Comcast Corp

Minnesota officials are trying a novel tactic to block online gambling sites -- using a federal law that enables restrictions on phone calls used for wagering.

The state's Department of Public Safety said Wednesday it had asked 11 Internet service providers to block access to 200 online gambling sites.

The state is citing a federal law that requires "common carriers," a term that mainly applies to phone companies, to comply with requests that they block telecommunications services used for gambling.

Online video site Joost is shopping itself around to different cable TV operators, but at least one has declined to buy it, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

Time Warner Cable Inc., the nation's No. 2 cable operator that recently separated from parent Time Warner Inc., is in talks with Joost for a possible acquisition, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on confidential negotiations.

At a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Internet subcommittee Thursday, Congress began the tricky business of trying to understand Internet privacy issues and launched another round of debates about legislation regulating the collection and handling of personal data online.

The Free Press has asked the Federal Communications Commission to confirm that all U.S. wireless networks must adhere to the same open Internet policy as landline networks. The policy gives consumers the right to access all online content.

Parents might get a new reason to yell at their kids for playing video games too much: In the future, it could rack up their Internet bills.

A service unveiled this week aims to stream video games over the Internet, setting gamers on a collision course with cable and phone companies that are seeking to curb growing demands on their networks by charging for heavy usage.

Copyright infringement on the Internet has been an ongoing problem, and Internet service providers have had to police such content to comply with infringement laws while also keeping customers happy.

Reports that ISPs, specifically AT&T, Cox Communications, and Comcast, are working with the Recording Industry Association of America to send out warnings, then threatening to close subscriber accounts have surfaced -- and some ISPs say they aren't accurate.