Tag Archive | "Gmail"
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Google’s Privacy Rules Grow, But Do Protections?
By Quentin Fottrell , SMARTMONEY BLOG - WSJ.COM
“Google claims that it’s attempting to streamline its policies — in fact, it’s about building even more detailed digital dossiers about the people who use Google services so that Google will get more ad revenue.,” says John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, a California-based non-profit organization.“
Continue reading...Press Release
White House Plan For Privacy Bill Of Rights Could Boost Protections, Consumer Watchdog Joins Groups Issuing Principles For Fair Process, Voices Some Concerns
CONTACT: John M. Simpson , 310-392-7041
Thursday, February 23, 2012
SANTA MONICA, CA – The Obama Administration's blueprint to protect online privacy with a "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" unveiled today could provide meaningful protections, Consumer Watchdog said, but warned that the test of its effectiveness will come as the implementation unfolds. The nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest group also voiced a concern that an announced Internet industry commitment to honor "Do Not Track" could be aimed at undercutting an effort by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to create a strict Do Not Track standard.
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One Privacy Policy To Rule Them All: What Google’s Controversial New Terms of Service Could Mean To You
By Christian Blauvelt , ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY POPWATCH BLOG
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson points out that personalized advertisements targeted directly to a specific user, based on user-collected information, can be “a substantial amount” more lucrative than just an anonymous ad. And with all the information Google can collect about your interests from your searches, your Google Docs, and your favorite YouTube videos, they can figure out pretty specifically what ads they should show you. “They are positioning this as streamlining privacy,” Simpson says. “But that’s just PR. It’s all about better targeting for advertisers.”
Continue reading...Press Release
Consumer Watchdog Says Los Angeles Must Demand Removal of Deceptive Video After City Council Kills Plan for Police to Use Google’s Cloud-based Email
CONTACT: John M. Simpson , 310-392-0522 x317; or Jamie Court, x327
Thursday, December 15, 2011
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called on Los Angeles officials to demand Google remove a deceptive video featuring Los Angeles City employees from a website marketing the Internet giant’s Google Apps for Government “cloud computing” service.
Continue reading...Blog Post
Google’s Sad LA Saga Draws To A Close
Posted by John M. Simpson
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Google's sad saga of missed deadlines and unfulfilled promises in attempting to provide the City of Los Angeles with a "cloud" based email and collaboration system appears to be drawing to a close.
Continue reading...Press Release
Consumer Watchdog Urges Senator Kohl To Recall Google’s Schmidt As Witness After Executive Calls Government Slow And Stupid In Interview
CONTACT: Jamie Court , 310-392-0075; John M. Simpson, 310-392-7041; Carmen Balber, 202-629-3043
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Washington, DC – Consumer Watchdog today took Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt to task today over remarks made to The Washington Post in which he claimed Google should not be the subject of antitrust review because its services are "free" and made derogatory remarks about government officials being slow, backward and greedy.
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Web Tracking Has Become A Privacy Time Bomb
By Byron Acohido , USA TODAY
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Google has been widely known to scan the contents of Gmail messages to deliver targeted text ads. While some don't mind, others believe scanning e-mail to deliver more relevant ads is an invasion of privacy. John Simpson, spokesman for the non-profit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, isn't convinced the search giant will necessarily stop there. "Part of the problem is that Google collects and stores tremendous amounts of data about its users," Simpson says. "The only assurance we have about what Google's intentions are boils down to 'Trust us.'"
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Google Deflects PR Firm’s Attack of Gmail Privacy
By Byron Acohido and Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"Much of Google's privacy problems stem from the company's culture," says John Simpson, spokesman for the non-profit Consumer Watchdog. "They hire like-minded engineers who push the creepy line, then apologize when they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar."
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Google Email Bid Facing Hurdles
By David Sarno , THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Thursday, April 14, 2011
In an internal memo first obtained by the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, the city in December said Google and its partner Computer Sciences Corp. repeatedly committed to and then missed deadlines to solve data security issues that were preventing the Los Angeles Police Department from moving onto Google's system.
Continue reading...Press Release
Google’s Misrepresentations To Government About Cloud Computing Service Warrant House Oversight Committee Investigation, Consumer Watchdog Tells Congressman Issa
CONTACT: John M. Simpson , 310-392-7041; Jamie Court, 310-392-0522, ext 327; Carmen Balber, 202-629-3043
Thursday, April 14, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC — Consumer Watchdog today asked the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee to investigate Google’s misrepresentations about its “cloud computing” services as the Internet giant has tried to sell them to the federal government, as well as state and municipal governments.
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Will Google’s Legal Woes Define How Far It Crossed The Creepy Line?
By Ms. Smith , NETWORKWORLD.COM
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Consumer Watchdog's scorecard is full of "evil" tally marks against Google. Some claim that Microsoft is spreading FUD, but legal woes facing Google seem to disagree that Google hasn't crossed creepy line.
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Google, FTC Reach Google Buzz Privacy Settlement
By Chris Lefkow , AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog welcomed the FTC settlement but said Google "needs to be punished and feel pain on its bottom line. Nothing will completely stop Google from invading users' privacy until it gets hit where it hurts, its bank accounts," Simpson said.
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Consumer Group Lampoons Google CEO Over Privacy Issues
By Jaikumar Vijayan , COMPUTERWORLD
Friday, September 3, 2010
Consumer Watchdog, a group that has been a sharp critic of Google's privacy practices in the past, is at it again. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer advocacy group has placed an ad on a 540-square-foot digital display in New York's Times Square to promote an animated video on YouTube that depicts Google CEO Eric Schmidt as an ice cream truck driver secretly spying on children.
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Consumer Watchdog’s Carmen Balber discusses Internet privacy and the need for an online “Do Not Track Me” list.
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