Inside Google

Mixed Reviews For Google Dashboard

Andrew Noyes

Google launched an application Thursday that allows users to see what data is stored in their accounts, but at least one group says the effort doesn’t go far enough. The Google Dashboard is "designed to be simple and useful" and summarizes data for a range of products from e-mail and calendar applications to social networking and video sharing platforms. Consumer Watchdog, a group that has repeatedly thrashed Google for its advertising and privacy protection practices, said the Internet giant should let users opt out of tracking and delete information associated with their computer’s IP address from Google’s servers.

Google Offers Users A Peek At Stored Data

Miguel Helft

Google, which has been criticized frequently for amassing large amounts of data about people, is giving users an easy way to find out what information it stores in their accounts. John Simpson, of Consumer Watchdog, a frequent critic of Google, said
Dashboard gave users the appearance of control over privacy but did not
really prevent Google from tracking users across the Web. “What the Dashboard does is list all the information linked directly to
your name, but what it doesn’t do is let you know and control the data
directly tied to your computer’s IP address, which is Google’s black
box and data mine, Mr. Simpson said in a press release. “Google isn’t
truly protecting privacy until it lets you control that information.”

Google Creates Privacy Dashboard

Jessica E. Vascellaro

Google, which has had a bullseye on its back when it comes to Internet privacy, on Thursday launched a Web site that shows people what data Gmail, Google Calendar and more than a dozen other Google products store about them. John Simpson of consumer-advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog said
the dashboard focuses on data that people have consciously shared with
Google while they are logged into various Google accounts, but ignores
all the data that Google collects and ties to a user’s computer address
and through other software, known as cookies. “The dashboard is really the appearance of control without giving users
the ability to see how Google tracks them all over the place,” he said.

Press Release

Big Bird’s Birthday: Part Of Google’s Charm Campaign?

CONTACT: David Grant

For Big Bird’s birthday, the Sesame Street icon’s feet replaced the L in Google’s search logo. Is Google pressing Big Bird into the service of its charm offensive?
      
Critics say its corporate motto of
“Don’t be evil” is a smoke screen for invasive procedures that are
stripping away privacy (like scanning your gmail account for keywords
to create targeted advertising). “I love Google. But I also fear Google,” says Jamie Court, president of
Consumer Watchdog. “It’s made finding information remarkably easy, but
I’m not under any illusion that that’s a free lunch. And most Internet
users have had their eyes opened recently to the fact that they are
being tracked and they don’t have a way of stopping that.”

Google To Unveil New Privacy Controls

James Temple

Google Inc. will announce a feature tomorrow that will give users more
control over their online privacy, according to a consumer advocate who
discussed the matter with the company. John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog hasn’t reviewed Google Dashboard yet,
because he refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement. But attorneys for
the Mountain View search giant informed him the new feature would be
unveiled on Thursday, he told The Chronicle.

Microsoft vs. Google: When It Comes To The Cloud, It’s War

Ian Lamont

"All warfare is based on deception," goes the famous line attributed to Sun Tzu in the Art of War. It may very well be the operating principle that both Google and Microsoft have taken to heart in their battle for dominance of the office desktop and cloud. Case in point: The recent battle between the two companies
to sell office productivity and email services to the city of Los
Angeles. Last month, before the city made a decision, Google downplayed
an attack on the security of its cloud-based offerings by Consumer Watchdog
— but quickly published a "fact check" document to distribute to city
officials to support its claims about reliability and security. According to one report,
Google suggested that Consumer Watchdog was "being paid to target
Google specifically," without publicly naming the party allegedly
paying the group.

Google Beats Microsoft in the E-Mail Battle of Los Angeles

Clint Boulton

Google won the battle with Microsoft for the right to move Los Angeles’ 30,000 municipal employees to its e-mail system, knocking out Novell’s GroupWise platform for the $7.25 million contract. However, the contract comes with a caveat. Google must compensate the
city if its e-mail service is breached and data is stolen. The Los
Angeles Council voted to add the penalty provision 9-3. Consumer
advocates applauded this motion. "Los Angeles residents cannot be sure the city’s confidential or
sensitive data will be secure," said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate
with Consumer Watchdog, "but at least they know there will be a penalty
if security is compromised. It’s essential that this project be closely
watched to ensure that Google keeps its promises."

Google Selected To Handle City’s E-mail Operation

Rick Orlov

CONTRACT: Deal Could Save $5 Million, But Some Still Have Security Concerns

Google trumped Microsoft and Novell on Tuesday, winning a $7.25 million contract to create an e-mail system for workers in Los Angeles. John Simpson with the group Consumer Watchdog warned against adopting
the Google system until more work is completed on security. "It may be the thing of the future, but I’m not sure it is there yet,"
Simpson said. "The security checks don’t exist yet. It is the gleam in
Google’s eyes." Part of the City Council’s approval was based on promises from Google that it will reimburse the city for any damages.  

L.A. City Council To Vote On Google E-mail Contract

David Sarno

Questions about cost, security and reliability remain, but the council is expected to decide Tuesday.

After concerns were raised about how Google would secure sensitive data
from law enforcement agencies, the company announced plans to finish
work on a "government cloud," a separate set of servers with enhanced
security, sometime next year. But completion of the government cloud is not a guarantee, said John
Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, a nonpartisan consumer advocacy group
that has been critical of the Google contract. "If you build it and vet it and test it, great, but don’t commit to going onto it until it actually exists," he said.

Con: Why Los Angeles Should Worry About Google’s E-mail System

John M. Simpson

Google wants the city of Los Angeles to switch its 30,000 e-mail users
to an Internet-based system it operates, but rather than address real
questions about the security of such "cloud computing" systems the
Internet giant changes its story depending on its audience.