
Five Years After the Arab Spring, What Does Social Media Mean in the Middle East? (Media Shift)
In 2011, the Arab Spring rocked many parts of the Middle East. Regime change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya saw the departure of long-established – seemingly untouchable – political leaders and inspired ripples of protest and disquiet in many neighboring Arab nations.
Dish Could Lose 70 Local Stations In Fee Fight (TV Predictions)
Dish could lose roughly 70 local stations in 48 markets this week due to a fee fight with their owner and/or operator, Media General. The stations have posted notices at their web sites that Dish viewers could lose their signals at 6:59 p.m. ET this Thursday when the current carriage pact expires.