Facebook violates Europe's privacy law by placing tracking cookies on users who visit sites with a “Like” button -- even if those users don't have Facebook accounts or have opted out of online tracking, according to a new study. The study, authored by researchers from the University of Leuven and Vrije Universiteit Brussels, was commissioned by Belgian regulators after an earlier report found that Facebook's privacy policy violates European law, accordimg to the Guardian. The EU's privacy law requires generally companies to obtain users' consent before placing tracking cookies on their computers.

Sling TV's recently added channels -- A&E, Liftetime and LMN -- are withholding some programs from the Internet video distributor, TechHive reports. A Sling TV spokesperson confirmed to TechHive that some shows are restricted due to programming rights. Sling TV's recently added channels -- A&E, Liftetime and LMN -- are withholding some programs from the Internet video distributor, TechHive reports. A Sling TV spokesperson confirmed to TechHive that some shows are restricted due to programming rights.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Judiciary's Antitrust Subcommittee, says he will examine whether the White House wrongly influenced the Federal Trade Commission's 2011-2012 antitrust investigation of Google, the Verge reports. Lee's move is the latest fallout from recent revelations that some FTC staff members wanted the agency to prosecute Google for allegedly leveraging its market power in search to harm Yelp, TripAdvisor and other review sites.

The live-streaming startup Meerkat run into problems with copyright infringement, if users point their phones at TV sets and stream whatever's airing, the National Journal reports. Meerkat “may be loping into a legal minefield,” the publication states. “The same characteristics that make the app attractive to the hundreds of thousands of people who are downloading it -- its ease of use and engaged users -- make it perfect for another of the Internet's favorite pastimes: piracy. An National Association of Broadcasters spokesperson says the app isn't yet a problem for broadcasters.

Safari users in the United Kingdom can sue Google for allegedly circumventing their privacy settings, a British appellate court has ruled. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit by a group of Safari users including an editor and two IT security company directors, according to the Guardian. They alleged that Google's circumvention of Safari's no-tracking settings caused  “distress and embarrassment,” according to the Guardian.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler publicly defended the new net neutrality rules today in a speech delivered at his alma mater, Ohio State University. "We can have an open Internet policy that advances the interests of tens of thousands of innovators, and millions of Internet users; or we can have an open Internet policy that advances the interests of a few powerful companies," Wheeler said, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Some net neutrality advocates are worried that Internet service providers could circumvent the net neutrality rules by mislabeling some offerings as “specialized services,” the Washington Post reports. Specialized services -- which include VoIP and smart thermostats -- fall outside the common-carrier rules that prohibit blocking, throttling or discrimination. Advocates warn that a broadband provider could claim that its own online video service was a “specialized service,” and then deliver those streams faster than video from other companies.

Tech companies including Google, Microsoft, and Apple asked the White House to end the NSA's bulk collection of metadata. The companies -- along with digital rights groups -- say that any data collection by the government “should have appropriate safeguards in place to protect privacy and users' rights," The Verge reports.

British engineering company BladeRoom Group alleges in a new lawsuit that Facebook stole a technique for building data centers. BladeRoom Group says it contacted Facebook about the technique, which aims to be faster and more energy-efficient, IT World reports.

The Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice will continue reviewing Comcast's proposed merger with Time Warner until at least the middle of this year, ArsTechnica reports. State officials in California recently delayed a vote on the $45 billion deal until May 7, while the New York Public Service Commission won't rule until April 20, at the earliest.