$15-a-month internet law on hold in New York, judge rules
New York cannot require internet providers to offer broadband service for low-income customers for as little as $15-a-month, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Broadband funds to boost access in western NY, Finger Lakes
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than $210 million in state grants is being awarded to scores of municipalities from Buffalo to Westchester to bring broadband internet access to thousands of New York homes and businesses. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that seven separate grants totaling $214 million will be shared by localities in western, central […]
Senate launches bill to remove immunity for websites hosting illegal content
WASHINGTON – The Senate on Tuesday introduced a bill to amend a law that protects the hosts of websites from liability for content posted by others, trying to narrowly tailor the changes to target sites such as Backpage.com, which have been criticized for facilitating child sex trafficking. The legislation, along with a similar bill in […]
Internet generated most complaints to NY AG last year
For the eleventh year in a row, internet-related problems topped the 2016 list of the most common consumer fraud complaints to the New York Attorney General’s office. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman released the list on Monday, at the start of National Consumer Protection Week, “This serves as a reminder. Fraudsters are always looking for […]
A look at ‘net neutrality’ and what will happen
WASHINGTON — Whose Internet is it anyway? Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, says he’s keeping that question in mind as he pitches the biggest regulatory shake-up to the telecommunications industry since 1996, when people still used noisy modems and referred to the “information superhighway” as a fun way to buy books or […]
Congress looks at collecting Internet sales tax
Congress is looking at ways for states to collect sales taxes on the growing number of items being sold online by out-of-state companies. The pros and cons of the Marketplace Fairness Act were discussed last week by members of the House Judiciary Committee, who also heard testimony on alternative solutions. The proposed act, passed by […]
Big tech companies lash out at government snooping
WASHINGTON — Silicon Valley is escalating pressure on President Barack Obama to curb the U.S. government surveillance programs that vacuum personal information off the Internet and threaten the technology industry’s financial livelihood. A coalition that includes Google, Apple, Yahoo, Facebook and Microsoft lashed out in an open letter printed Monday in major newspapers and a […]
Tax-free Internet shopping jeopardized by bill
WASHINGTON — Tax-free shopping on the Internet could be in jeopardy under a bill making its way through the Senate. The bill would empower states to require online retailers to collect state and local sales taxes for purchases made over the Internet. The sales taxes would be sent to the states where a shopper lives. […]
Government issues new online child privacy rules
WASHINGTON — The government has announced new online child privacy rules it says give parents greater control over the personal information that can be collected from preteens on the Internet. The Federal Trade Commission said the new regulations it issued Wednesday ensure that a 14-year-old law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, keeps pace with […]
Court declines to hear music downloading case
A $675,000 jury verdict against a student who illegally downloaded 30 songs from the Internet was left standing by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the matter up. Joel Tenenbaum, a 28-year-old Boston University physics student, used file-sharing software to download and distribute music on sites including Napster and Kazaa. Members […]
SSA judges: Don’t use Internet to decide claims
The Social Security Administration issued a directive to SSA judges last month instructing them not to use the Internet to seek information on claimants to help them decide cases. “The popularity on Internet sites and social media networking tools such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter have resulted in questions regarding whether these tools should play […]
Could violators of Internet agreements be criminally liable?
Should federal prosecutors have the power to levy criminal charges against Internet users who violate the terms of service agreements on a given website? That is one of the questions facing the U.S. House of Representatives, which is considering legislation to narrow the reach of current computer security laws. While arguing against Senate-passed legislation that […]
Case Digests
- Court of Appeals – Speedy trial: People v. Justice A.
- Fourth Department – Traffic stop: People v. McMillon
- Second Circuit – Fair Labor Standards Act: Abbott v. Comme Des Garcons, Ltd.
- Second Circuit – Plea agreements: Cook v. United States
- Fourth Department: Statute of limitations: Marino v. Weiler
- Fourth Department – Nail and mail service: Rebutting presumption of service L&W Supply Corporation v. Built-Rite Drywall Corp, et al
- Fourth Department – Mental Hygiene Law: Charles L. v. State of New York
- Second Circuit – Medicaid and Medicare certification: U.S. ex rel. Quartararo v. Cath. Health Sys. Of Long Island Inc.
- Fourth Department – Waiver of indictment: People v. King
- Fourth Department – Speedy trial: People v. Jordan
- Fourth Department – Rosario material: People v. Dennard
- Second Circuit – Magnuson-Stevens Act: State of New York v. Raimondo
Law News
- Split court affirms gun conviction
- N.Y. Court of Appeals reverses gun conviction
- NY board approves cannabis lawsuit settlements, paves way for retail dispensaries
- NY Court of Appeals reverses murder conviction because of illegal police search
- NY Court of Appeals reverses gun conviction over ineffective counsel
- Split court affirms gun conviction, finding search and arrest were legal
- NY appeals court vacates drug conviction over illegal police search
- Split Court of Appeals strips Police Accountability Board of disciplinary power