"The White House deputy chief technology officer, Andrew McLaughlin, was formerly Google's head of government affairs, and [Google CEO] Eric Schmidt was on a panel of economic advisors for President Obama's transition team," John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Inside Google project, told the E-Commerce Times. "If you asked me if I was surprised that that type of clout and influence could pay off for Google in this case, I would say 'no,'" Simpson continued. "Do I have proof that it did? Again, I would have to say 'no.'"
Continue reading...Thursday, October 28, 2010
Leading the call for Congressional oversight is John M. Simpson, managing director of the non-profit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Simpson calls this two-page letter the FTC sent to Google on Wednesday "premature and wrong. "
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saying they are satisfied with privacy reforms Google announced last week, U.S. regulators have closed their inquiry into Google's collection of data from unsecured private Wi-Fi networks through its Street View cars, a decision that was blasted Wednesday by online privacy advocates.
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is scolding Google Inc. without punishing the Internet search leader for collecting e-mails, passwords and other personal information transmitted over unsecured wireless networks. Consumer Watchdog, a group that has been among the most strident critics of Google's so-called "Wi-Spy" incident, called FTC's resolution "premature and wrong." It also suggested that Google's lobbyists may have swayed the outcome of the inquiry. The company has spent $3.9 million on lobbying activities so far this year and has met with the FTC on variety of topics, according to company disclosures.
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
SANTA MONICA, CA -- The Federal Trade Commission’s two-page letter ending its probe of the Google Wi-Spy scandal is premature and wrong, Consumer Watchdog said today, and leaves the American public with no official full account of the Internet giant’s repeated invasions of consumer privacy.
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group, called the F.T.C.’s decision “premature and wrong. Once again, Google, with its myriad of government connections, gets a free pass,” John M. Simpson, director of the group’s Inside Google Project, said in a statement.
Continue reading...Friday, October 8, 2010
Support for Do Not Track Me legislation is growing in Washington with the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission telling ABC's Good Morning America on Friday that "one of the things we are thinking about is a Do Not Track List."
Continue reading...Tuesday, September 21, 2010
I was at Google's DC headquarters yesterday afternoon for the first event of AdWeek 2010 - the advertising industry's annual conference in DC. I don't know if one company always dominates the event, but this year seems to be an all-Google affair. As the only advertiser that's a "platinum sponsor," Google hosted, sat on, or was the topic of five panels -- more indication that Google is king in the online ad world.
Continue reading...Thursday, September 2, 2010
Consumer Watchdog, a consumer group, has long been critical of Google and some of the comments that Eric Schmidt, the company’s chief executive, has made about privacy online.
Continue reading...Thursday, September 2, 2010
Consumer Watchdog has launched a rather unique effort in its bid to highlight its concerns over Google's privacy policies and to push Congress to allow consumers to opt out of having their Web activities tracked by online firms.
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
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