Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Calls For Google CEO Page To Testify About New Privacy Policy

John M. Simpson

WASHINGTON, DC — Consumer Watchdog has asked the House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Committee to hold hearings on Google’s new privacy and data policy and to call Google CEO Larry Page ” to explain his company’s disingenuous statements about its supposed commitment to users’ privacy.”

Press Release

Google’s Motorola Deal OK’d, But Regulators Vow to Monitor Patents

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have cleared Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, but are vowing to keep a close eye on the Internet giant’s behavior after the deal goes through.

Consumer Watchdog Wants Larry Page for Privacy Hearing

Paul Sawers

The latest public letter was penned by Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director, John M. Simpson, and was addressed to the House’s subcommittee Chair Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Ranking Member G.K Butterfield, (D-NC). It starts: “I am writing on behalf of Consumer Watchdog to urge you to call Google’s CEO Larry Page to testify before your committee to explain his company’s disingenuous statements about its supposed commitment to users’ privacy.”

EU Approves Google-Motorola Deal

Jennifer Baker

“If Google is allowed to dominate the mobile market it will result in higher prices for consumers and stifle innovation,” warned Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson.

EPIC Pushes FTC To Get In The Ring With Google

Richard Adhikari

“We welcome and support EPIC’s suit,” John Simpson, consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog, told the E-Commerce Times. “We called on the FTC to determine whether Google’s arrogant, unilateral action violated the Buzz consent agreement,” Simpson continued. “I think it’s clear that it does.”

EPIC Files Suit To Block Google’s New Data Policy

John M. Simpson

Our friends at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) went to court Wednesday to block Google from combining data gathered from its various services without users’ consent.

EDITORIAL: It’s Time for Timeline — Facebook Changes Its “Profile” Page — For Everyone

Editorial

In a Jan. 24 article in USA Today, Consumer Watchdog spokesman John Simpson criticized the way Facebook is handling the switch to Timeline. Including online giant Google in his comments, he said such companies are showing “a complete disregard for their users’ interests and concerns” and taking “an uncommonly arrogant approach not usually seen in business, where the companies believe they can do whatever they want with our data, whenever and however they want to do it.”

Consumer Watchdog Praises European Action on Google’s New Privacy Policy, Calls For FTC To Determine If Proposed Changes Violate Consent Agreement

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised European data protection authorities for asking Google to delay implementation of its new privacy and data policies and said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission should determine whether the new policies violate the terms of Google’s consent agreement with the commission.

Measure to Ease Video-Rental Privacy Curbs Catches Flack in Senate

Erika Morphy

The law would allow Netflix and other providers to share movie titles not only with social-media outlets such as Facebook, but also with third-party partners. Privacy advocates hate the proposal. “It is a horrible idea,” Consumer Watchdog’s John M. Simpson told TechNewsWorld.

Consumer Group Objects to Google’s Secret Briefing

Byron Acohido

“Your investigation into Google’s practices that affect millions of Americans should be public,” John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project, wrote in this letter to Mack. “There is a substantial irony in a secret briefing from a company that claims its mission is to organize the world’s information and make it more accessible.”