Author: Shelby Brown
Recent Post:
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YouTube’s Ad-Blocker Crackdown Might Violate Privacy Laws
YouTube’s “global efforts” to banish ad-blockers may hit a snag in the European Union. Last month, privacy expert Alexander Hanff, reportedly filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission arguing that YouTube’s ad-blocker detection system is a privacy violation — illegal under the EU’s ePrivacy Directive. Hanff is accusing the Google-owned video sharing app…
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Comcast Hopes Sports Streaming Will Help Make Peacock Profitable
Comcast reported multiple losses during its 2023 third quarter earnings call. With cord cutting continuing to advance, the telecom company is examining new ways to tap its streaming service, Peacock. Sports could be a key factor in giving the streamer a competitive edge. Peacock’s sports lineup includes the NFL, MLB, soccer’s Premier League, the Olympics,…
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Netflix Turned Its Old DVD Rental Website Into a Memorial With a Docuseries
Netflix mailed its last red envelope in September and shut down its DVD-by-mail business. Instead of killing the DVD.com website, the streaming giant turned the site into an homage to physical media. Now when you visit DVD.com, you can watch dozens of mini-documentaries about Netflix’s history with physical media. The shorts include the business’ “final…
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Google Is Reportedly Trying To Force Apple To Make iMessage Work With Android
In a letter to the European Commission, Google and other telecom companies said they want Apple’s iMessage service to be classified as a “core platform service” under the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act, DMA. The Commission is currently investigating whether iMessage meets the requirements to be regulated under DMA rules, according to The Verge…
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AT&T, Verizon, and Other Broadband Providers Hit Back at FCC’s Proposed Digital Discrimination Rules
The Federal Communications Commission wants to strengthen the agency’s efforts to stop digital discrimination – withholding or charging more for internet access based on race, income, religion, or other categories – but multiple broadband providers aren’t on board. Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AT&T, Verizon, and other trade groups representing broadband companies met…
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Your Internet Bill May Go Up Next Year if the Government Runs Out of Money
Last month, President Joe Biden asked Congress to put $6 billion towards the Affordable Connectivity Program, ACP. The funds requested by the Biden administration would keep the ACP running through December 2024. The program, which helps fund the cost of broadband for low-income households, is set to run out of funds in April 2024. The…
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AI is the Biggest Reason the Hollywood Actors Strike Isn’t Ending
SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee on Sunday said it formally responded to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ “last, best and final offer,” noting that the two sides remain far apart on some issues. “There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI,” the committee said in a…
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NFL Football is Winning More Fans Thanks to Widening Broadcast TV and Streaming Reach
The combination of streaming and broadcast TV has resulted in more people watching NFL games. The football league’s viewership climbed 6% this season. The audience boost is likely due to Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football as well as ABC and ESPN networks, according to BNN. Amazon has exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football which…
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Government Money Meant to Offer High-Speed Internet to Rural America is Reportedly Instead Being Spent on Paintball, Trampoline Parks, Monster Truck Rally Centers, and More
Michigan watchdog group, Citizens Against Government Waste, CAGW, says some of the state’s funds from the National Technology and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program (BEAD), are at risk of being misspent. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $42.45 billion in broadband funding for the U.S., which each state guaranteed $100…
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Cybercriminals Are Using Siri and Google Voice Assistants To Scam People
Scammers are preying on people who use voice assistant technology apps like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa to look up customer service phone numbers. Cybercriminals are aware of users’ reliance on these features and have devised ways to trick them into paying fees for services they didn’t expect to be charged for, the Michigan Attorney…