Inside Google

Google Defends Privacy of Gmail Service

Michael Dinan

A Santa Monica, California-based nonprofit group that advocates for
consumers is calling for the Internet’s search and ad leader to change
the way it records users’ information. Officials with Consumer Watchdog say they want to see Google Inc. store
personal search data for less than its current nine months, following
Yahoo!’s lead, and also to give users a choice to “opt out” out of data
retention, as some other search engines do.

NYT weighs in for online privacy controls

Jamie Court

The oracle of progressive opinion, the New York Times editorial page, articulated the core concept for new privacy protection in America: "Internet users should be able to control how much of their personal data companies keep."

Watchdog Group Asks Google To Create Personal Data “Opt-Out”

Chris Kanaracus

A Consumer Group Has Asked Google To Let Users Opt-Out Of Leaving Personal Data On The Search Vendor’s Systems.

The nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog asked on Friday that Google give users of its search engine the ability to
"opt out" of leaving personal data, such as IP addresses, on Google’s servers.

Yahoo Sets New Consumer Data Retention Policy

Mary Elizabeth Hurn

This week Yahoo released a new policy on data retention. Under the policy, the number two search engine will anonymize its users log data within 90 days. Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit consumer group, immediately called on
Google to match Yahoo’s policy. Google currently has a policy of
retaining data for nine months. Microsoft has an 18-month policy.

Consumer Group Calls On Google To Offer Zero Personal Data Retention Policy

John M. Simpson

Seeks Meeting With Chairman Eric Schmidt About Privacy Concerns

Santa Monica, CA — Google should offer users of its search engine
the ability to leave no personal data on the Internet giant’s servers, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Consumer Watchdog said today and asked for a
meeting with Google’s chairman to discuss the group’s privacy concerns.

Microsoft: Zero Data Retention Not Possible To Keep Search Engines Viable

Clint Boulton

John Simpson, a privacy advocate for the non-profit consumer rights
group Consumer Watchdog, said no less than a zero retention policy will
suffice, arguing that since most users of Google or Yahoo return daily
they are constantly providing a new stream of personal data. His group
wants users to have the option to control their data and browse
anonymously.

Consumer Group Calls on Google To Match Yahoo!’s Data Retention Policy, Offer Additional Privacy Guarantee; Warns That Personal Data Remains on Search Companies’ Servers

John M. Simpson

Santa Monica, CA — Internet giant Google must match new privacy
measures announced by search rival Yahoo!, Consumer Watchdog said
today, and called on both companies to enact stronger protections to
truly guarantee users’ privacy. The nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer
group warned the public that even with shorter data retention times,
identifiable personal data remains on the search companies’ servers
because each point of contact renews the data retention window.

Search Engines Beef Up Privacy Policies

Joseph Tartakoff

But Some Say Not Enough Data Are Purged 
John Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement, "If data is not completely anonymous, this is nothing more than PR." Simpson’s consumer group called for major search engines to match the policy of IXQuick, a Danish search engine that deletes all personal data after 48 hours.

Press Release

People don’t trust Google anymore

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

Google’s corporate motto is still "Don’t be evil", but folks just don’t trust the Internet…

Is Google neutral or not? Does it matter?

John M. Simpson

The Wall Street Journal touched off a debate Monday in an article suggesting that Internet giant …