Consumerist
Comcast and Roku are launching a new Xfinity TV app, but it will only be available to Comcast users who subscribe to TV and broadband, and who have at least one set-top box provided by Comcast. "Rather than being a set-top box replacement, it’s basically another way you can log in to your existing Comcast cable account and view content, just like the website or mobile device apps," Consumerist reports.
GeekWire
Washington state Attorney General says he is suing Donald Trump over his executive order barring some immigrants from seven countries from entering the company. Amazon and Expedia are supporting the initiative. The companies filed papers outlining how the policy is negatively affecting their businesses.
The New York Times
Social media is fueling a national protest movement against President Donald Trump that has "nudged him from the media spotlight he depends on," writes Farhad Manjoo in The New York Times. "Because it was hatched on social networks and is dispatched by mobile phones, it appears to be organizationally sophisticated and ferociously savvy about conquering the media," Manjoo writes.
The Verge
New FCC Chair Ajit Pai is circulating a proposal to exempt broadband providers with fewer than 250,000 from new transparency rules that require disclosure to consumers about information including data caps, fees and connection speeds. Pai's order would exempt the providers from the transparency rules -- which are part of the net neutrality regulations -- for five years.
Arstechnica
The FCC voted to give New York $170 million from the Connect America Fund, in order to expand broadband in rural parts of the state. Providers that accept the funds must use the money to offer service of at least 10 Mbps downstream.
Arstechnica
Comcast will offer wireless phone service this year as part of a new quadruple-play bundle. To do so, the company intends to resell Verizon Wireless mobile service.
Forbes
Russian authorities have arrested Ruslan Stoyanov, a top security researcher with anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab, in connection with a treason investigation. The arrest comes as the FBI is investigating allegations of Russian cybercrime, including reports that Russian hackers breached servers at the Democratic National Committee.
Dslreports
Cox is extending its 1 TB per month data caps to new markets, starting Feb. 20. Subscribers who exceed the cap will be charged an additional $10 for each 50 GB overage. The company says the new policy won't affect 98% of customers.
BuzzFeed
President Donald Trump has banned employees with the US Department of Agriculture from sharing anything with the public on Twitter and other social media services. "According to an email sent Monday morning and obtained by BuzzFeed News, the department told staff -- including some 2,000 scientists -- at the agency’s main in-house research arm, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), to stop communicating with the public about taxpayer-funded work," BuzzFeed writes.
Hollywood Reporter
Netflix has bought the rights to "Nobody Speak" -- a documentary about Gawker's legal battle with Hulk Hogan. The legal fight, which ultimately put Gawker out of business, centered on Hogan's claims that the gossip blog violated his privacy by posting excerpts of his sex tape. Hogan's lawsuit was secretly funded by Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel.