Inside Google

L.A. needs assurances before moving to Google’s ‘cloud’

John M. Simpson

Frustrated by an out-of-date email system that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's spokesman Matt Szabo calls "Pac-Man-era technology" the City of Los Angeles is considering entrusting...

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Google Is Faulted On Privacy

Holly Sanders Ware

A group critical of Google's privacy practices got a jump on the search giant yesterday. Consumer Watchdog, which accuses Google of spying on users, sent out an alert early yesterday claiming it had obtained a "confidential" and "proprietary" document that the company had intended for lawmakers.

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Google snips ‘confidential’ label from lobbying doc after criticism

Judy Dugan

Google probably thought it was being subtle and sly. Just after Consumer Watchdog obtained and released Google's new "confidential" lobbying document, Google posted the same document, stripped of its "confidential" and "proprietary" labels, as an example of its public transparency. 

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Google Posts Advertising ‘Spin Document’ Online

Jason Linkins

Well, it's a good nod to almost-transparency, anyway. But just so you remember: Google would have preferred you not see these materials at all! And Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court remains concerned...

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Secret Google Presentation Defends Invasive Behavioral Ads

Carmen Balber

Consumer Watchdog Releases Satirical Annotated Version, Says Cyber-Spying Should Raise Lawmaker Alarms Over Internet Giant’s New ‘Net-based Operating System

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News Clipping

Consumer Watchdog Takes On Google As Lawmakers Mull Data Privacy Regulation

By Jason Linkins HUFFINGTON POST

Consumer Watchdog -- which, as the name implies is a consumer watchdog organization -- is raising alarms over privacy concerns that have been brought to the fore as online search company Google engages in wheeling and dealing before the House Communications and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.

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Justice Probes Antitrust Issues In Google Deal With Publishers

J. Vascellaro J. Trachtenberg

Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, also predicted the settlement would "pass muster" because it opens up new markets. But those concerned about the settlement said they were pleased with the Justice Department's letter. "This is now a clear step that they are taking the matter seriously." said John M. Simpson, an advocate for Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit consumer group.

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Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big

Miguel Helft

Eyes are rolling, especially in reaction to the idea that Google is a relatively small player in a giant market. “They describe where they are in a market under a kind of a fairy-tale spun gloss that doesn’t reflect their dominance of key sectors,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Google search is an absolute must-have for every marketer in the world.”

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Hill Mulls Online Privacy Rules — And Which Agency Would Oversee

Anne Veigle Greg Piper

Consumer groups want rules requiring a standard disclosure and opt-in form, a ban on tracking information on a consumer's health, sexual orientation and financial condition and a "do-not-track" registry that would enable people to declare they don't want to be tracked, according to a written statement from the Consumer Federation of America. That group, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have agreed on the principles and are urging policymakers to adopt them. Allowing industry to self-regulate won't work, they say, because most companies rely on "opt-out" mechanisms that are hidden from consumers. And the FTC's principles for behavioral advertising "don't provide a basis for action to stop abuses," the statement said.

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Google Says It Loves Competition

Richard Koman

With Justice Department scrutiny over the Google Books Settlement only the the leading edge of antitrust regulators’ attention to Google, the company has launched a dog-and-pony show dedicated to combating the impression that more control is needed. In a presentation (PDF) acquired by Consumer Watchdog, Google public affairs lead Adam Kovacevich argued that Google is anything but anti-competitive. Its success comes from “learning by doing,” the presentation says.

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