"Three Strikes" and Verizon: Not Happening: Via Public Knowledge.

Yesterday’s CNET report that Verizon had secretly adopted a “three strikes” policy towards alleged copyright infringers had our office all atwitter last night - how could a charter member of our ad hoc copyright reform coalition be engaging in such radical activity? Well, it turns out they weren’t.

As their misquoted spokesperson explains here, what Verizon employs is a process for passing on warning notices to alleged infringers, but that process does not include automatic termination. My guess is that to the extent that she was talking about infringers having their internet access terminated, she was referring to people who had been adjudicated by a court to be infringing, and as such, they would be violating Verizon’s terms of service.

Passing on warning notices that do not involve deep packet inspection is a process for limiting infringement that PK wholeheartedly supports and which appears to be quite effective. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon Terminating Copyright Infringers’ Internet Access: Via Threat Level.

While it was not immediately clear whether other internet service providers were following suit, the move comes as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America are lobbying ISPs and Congress to support terminating internet access for repeat, online copyright offenders.

All the while, the United States has been privately lobbying the European Union to “encourage” so-called three strikes policies, according to leaked documents surrounding a proposed international intellectual property accord.

Verizon was not immediately prepared to comment in detail on the developments, first reported by CNET, or to detail how many of its more than 8 million broadband subscribers it has terminated — although CNET said the number was “small.” The RIAA declined comment.

“We reserve the right to do that,” Verizon spokeswoman Bobbi Henson said in a telephone interview regarding the terminations. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon: metered billing much fairer than all-you-can-eat: Via Law & Disorder Section - Ars Technica.

Verizon Wireless' top engineer, Dick Lynch, was at it again during CES, setting the stage for a world in which Verizon moves away from flat-rate pricing and adopts metered billing instead. Lynch, a staple on the conference circuit, has made such comments for some time, and they regularly draw a negative reaction from consumers. But to Lynch, it's a matter of fairness—and a response to a newly "open" wireless world.

First, when it comes to traditional data usage from 3G smartphones and laptop cards, Lynch argues that buffet economics produce unfair subsidies to the heaviest users. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon: Data Breaches Getting More Sophisticated: Via Threat Level.

Methods of stealing data are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but attackers are still gaining initial access to networks through known, preventable vulnerabilities, according to a report released by Verizon Business on Wednesday.

“Attacks are getting more sophisticated and more difficult to prevent,” said Wade Baker, research and intelligence principal for Verizon Business’s RISK Team, in an interview. “The attackers still usually get in the network through some relatively mundane attacks. But once they’re in, they’re getting more and more adept at getting the data they want and getting it effectively and silently. And we seem to be on a plateau in terms of our ability to detect [them].”

For example, while companies have been expanding their use of encryption to protect bank card data in transit and in storage, hackers have begun to use RAM scrapers to grab data during the few seconds it’s unencrypted and transactions are being authorized. [ Read more ... ]

Yahoo, Verizon: Our Spy Capabilities Would ‘Shock’, ‘Confuse’ Consumers: Via Threat Level.

Want to know how much phone companies and internet service providers charge to funnel your private communications or records to U.S. law enforcement and spy agencies?

That’s the question muckraker and Indiana University graduate student Christopher Soghoian asked all agencies within the Department of Justice, under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed a few months ago. But before the agencies could provide the data, Verizon and Yahoo intervened and filed an objection on grounds that, among other things, they would be ridiculed and publicly shamed were their surveillance price sheets made public.

Yahoo writes in its 12-page objection letter (.pdf), that if its pricing information were disclosed to Soghoian, he would use it “to ’shame’ Yahoo! and other companies — and to ’shock’ their customers.” [ Read more ... ]

Verizon Rejects Hollywood%u2019s Call to Aid Piracy Figh - Via Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog:

More often than not companies in similar positions have similar views. But when Hollywood asked the two big phone companies to help with its fight against piracy, they responded in opposite ways. AT&T, as we wrote, is talking about developing a system that would identify and block illicitly copied material being sent over its broadband network. [ Read more ... ]

Dems Ask Telcos Spying Questions: Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to AT&T, Verizon and Qwest Tuesday, asking whether they gave the government billions of customer call records or bugged their networks on behalf of the nation's spooks.

The five-page letters, signed by committee chair John Dingell (Michigan), Ed Markey (Massachusetts) and Bart Stupak (Michigan), ask for detailed answers about the telecom companies' relationship with the National Security Agency post 9/11. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon Reverses Course on Abortion Text-Messaging: "If you want to see what the Internet will look like in a few years without net neutrality, you need look no further than this week's stories about Verizon Wireless' attempts to censor messages on its text-message network. Today the telecommunications giant reversed a decision it made last week to reject NARAL Pro-Choice America's request to make a text-message advocacy campaign available on Verizon networks. The program would allow people to sign up for text messages with NARAL by sending a five digit 'short code.' These types of programs have become very popular with activist groups and political candidates.

Earlier, Verizon told NARAL it does not accept programs from any group ‘that seeks to promote an agenda or distribute content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users.’ Never mind that you have to sign up for the program so you don't get unsolicited messages. If Verizon says your program is controversial or unsavory, you can always go elsewhere. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon’s Blocking Content is a Cry for Government Action on Net Neutrality, Free Speech Advocates are Feeling the Big Chill: Washington, DC –- The American Civil Liberties Union said that Verizon’s actions to block political speech in text messages do not bode well for free speech. While the ACLU appreciates that Verizon immediately changed course and allowed the speech after public outcry, Director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office Caroline Fredrickson said, "this is exactly why we need the Government’s leadership on net neutrality for a free and open marketplace of ideas to continue to thrive in this country." [ Read more ... ]

Verizon Reverses Itself On Pro-Choice News Texting Ban: "fermion writes 'Verizon has reacted to an NYT report filed earlier today on their decision to ban text message news clips from a pro-choice group, reversing the ban on that content. [ Read more ... ]

Verizon Reverses Itself on Abortion Messages - New York Times: Reversing course, Verizon Wireless announced today that it would allow an abortion rights group to send text messages to its supporters on Verizon’s mobile network.

“The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect,” Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Verizon, said in a statement, adding that the earlier decision was an “isolated incident.” [ Read more ... ]

Verizon and Feds To Seek Dismissal of Anti-Spying Suit Thursday: >Telecom giant Verizon and their Justice Department backers will be asking a federal judge Thursday afternoon to throw out a lawsuit seeking millions in damages for Verizon's alleged mass transfer of customer calling records to the National Security Agency.'

The government intervened in the case to assert the 'state secrets' privilege, saying the case involved national secrets and must be thrown out . The Verizon suit is one of five consolidated cases, along with the better known case against AT&T, that have been moved to U.S District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco's federal court.

The Verizon plaintiffs have been facing a difficult case, since their allegations that MCI violated federal phone privacy laws centers on MCI (now owned by Verizon) allegedly turning over its phone call database to the government.

That was first revealed by the USA Today and subsequently confirmed by Congress members who were briefed on the program.' However, the Bush Administration never confirmed or denied the transfers, unlike the warrantless eavesdropping program, which the Adminstration confirmed.' [ Read more ... ]

Administrivia: So far Verizon is living down to my expectations. After having intermittent problems for the last two months, the problem was finally consistent enough that I could get a tech on the phone to finally admit that things might not be perfect. He was very well indoctrinated by Verizon and kept trying to describe a connection that was often 100% dead as "Maybe not as fast as it should be" This was on Thursday. [ Read more ... ]