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Measure to Ease Video-Rental Privacy Curbs Catches Flack in Senate
By Erika Morphy , TECHNEWSWORLD
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.
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Consumer Group Objects to Google’s Secret Briefing
By Byron Acohido , USA TODAY
1. February 2012
“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.”
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One Privacy Policy To Rule Them All: What Google’s Controversial New Terms of Service Could Mean To You
By Christian Blauvelt , ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY POPWATCH BLOG
1. February 2012
Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson points out that personalized advertisements targeted directly to a specific user, based on user-collected information, can be “a substantial amount” more lucrative than just an anonymous ad. And with all the information Google can collect about your interests from your searches, your Google Docs, and your favorite YouTube videos, they can figure out pretty specifically what ads they should show you. “They are positioning this as streamlining privacy,” Simpson says. “But that’s just PR. It’s all about better targeting for advertisers.”
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Facebook Critics Hope IPO Forces Some Hard Questions
By Niraj Chokshi , NATIONAL JOURNAL
1. February 2012
“It’s hard to predict exactly what sort of gaffe they’ll do next, but it would not surprise me if there is yet another one,” said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, noting some concerns over Facebook’s recent expansion of its Timeline feature, which makes it easier to visualize, share, and view users’ profile history.
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Facebook’s IPO May Be the Last Straw for Privacy-Minded Users
By Erika Morphy , E-COMMERCE TIMES
31. January 2012
Even as a private company, Facebook had no problem pushing the envelope, Consumer Watchdog spokesperson Carmen Balber told the E-Commerce Times. “Facebook is already treading dangerous waters as far as privacy rights are concerned. The pressure to monetize consumers’ user data will be greater when there are shareholders to satisfy.”
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Privacy Advocates, Businesses Dig In for EU Lobbying Campaign
By Erika Morphy , E-COMMERCE TIMES
26. January 2012
Facebook, et al., have descended on the city in the hope of softening some of the restrictions, while privacy advocates such as John M. Simpson, the Privacy Project director at Consumer Watchdog, are there to keep the EU on its intended path.
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Privacy Advocates Fiercely Furrow Brows at Google
By Richard Adhikari , TECHNEWSWORLD.COM
25. January 2012
The announcement of the changes sparked concern among privacy watchdogs both in the United States and the European Union. “Consumers’ online privacy is being eroded,” growled John Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.
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Google Centers Privacy Policies Around Google+
By Clint Boulton , EWEEK.COM
25. January 2012
This privacy practice changes will likely also provoke protests from the Electronic Information Privacy Center, which is currently opposing Search, plus your world, as well as the Consumer Watchdog agency.
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Who Would Pay $5,000 to Use Google? (You)
By Quentin Fottrell , SMARTMONEY.COM
25. January 2012
The European Union announced new proposals Wednesday to keep online data private. In the U.S., there is a growing chorus of lawmakers who want to do the same . Currently, there are no state or federal limits on what information can be collected or with whom it can be shared, according to John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, a California-based non-profit organization. Online data gathered can also be used in marketing housing, insurance, and financial services, Simpson says.
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EU Releases Broad Internet Privacy Recommendations
By Kevin Shalvey , INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
25. January 2012
A pro-privacy group, Consumer Watchdog, says the “landmark” recommendations are a boon for anyone concerned about keeping personal information private. Consumer Watchdog, a longtime Google critic, pointed to Google’s decision to integrateGoogle+ information into search results as a sign that new regulations are necessary to protect consumers.
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U.S. Firms Wary of EU’s Proposed Privacy Changes
By Juliana Gruenwald , TECHDAILYDOSE - NATIONAL JOURNAL
25. January 2012
“Once Google and Facebook are following European rules, there will be no way for the companies to justify the obviously inadequate protection in the U.S.,” John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, a vocal Google critic, said in a statement. Google has come under fire after it said Tuesday that it plans to begin tracking users and collecting data about them as they move from one Google service to another.
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Google Tops as ‘Lord of the Lobbying’ with $10 Million in 2011
By Surojit Chatterjee , INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
24. January 2012
“They’ve decided to play the corrupt corporate cash and carry Washington (game) like many firms such as Microsoft have long done,” John Simpson, a consumer advocate for Consumer Watchdog, told CNET. “What sets them apart, though, is they still hold themselves out to be different from the rest.”
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Spending Plus Online Clout Put Google In Lobbying Class of Its Own
By Josh Smith , NATIONAL JOURNAL - NEXTGOV
24. January 2012
Google’s spending caught the eye of its critics. The group Consumer Watchdog, which consistently targets Google, accused the company’s executives of having “no qualms about spending lots of money to get their way.”
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Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber discusses Internet privacy and the need for an online “Do Not Track Me” list.
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2. February 2012