Archive | April, 2011
Apple Finally Acknowledges Hidden Tracking File On iPhones
“They’re trying to quell an understandable storm of concern,” said John Simpson, director of the privacy project at Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group. But he added, “It sounds like they’re going to continue doing a lot of stuff that is potentially problematic.”
Continue reading...Jobs, Apple Issue Complex Denial of iPhone Tracking
28. April 2011
“Apple needs to do a lot more to explain what it has been doing and why, and a good start would be for Steve Jobs to appear at the hearing,” says John Simpson, spokesman for Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Legislators Eyeing Mobile Location-Based Data Collection Practices
26. April 2011
“No one has really understood the extent of the data collection going on with these spy phones,” said John M. Simpson, Washington-based director of nonprofit Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project. “Last week, it started to become clear just how much was going on.”
Continue reading...Smartphone Privacy Fears Raised
23. April 2011
Still, the report on Google’s data collection policy yesterday prompted advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, based in Washington, D.C., to ask for a law to ensure that phone users can choose not to be tracked. “These aren’t smartphones, they are spy phones,” said John Simpson, director of the group’s privacy project.
Continue reading...Calls Fly Over Phones’ Tracking
23. April 2011
John M. Simpson, director of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, said this is the latest sign there should be an online “do not track” list. “These aren’t smartphones; they are spy phones,” Simpson said. “The mobile world is the Wild West of the Internet where these tech giants seem to think anything goes.”
Continue reading...New Revelations of Google, Apple Smartphone Data Snooping Show Need For Do Not Track Me Legislation, Consumer Watchdog Says
22. April 2011
SANTA MONICA, CA – New details of how tech giants Google and Apple spy on users of their smartphones demonstrate the need for Do Not Track Me legislation that would cover mobile devices, Consumer Watchdog said today.
Continue reading...Smartphones Like Apple’s iPhone Hold Treasure Trove of Data on Users’ Lives
22. April 2011
“These aren’t smartphones — they are spy phones,” said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project. “Consumers must have the right to control whether their data is gathered and how it is used. People don’t realize the absolute gold mine of data about their life that exists inside their smartphone,” he added. “There really needs to be an educational process started so that people will begin to understand that.”
Continue reading...Privacy Groups Urge Public to Push for Industry Adoption of Google Buzz Settlement Terms
21. April 2011
A coalition of leading privacy groups urged the public to push for industrywide adoption of the tough online data protection terms the government imposed on Google as part of a recent settlement of complaints about its Buzz social network. Google agreed to new measures to protect consumer data that include adopting a sweeping privacy policy […]
Continue reading...As Americans Ponder Their Fair Share of Income Tax, Consumer Watchdog Urges No Tax Holiday for Global Giants Like Google That Use Dodgy Tax Avoidance Schemes
15. April 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – As average Americans focus today on their income tax bill, Consumer Watchdog called on President Obama and the chairmen of the House and Senate tax committees to block calls for a tax holiday that would unfairly benefit corporate giants like Google.
Continue reading...Google Email Bid Facing Hurdles
14. April 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.
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28. April 2011