Sen. Jeff Merkley said the NSA’s actions are part of a clandestine effort that needs to be made public.

Microsoft, the FBI and authorities in more than 80 countries took down one of the world's largest cyber crime rings, Reuters reports. 

San Francisco and New York law enforcement officials will meet with representatives from Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft to urge them to help combat cellphone theft, The Associated Press writes.

A top Amazon executive testified against Apple in the e-book price-fixing trial, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Ajit Pai, a member of the Federal Communications Commission, called on Congress to legalize cellphone unlocking in a New York Times op-ed. 

An administration official called the phone data a “critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats."

The American Civil Liberties Union said the program was put in place under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act.

A cellphone industry official plans to tell a House panel on Thursday that his group supports legislation to legalize cellphone unlocking.

Mike Altschul, general counsel of wireless industry group CTIA, will testify that a House unlocking bill is a "reasonable balance that protects consumers and carriers alike."

"Because we were not seeking to limit individuals’ non-commercial ability to unlock their devices, and because the bill preserves the important limitations against bulk unlocking included in the Librarian’s 2010 decision, CTIA can support H.R. 1123," Altschul will say at the hearing of the House Judiciary Committee's intellectual property subcommittee, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.

THE LEDE: House and Senate lawmakers will announce legislation on Thursday that would punish nations that hack U.S. computer systems.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) will unveil the bill, along with Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

The lawmakers said in a statement that the legislation provides "real consequences and punishments for nation-state cyber hackers who relentlessly prey on American cyber networks and steal millions of dollars of intellectual property each year."

"Cyber hackers from nation-states like China and Russia have been aggressively targeting U.S. markets, stealing valuable intellectual property, and then repurposing it and selling it as their own," the lawmakers added.

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Maureen Ohlhausen, a Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission, warned against overly aggressive government regulation of online privacy on Wednesday. 

Instead, she said the commission should support voluntary industry-led efforts to develop privacy protection guidelines.

"Self-regulation can also offer consumers more privacy choices," Ohlhausen said at the Digital Advertising Alliance's conference. "Voluntary codes of conduct and industry-led enforcement are particularly appropriate in dynamic sectors of the economy where traditional regulation may stifle innovation and slow growth."

The regulations would require carriers to take "reasonable precautions" to protect personal information, such as the numbers customers dial.

Testimony from Penguin's CEO bolstered the government's case that Apple conspired to raise e-book prices, Reuters reports.  Read more...