Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Endorses “Focus On The User” Project

Website & “Widget” Demonstrate How Google Favors Its Own Services In Local Search Results

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today endorsed a new website, “Focus on the User” and a downloadable “widget” available on the site that demonstrates how Google favors its own services in local search results.

Consumer Privacy Groups Stress Opposition To Settlement In Google Privacy Suit

SANTA MONICA, CA — Five consumer privacy groups today emphasized their continuing opposition to a proposed $8.5 million settlement in a class action suit against Google for privacy violations in the way it handled users’ search data because the proposed deal provides no benefit to class members.

Consumer Privacy Groups Urge Obama To Propose Strong Privacy Law

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog has joined with six other consumer privacy organizations in calling for President Obama to propose strong privacy legislation in the groups’ comments on the White House report on “big data.”

Google Spends $5 Million Lobbying In 2nd Quarter Leading 15 Tech, Communications Firms

SANTA MONICA, CA — Google spent $5.03 million on lobbying in the second quarter of 2014, matching a company record and well ahead of spending by 14 other technology and communications companies, according to records just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and analyzed today by Consumer Watchdog.

Google Must Allow U.S. Users To Be Forgotten

Google today began removing some search results in Europe under the recently court-upheld “right to be forgotten.” The Internet giant should offer U.S. users the same basic right to privacy.

Google’s Latest Deal Takes Spying Ability To New Heights

 Google’s latest planned acquisition will will take the Internet giant’s ability to spy on us and gather informationabout our activities to new heights — literally. Last week Google said it would buy Skybox Imaging for $500 million, chump change for a company that is sitting on around $61 billion in cash. Skybox is building low […]

Consumer Watchdog Warns DMV Not To Let Google Rush Driverless Car Deployment

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today warned the California Department of Motor Vehicles not to succumb to pressure from Google and others with a vested interest in developing “driverless cars” to rush to adopt regulations for the pubic use of the vehicles that are inadequate to protect our safety.

Consumer Watchdog Praises EU’s “Right To Be Forgotten” Ruling As Privacy Victory

SANTA MONICA, — Consumer Watchdog today praised the highest European court’s ruling that people have a “right to be forgotten” and can have online search results linking to outdated, irrelevant information removed.

Consumer Watchdog Asks NY Joint Commission On Public Ethics To Remove Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt From State’s Smart Schools Commission For Conflict of Interest

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today filed a formal complaint asking the New York Joint Commission On Public Ethics to remove Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt from the state’s Smart Schools Commission because of conflicts of interest that violate the state’s Public Officials Law.

Glassholes Meet Up At West Hollywood Bar

Google’s privacy invading wearable computing device, Glass, has been taking a lot of well deserved hits lately, and the Internet giant seems to have launched a PR campaign to bolster the device’s plummeting image. Over the weekend Google sponsored “Glass Night Out” at various locations across the country.