Andrew Blake

Putin surveillance law will impose ‘impossible’ burden on telecoms: Reports

Controversial surveillance legislation signed into law Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin would compel the country's telecommunications provider to spend billions of dollars more than they can afford, critics claim.

July 8, 2016

Led Zeppelin’s publisher seeks $613k after winning ‘Stairway to Heaven’ lawsuit: report

Led Zeppelin's lawyer on Thursday said the British rock band's publisher should be awarded more than a half-million dollars in attorneys' fees after its legal counsel successfully fended off copyright infringement claims last month in Los Angeles federal court.

July 8, 2016

Marijuana sales in Washington state top $1 billion: Report

Dispensaries in Washington state have sold more than $1 billion worth of recreational marijuana since weed was legalized in 2014, a Seattle newspaper reported Thursday.

July 8, 2016

Facebook begins end-to-end encryption rollout

Facebook on Friday said its beginning to offer users the option of securing their messages with end-to-end encryption, a maneuver that may soon allow more than a billion account holders to message one another across the social network under the radar of eavesdroppers.

July 8, 2016

Deric Lostutter, hacktivist, charged over Anonymous cybercampaign spurred by Steubenville rape case

A grand jury indicted a Kentucky man on felony hacking charges Thursday in connection with the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case that yielded convictions for two former high school football players in 2013.

July 7, 2016

Majority of domestic Islamic State prosecutions involve U.S. citizens: Report

Nearly 80 percent of the individuals prosecuted in the United States for crimes connected to the Islamic State are U.S. citizens, a new report reveals.

July 7, 2016

House passes bill aimed to block porn on government computers

The House passed legislation Thursday intended to establish rules for firing federal employees who access pornography from government computers.

July 7, 2016

Guccifer never hacked Clinton email server: FBI’s James Comey

Hillary Clinton's personal server was never breached by the Romanian computer hacker known as "Guccifer," FBI Director James Comey said Thursday, contradicting previous claims that had prompted heightened concerns over the former secretary of state's unorthodox email setup.

July 7, 2016

Donald Trump supporters aren’t welcomed at Wavves concerts, says rock band’s frontman

Wavves frontman Nathan Williams asked Donald Trump supporters Wednesday not to attend any of his rock band's performances ahead of an upcoming summer tour.

July 7, 2016

Putin signs sweeping surveillance measures into law; Snowden declares a ‘dark day for Russia’

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation Thursday compelling telephone companies and internet providers to save and store the private communications of its customers, notwithstanding concerns raised by human rights advocates and big business alike.

July 7, 2016

Android attempts to curb ransomware infections amid 300 percent increase: Report

Updates coming to Google's Android operating system will reportedly make it more difficult for hackers to compromise mobile devices with ransomware, potentially resolving cybersecurity concerns raised by recent explosion of infections suffered by smart phones.

July 6, 2016

Sagging pants banned in Timmonsville, S.C.; mayor says fad ‘has gone on way too long’

The Timmonsville Town Council in South Carolina approved a measure Tuesday evening banning pants that "intentionally" display the wearer's undergarments.

July 6, 2016

Over 2,400 doctors sanctioned for sexual misconduct; half still hold medical licenses: Report

More than 2,400 doctors nationwide have been sanctioned for sexual misconduct involving patients between 1999 and 2015, yet over half still maintain active medical licenses, according to a new investigation.

July 6, 2016

KKK can sue Georgia over ‘Adopt-a-Highway’ rejection: State Supreme Court

A Ku Klux Klan chapter is claiming a partial victory after Georgia's highest court ruled unanimously Tuesday in favor of the group's attempt to sponsor a one-mile section of state highway.

July 6, 2016

Ashley Madison, hacked dating service, faces FTC probe one year after breach

A federal investigation is underway of dating website Ashley Madison nearly one year after millions of its customers saw their intimate secrets exposed in a massive security breach, its new owners said Tuesday.

July 5, 2016

Brazil freezes $6 million in Facebook assets over noncompliance

Brazilian authorities recently froze roughly $6 million worth of Facebook's assets after a subsidiary of the social network refused to provide investigators with encrypted messages.

July 5, 2016

Swedish music festivals end in dozens of sexual-assault reports

Police in Sweden received more than 50 reports of sexual assault said to have occurred at music festivals over the weekend.

July 5, 2016

Snoop Dogg to perform at Democratic National Convention after-party

A "unity party" scheduled for the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this month will include a performance by rapper Snoop Dogg, organizers said Tuesday.

July 5, 2016

Amnesty International accuses U.S.-backed Syrian rebels of war crimes

Syrian opposition groups, including rebels backed by the United States, have committed atrocities ranging from abductions and torture to summary killings, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

July 5, 2016

China tells websites to stop relying on social media reports; critics cry censorship

China's online watchdog Sunday said authorities will begin punishing websites that report unverified social media claims as news -- a decision that critics have condemned as the latest example of Beijing widening its control over the internet.

July 5, 2016