Andrew Blake

Iran’s boast: 53 arrests, 123 Websites taken down in effort to erase Islamic State

Iran's top cyber cop said Monday that authorities have made 53 arrests and taken down 132 websites as part of an effort to erase the Islamic State group from the Internet.

December 7, 2015

Russia moves to override human rights court after state-run surveillance deemed unlawful

Russian lawmakers have advanced a proposal to give the government in Moscow the ability to override findings from the European Court of Human Rights in the wake of a recent ruling critical of the Kremlin.

December 7, 2015

Macy’s sued for detaining suspected shoplifters ‘like a typical jail’

Macy's is facing a class-action suit led by a shopper who said she was detained in a holding cell by the department store and interrogated for hours before being handed off to the police.

December 4, 2015

Applebee’s, IHOP ditch soda from kid’s menus

Applebee's and IHOP have yanked soft drinks from their children's menus nationwide with the aim of encouraging parents to consider alternatives while dining out.

December 4, 2015

Uber introduces ‘SPOT’ feature to connect drivers, passengers through color

Uber has already helped illuminate the world as to what ride-hailing services and smartphone start-ups are capable of accomplishing, but the company's latest endeavor attempts to light the way, literally.

December 3, 2015

George Zimmerman suspended from Twitter after revenge porn posts

Twitter suspended George Zimmerman from its social media service after the Florida man known for fatally shooting teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 tweeted naked pictures of his alleged girlfriend.

December 3, 2015

Sarah Furay, a Texas teen and DEA agent’s daughter, faces 215 years for drug charges

Sarah Furay, a Texas teenager who is facing upwards of 215 years in prison for charges related to the sale of cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamine, among other narcotics, is the daughter of a supervisory special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency's office in Houston, the DEA said this week.

December 3, 2015

China arrests alleged OPM hackers, claims breach was criminal, not state-sponsored

Chinese hackers were indeed responsible for compromising the security of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, but state-run media claims the breach wasn't at the behest of the government in Beijing.

December 3, 2015

Retired LAPD cops exempt from ban on high-capacity magazines

The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to exempt retired police officers from a ban on possessing high-capacity magazines -- just moments after a rampage in neighboring San Bernardino reignited calls for gun reform.

December 3, 2015

Gas prices near eight-year low as national average approaches $2 a gallon

The average retail price of gasoline in the United States has dropped for 25 consecutive days, AAA reported Tuesday, and the motor club expects gas stations will continue to slash prices through 2015.

December 1, 2015

House weighs privacy law reform, but may abandon one loophole for another

The House Judiciary Committee heard arguments on Tuesday from stakeholders interested in reforming a nearly 30-year-old computer law that has allowed investigators to access the emails of criminal suspects without a warrant, but the panel's chairman isn't ready just yet to rein in that power.

December 1, 2015

Cyber Monday scammers shut down in massive online sting

Would-be Cyber Monday sales were busted up by the tens of thousands as the result of a multinational law enforcement effort that allowed authorities to quash 37,479 websites suspected of illegally selling counterfeit goods ahead of one of the holiday season's biggest shopping days, officials said this week.

December 1, 2015

FBI can access ‘the most intimate details of our lives’ without a warrant, says gag-order recipient

The lifting of an 11-year-old gag-order this week has confirmed that federal investigators have compelled Internet companies to cough up their customers' browsing history, online records and other personal information without ever applying for a warrant.

December 1, 2015

George Soros-funded groups targeted in Russian NGO crackdown

Two pro-democracy foundations launched by liberal U.S. billionaire businessman George Soros have been officially banned by the Russian government, the Kremlin said Monday, which charged that the groups pose a threat to Russian national security and public order.

November 30, 2015

Yelp lawsuit dismissed in federal court

Yelp shareholders can't continue pursuing a lawsuit against the website, a federal judge has ruled, resolving claims concerning the authenticity of the rants and raves of online reviewers.

November 30, 2015

Airstrike on Syrian market kills 30+; Russia blamed: report

Syrian activists claim that a Russian military jet launched an airstrike on Sunday that ravaged a busy marketplace in the town of Ariha and left upwards of dozens of people dead, including civilians and children.

November 30, 2015

Texas prepares to take resettling group to court over refugee plans

An aid group attempting to resettle residents of war-torn Syria is being threatened by officials in Texas who warn that relocating refugees there would give way to a federal lawsuit.

November 30, 2015

Customer data for millions, including kids, compromised in toy-company hack

Hackers have compromised the personal data of nearly 5 million people with accounts on the website of Vtech, a Hong Kong-based electronics company specializing in educational toys geared towards children.

November 30, 2015

Pro-democracy groups funded by billionaire Soros banned in Moscow

Two pro-democracy foundations launched by U.S. billionaire businessman George Soros have been officially banned by the Russian government, the Kremlin said Monday, which said the groups pose a threat to Russian national security and public order.

November 30, 2015

‘Hello Barbie’ doll can be hacked, researcher warns

Mattel's "Hello Barbie" is one of the hottest toys this holiday season, but researchers warn that a security flaw that affects the Wi-Fi-enabled doll is capable of quickly turning Christmas into the creepiest time of the year.

November 27, 2015