Inside Google

Google Spends Record $16.83 Million On 2014 Lobbying, Topping 15 Tech And Communications Companies; Facebook, Amazon, Apple Also Post Records

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Google spent a record $16.83 million on lobbying in its efforts to influence federal regulators and lawmakers in 2014, just ahead of Comcast’s reported $16.80 million, according to records filed with the Clerk of the House and analyzed today by Consumer Watchdog.

Consumer Watchdog Welcomes Death Of Google Glass, Says Internet Giant Should Not Offer “Glass 2.0” Until Privacy Issues Are Solved

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today welcomed Google’s announcement that it would stop selling Google Glass, its privacy invasive wearable computing device and said the Internet giant should not offer a new version until privacy issues are solved.

Consumer Watchdog Warns Obama Not To Undercut Strong State Data and Privacy Laws

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today welcomed President Obama’s attention on consumer privacy and data breach issues, but cautioned that legislation he proposes must not provide weaker protection than is already offered by some state laws.

Privacy Alert: Consumer Watchdog Urges Public to ‘Opt Out’ of Cal INDEX Electronic Health Information Exchange

John M. Simpson

Ten Questions Blue Cross & Blue Shield Must Answer Before Patients Agree To Share Medical Records, Says Consumer Watchdog

Consumer Watchdog Urges European Parliament To Approve Call To Break Up Google

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today urged the European Parliament to pass a resolution calling for the break-up of Google to end the Internet giant’s monopolistic dominance, a remedy that the U.S. public interest group proposed more than four years ago.

Consumer Watchdog Praises European Parliament’s Call To Break Up Google

John M. Simpson

Public Interest Group Proposed This Plan To End Search Dominance 4 Years Ago

Automakers’ Privacy Principles Offer Little Real Protection, Consumer Watchdog Says

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Privacy Protection Principles just released by two automakers’ trade associations do little to protect consumers’ sensitive data that is increasingly collected by modern cars and trucks, Consumer Watchdog said today.

Moffett Field Lease Deal Wrongly Rewards Google Execs’ Longstanding Abuse

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – NASA’s just announced lease agreement with a Google subsidiary to manage Moffett Federal Airfield wrongly rewards the Internet giant’s executives for longstanding abuses at Ames Research Center, Consumer Watchdog said.

Google Spends $3.94 Million On 3rd Quarter Lobbying; Comcast Spends $4.23 Million; Facebook Lists $2.45 Million As Amazon Sets Record Of $1.18 Million, Reports Show

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Google spent $3.94 million lobbying the federal government in the third quarter, off from its record $5.30 million in the previous quarter, but up 17 percent from $3.37 million in the comparable period in 2013, according to records just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and analyzed today by Consumer Watchdog.

California Is A Long Way From Driverless Cars, Consumer Watchdog Tells Insurance Commissioner

John M. Simpson

Urges Focus On Immediate Concerns Of Privacy And Auto Safety

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today challenged the idea that widespread use of fully autonomous or driverless cars is imminent, and urged the state Insurance Commissioner to focus on immediate consumer concerns of auto safety and privacy.