Inside Google

SANTA MONICA, CA — Arthur D. Levinson, a member of both Google and Apple’s boards, acted correctly in resigning from Google’s board, Consumer Watchdog said today.

“We’re pleased that Arthur Levinson finally realized that serving on both Google’s and Apple’s boards was untenable,” said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog. “It took too long, but he finally did the right thing.”

The nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy group had called for the former Genentech chief executive to resign from one of the boards in August, when Google Chairman Eric Schmidt stepped down from the Apple board. The Federal Trade Commission had been investigating whether Apple and Google had violated antitrust laws by sharing two directors.

Levinson’s company, Genentech, has other ties to Google. It is an investor, with Google, in the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, 23andMe, run by Anne Wojcicki.  She is the wife of Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder.

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Consumer Watchdog, formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization with offices in Washington, DC and Santa Monica, CA.