Tag Archive | "advertising"
Is Google’s Copying Complaint Fair or Hypocritical?
When involved in a spat over allegations of unauthorized copying or misappropriation of content and ideas, Google -- fairly or not -- usually plays the villain... "Google's complaint is the height of hypocrisy. The company's entire business model is built on the use of other people's content usually without bothering to seek permission," said John Simpson, from Consumer Watchdog's Inside Google research team.
Continue reading...Google Reaches Agreement With Connecticut AG Over Wi-Spy
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Frequent Google critic Consumer Watchdog blasted the announcement and repeated its call for outgoing Google CEO Eric Schmidt to explain the incident to lawmakers. “The details of the biggest privacy breach in history shouldn’t be settled in secret,” said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Inside Google Project. “This makes it clear why Google CEO Eric Schmidt needs to testify under oath before Congress about Wi-Spy.”
Continue reading...Invading Our Privacy on the Internet
Monday, December 27, 2010
If Washington fails to act, California should create its own "do not track me" system through the Legislature or the ballot box. The state that pioneered Internet commerce can also lead the way in ensuring that it does not run roughshod over one of our fundamental rights.
Continue reading...When Analysts Look Over Their Shoulders
Thursday, December 23, 2010
"We're interested in the monopolistic power that Google has, how they are using it and whether it has disadvantaged consumers," said John Simpson, a director at Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Smartphones Need “Do Not Track Me” Function, Consumer Watchdog Says
Monday, December 20, 2010
Santa Monica, CA — The Do Not Track Me function proposed in the Federal Trade Commission’s recently released online privacy report must be extended to include smartphones, Consumer Watchdog said today in the wake of a Wall Street Journal article showing how applications for the iPhone and Android phones widely share personal data without the users’ knowledge or consent.
Continue reading...Google Denies Connecticut AG Street View Data
Saturday, December 18, 2010
That answer isn't satisfactory for privacy pundits such as Consumer Watchdog's John M. Simpson. "Google's refusal to give data gathered by its Street View cars from private WiFi networks to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal underscores the need for a Congressional hearing," Simpson said. "What is Google hiding?
Continue reading...Commerce Deptartment Seeks Web Privacy Enforcement
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The idea of opening a Commerce Department privacy office, which officials said was underway, came under fire from the privacy group Consumer Watchdog, which said the office may not have enough of a consumer focus. "There is a fundamental conflict of interest in putting the administration's Privacy Policy Office in the Commerce Department," said John Simpson, a privacy expert with the group, whose sentiments were echoed by other privacy organizations.
Continue reading...Privacy Groups Critical Of Commerce Privacy Report
Thursday, December 16, 2010
While pleased that the agency is bringing attention to the need to do more to protect consumer privacy online, representatives from five privacy groups said in a conference call that the report's proposed measures are too focused on industry self regulation. It's a "Christmas gift to the data collection industry from the Obama administration," according to John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Privacy Groups Pan Policy Paper from Commerce
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Commerce Department paper calls for an online privacy bill of rights and codes of conduct for Internet companies, with enforcement by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. But several privacy groups questioned whether the codes of conduct would be effective because of the paper's suggestion that affected companies help write them. The policy recommendations in the report are an "early Christmas gift to the data collection industry," said John Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Commerce Online Privacy Report Gets Mixed Grades
Thursday, December 16, 2010
John Simpson, consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog, said the report starts off on the wrong foot with its very title - 'Commercial Data Privacy and Innovation in the Internet Economy: A Dynamic Policy Framework.' “They talk about commercial data privacy," Simpson said. "What we should be talking about is consumers' data and their right to privacy, not a business commodity. This is all about easing things for businesses. It’s in some sense I think an early Christmas gift to the data collection industry from the Obama administration.”
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Wednesday, February 2, 2011
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