Over in the US, the DC Circuit Court has issued a ruling in Verizon v. FCC that is likely the shape the very nature of the internet. At the heart of the case is how the companies that provide internet to consumers can control that flow of information. In 2010, the Federal Communications Commission put forth an order that required "network neutrality," meaning that internet providers had to treat all packets delivered on the internet as equal. Today, a court ruledthat the FCC lacks the authority to impose net neutrality on high-speed internet providers.
This was a bad week for spies, and a great week to find out how we were spied on. Following revelations Wednesday that Verizon handed over millions of call records to the National Security Administration, news broke Thursday that the FBI and NSA had access (probably not direct) to servers for nine US internet companies. The name of this program is PRISM, as a reference to splitting light on fibre-optic cables.
Verizon will not rebuild its copper-line telephone network in Mantoloking, N.J., a community of about 300 that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, Asbury Park Press reports. Instead, the company is offering residents a new service called Verizon Voice Link, which connects wired and cordless phones to the Verizon Wireless network.
Facebook just let loose with a new update to the Messenger app for iPhone, which until now was restricted to text messaging, sort of like AOL Instant Messenger or GChat. Now it's something totally different: it's a Skype competitor, except you know all of your friends already use it.
