The Obama Administration threw its weight behind privacy legislation Wednesday as Assistant Commerce Secretary Lawrence Strickling testified before the Senate Commerce Committee about online privacy. Clearly Washington is focusing on privacy issues, but will meaningful consumer protections be enacted? There is cause for concern.
Continue reading...Friday, March 11, 2011
The Senate Antitrust Subcommittee plan to examine Google's activities for possible antitrust violations, is the latest indication that the Internet giant's behavior is drawing increasingly skeptical -- and well deserved -- scrutiny in the nation's capital.
Continue reading...Friday, March 11, 2011
Consumer Watchdog asked House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to examine Google’s close ties with the Obama administration. It also wants a broader Justice Department investigation of Google along the lines of the years-long antitrust probe of Microsoft, which culminated in a 2002 settlement with the government.
Continue reading...Friday, March 4, 2011
The do not track concept is supported across all demographic lines -- including political persuasions. According to Consumer Watchdog, 86 percent of Americans want a “Do Not Track” button created. In addition, 70 percent of Facebook members and 52 percent of Google users say they are either "somewhat" or "very concerned about their privacy, according to a recent a recent USA Today poll.
Continue reading...Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Google's grand experiment in photographing the world's places for Google Maps has taken its "street view" cameras off-road with new hi-tech tricycles equipped with 360 degree view cameras to photograph the back roads, parks, college paths and inner sanctums of our world. The engineer's latest design raises the question: What will Google be capturing on its back-road tour that people don't want seen?
Continue reading...Tuesday, March 1, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC — Google’s latest privacy breach, gathering children’s social security information on a contest entry form, suggests that the Internet giant did not live up to commitments that prompted the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection to end its inquiry into the Wi-Spy incident, Consumer Watchdog said today.
Continue reading...Thursday, February 24, 2011
Concerned with the way Google was gathering social security numbers from children in connection with its "Doodle 4 Google" contest, I wrote to Reps. Ed Markey, D-MA, and Joe Barton, R-TX, calling for hearings in to the incident as well as a look at the Google Wi-Spy scandal. I sent the letter via email around noon today and later this afternoon in a joint statement the co-chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus agreed to schedule a hearing.
Continue reading...Thursday, February 24, 2011
Consumer Watchdog has sent a letter to the co-chairmen of the House Privacy Caucus, asking for hearings to inquire why Google solicited partial Social Security numbers for its Doodle 4 Google contest. The two co-chairman of the caucus said later on Thursday that they have agreed to a hearing.
Continue reading...Thursday, February 24, 2011
A frequent Google critic Thursday called on the House co-chairmen of the Congressional Privacy Caucus to push for hearings into Google's request for the last four digits of the Social Security numbers from children seeking to participate in an art contest the Internet firm sponsored.
Continue reading...Thursday, February 24, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC -- Consumer Watchdog today asked Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-TX, to seek hearings examining why Google gathered children’s social security numbers in entry forms for its “Doodle 4 Google” contest. The hearing should also investigate the Wi-Spy scandal.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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