A Verizon advertising partner has settled with the FTC over the use of Verizon's stealth ad tracking technology. Back in 2014 security researchers discovered that Verizon was modifying wireless user packets to covertly track user behavior around the internet. When launched, Verizon failed to even inform customers this was happening, and similarly failed to provide working opt out tools. It took security researchers two years to even realize what Verizon was doing, and another six months of pressure to make Verizon include a working opt-out function.

An FTC announcement states that Turn, one of the ad partners Verizon used in the effort, falsely told customers that they could opt out of the company's snoopvertising via browser settings. They weren't told that the unique identifier header (UIDH) technology Verizon was using allows users to be tracked as they wander the Internet -- regardless of their personal browser preferences.

Worse, Verizon and its ad partners were building entire user profiles based on this information, without informing consumers.

"Turn tracked millions of consumers online and through mobile apps even if they had taken steps to block or limit tracking," said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The FTC’s order will ensure the company honors consumers’ privacy choices."

To settle the investigation, Turn agreed to be more transparent with consumers in terms of how users are being tracked, and how they opt out. In a statement posted to its website, Turn makes it clear they're not admitting to any wrong doing, but stuck the deal "to avoid a lengthy and costly litigation process and to continue our single-minded focus on serving our global brand and agency customers."

"After a nearly two-year process and extended negotiations, we look forward to avoiding further distraction and expense so that we can continue to serve our customers," says the company. "The settlement validates the steps we took early in 2015, when Turn terminated the partnership and ceased using the Verizon Wireless identifier."

NG-PON2 stands for the Next Generation Passive Optical Network, and is also known as ITU-T G.989. It is a standard that is designed to increase the bandwidth available through fiber networking, and it is based around multi-wavelength transmissions.

We've noted for some time now that cable's broadband monopoly is growing across huge swaths of the country as telcos refuse to upgrade unwanted DSL customers. Instead, many telcos are shifting their focus to content and media (evident by AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner and Verizon's acquisition of AOL and Yahoo), while others are shifting their focus away from residential broadband and toward enterprise services (CenturyLink, Windstream).

Altice USA is spinning off its workforce in the states in a move the company claims will improve customer service, but employees claim will erode workers rights and make it easier to conduct layoffs. Documents provided to DSLReports.com indicate that the company's employees will be spun off into a new company dubbed "Altice Technical Services US Corp."

The memo to employees claims this "newly formed center of excellence" will "establish a more dynamic, technically-focused organization" in order to "strengthen Altice USA and put us in a better competitive position to provide our customers with best in class services across all markets."

Both Cablevision and Suddenlink employees, who in recent weeks have complained about aggressive penny pinching at Altice, will be integrated into the new spun off company.

Back in January former Aereo founder Chaitanya Kanojia unveiled Starry, a new wireless ISP that promises to use millimeter wave technology to deliver gigabit wireless speeds to your home. The technology leans heavily on mesh networked city nodes utilizing 38 GHz spectrum.

Earlier this year, the FCC removed Cuba from the US "exclusion list," allowing US carriers to service the Caribbean country without separate approval from the agency. Still, Cuba remains one of the least connection broadband markets in the world.

• Ad-slinger Turn caught with its hand in Verizon's 'supercookie' jar, settles with FTC to end alleged illegal web stalking gripe [theregister.co.uk]

• FCC study shows DSL is terrible, but it doesn’t have to be [yahoo.com]

• Are smart TVs ever as good as dedicated streaming players? The answer is: Sometimes - but it's complicated [csmonitor.com]

• Internet bills reduced for thousands of Canadians after CRTC decision [vancouversun.com]

• AT&T launches service to help (some) users block unwanted calls [consumerist.com]

• T-Mobile MVNO Ultra Mobile launches new service that lets users manage their own data speeds [fiercewireless.com]

• Comcast not at fault in icy pileup, Indy police say [fiercecable.com]

• CenturyLink wins $11.4M contract to provide Senate with VoIP service [washingtontechnology.com]

• Altice USA creates new company composed of US-based technical employees to execute & deploy promised FTTH network across its entire US footprint over the next five years [lightreading.com]

• FCC's former general counsel Jon Sallet champions gatekeeper approach to ISPs in merger, makes case for Open Internet rules and investigating zero rating [multichannel.com]

Republican South Carolina State Representative Bill Chumley is pushing a new proposal that would require the installation of a porn blocker on any internet-capable device, requiring that users pay a fee of $20 if they wanted to access smut freely. The proposal was first reported by GoUpstate, which notes that the proposal would fine fine any device manufacturer or retailer that sells a device "without a digital blocking system installed." Buyers who want the filter lifted after purchasing a computer or device would have to pay a $20 fee -- after verifying (in person) they are 18 or older.

"If an end user buys an apparatus, a computer, and they want access to that, they would have to pay to have that filter removed," Chumley said.

According to Chumley, he's introducing the somewhat draconian (and likely utterly impossible to enforce) requirements as part of a broader effort to thwart human trafficking.

We've already noted how Trump's top telecom advisors have made it abundantly clear the new FCC intends to not only gut net neutrality, but defund and defang the FCC entirely. One Trump advisor, former Sprint lobbyist Mark Jamison, doesn't think telecom monopolies are real.

A decision is looming in an ongoing lawsuit filed by Washington State accusing Comcast of intentionally ripping off the company's customers via misleading "service protection plans." Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Comcast for $100 million last August, claiming Comcast misrepresented the scope of its Service Protection Plans, charged customers improper service call fees, and engaged in improper credit screening practices. The lawsuit claims nearly 2 million instances of deceptive behavior impacting half a million Washington state subscribers.

Geekwire notes that both sides presented their arguments last Friday as Comcast lawyers have worked to have the case dismissed.