Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Endorses “Focus On The User” Project

John M. Simpson

Website & “Widget” Demonstrate How Google Favors Its Own Services In Local Search Results

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today endorsed a new website, “Focus on the User” and a downloadable “widget” available on the site that demonstrates how Google favors its own services in local search results.

Consumer Privacy Groups Stress Opposition To Settlement In Google Privacy Suit

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Five consumer privacy groups today emphasized their continuing opposition to a proposed $8.5 million settlement in a class action suit against Google for privacy violations in the way it handled users’ search data because the proposed deal provides no benefit to class members.

Consumer Privacy Groups Urge Obama To Propose Strong Privacy Law

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog has joined with six other consumer privacy organizations in calling for President Obama to propose strong privacy legislation in the groups’ comments on the White House report on “big data.”

Google Spends $5 Million Lobbying In 2nd Quarter Leading 15 Tech, Communications Firms

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Google spent $5.03 million on lobbying in the second quarter of 2014, matching a company record and well ahead of spending by 14 other technology and communications companies, according to records just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and analyzed today by Consumer Watchdog.

Consumer Watchdog Warns DMV Not To Let Google Rush Driverless Car Deployment

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today warned the California Department of Motor Vehicles not to succumb to pressure from Google and others with a vested interest in developing “driverless cars” to rush to adopt regulations for the pubic use of the vehicles that are inadequate to protect our safety.

Consumer Watchdog Praises EU’s “Right To Be Forgotten” Ruling As Privacy Victory

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, — Consumer Watchdog today praised the highest European court’s ruling that people have a “right to be forgotten” and can have online search results linking to outdated, irrelevant information removed.

Consumer Watchdog Asks NY Joint Commission On Public Ethics To Remove Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt From State’s Smart Schools Commission For Conflict of Interest

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today filed a formal complaint asking the New York Joint Commission On Public Ethics to remove Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt from the state’s Smart Schools Commission because of conflicts of interest that violate the state’s Public Officials Law.

Consumer Watchdog Backs 6 Policy Recommendations In White House Big Data Report

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today backed six broad policy recommendations outlined in the White House report on Big Data and praised the report for identifying potential dangers of discrimination and threats to privacy in what the report called “a world where data collection will be increasingly ubiquitous, multidimensional, and permanent.”

Google Stops Reading Students’ Gmail After Legal Questions Are Raised

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Google said it will stop reading the Gmail accounts of 30 million students who use Google Apps For Education, spinning the announcement as “protecting students,” when in fact the change came only after questions were raised about the legality of the practice, Consumer Watchdog said today.

Consumer Watchdog Calls On Gov. Cuomo to Remove Google Chairman Eric Schmidt From NY Smart Schools Panel And Block Company From Providing Tech To Schools

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog, a national public interest group, today expressed deep concern about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s appointment of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt to the New York Smart Schools Commission to advise the state on how to invest proceeds from the proposed $2 billion bond act and bring technology into classrooms statewide.