Tag Archive | "security"
FTC: $22.5 Million Penalty Sends Message To Google
Google agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty — the largest ever levied by the Federal Trade Commission — to settle charges that it failed to honor the privacy settings of millions of people who use Apple’s Safari Web browser, regulators said Thursday.
Continue reading...FTC’s $22.5 Million Penalty For Google Is Insufficient Without Admission Of Wrongdoing, Consumer Watchdog Says; Group Hopes To Block Settlement
Thursday, August 9, 2012
SANTA MONICA, CA – The Federal Trade Commission’s record $22.5 million penalty against Google is inadequate unless the Internet giant admits its wrongdoing, Consumer Watchdog said today.
Continue reading...“Do Not Track” Web Mandate Still Lacks Definition
Monday, July 23, 2012
"Joe Barton is one of the most conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives, and Ed Markey is one of the most liberal," said Consumer Watchdog's Simpson. "The fact that those two guys can come together on this leads me to believe that privacy is likely to be one of the issues where there will be bipartisan agreement about the need to do something."
Continue reading...Google Prepared to Pay $22.5 Million Fine to Settle ‘Cookiegate’
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
John M. Simpson, who is the lead Google researcher at Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica, California, indicated he is skeptical of Google’s continued claims of innocence, “When they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar doing something they clearly should not be doing, they say, ‘Oops, it was completely by accident.’”
Continue reading...FTC Turns Deaf Ear to Google’s ‘Ignorance’ Defense in Safari Snafu
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Despite Google's protestations of innocence, or at least ignorance, consumer advocate organizations including Consumer Watchdog decried Google's behavior and filed suit with the FTC. Needless to say, they are delighted about the reports of an impending settlement. "This is a wanton violation on Google's part," John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director, told the E-Commerce Times, brushing aside the company's claims the tracking was accidental. "What made it even worse is that they lied to users about what they were doing," he added. "Google told people they were honoring the Safari browser settings."
Continue reading...Google Would Pay Record FTC Fine Under Tentative Apple Safari Settlement
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Google officials have called the use of tracking cookies an accident caused by technical glitches that have been corrected. Privacy advocates have scoffed at those explanations. “When they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar doing something they clearly should not be doing, they say, ‘Oops, it was completely by accident,’ ” said John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, based in Santa Monica, Calif., and one of several groups to file complaints about Google’s alleged tracking on Apple browsers.
Continue reading...Source: Google To Pay $22.5M Fine In Privacy Case
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The FTC's proposed fine was applauded by Consumer Watchdog, a frequent critic of Google's privacy practices. The penalty "sends a strong message about the seriousness of Google's wanton and egregious privacy violation," said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's privacy project.
Continue reading...Law Enforcement Feasts on Cellphone Data
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The application of constitutional protections in the digital world is far from clear, in many cases, but law enforcement agencies aren't waiting for permission to access data -- they're bombarding providers with requests for information. "It is an outrageous intrusion on users' privacy and potentially troublesome in terms of our eroding constitutional rights," said Consumer Watchdog's John M. Simpson.
Continue reading...Viewpoints: Google’s Self-Driving Cars Shouldn’t Violate Privacy
Sunday, July 1, 2012
What do autonomous cars driven by robots like those Google is developing have to do with your privacy? If the answer is nothing, then why won't Google and the author of a bill to allow them on California highways accept an amendment requiring that the new technology collect only data necessary for the operation of the vehicle and no other purpose?
Continue reading...Google Rolls Out Its Tablet
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Google Now. A feature in Jelly Bean that may raise questions for privacy advocates, Google Now uses search history, location and the calendar to alert users about pertinent information, including events, places of interest, faster travel routes and sports scores for favorite teams. "It's Google looking closer and closer over your shoulder," says John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.
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Thursday, August 9, 2012
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