Archive | Author: Richard Waters

News Clipping

Google’s horrendous breach of privacy with its StreetView data-collection gaffe may at least have one beneficial consequence: making WiFi users think more about security. Consumer Watchdog, which has emerged as one of the main anti-Google agitators, decided to follow in the tracks of the StreetView cars – literally. It sent out its own vehicle to “sniff” the WiFi networks of certain members of the US Congress whose homes have been photographed by the Google service.

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News Clipping

Google’s spreading reach in internet advertising triggered fresh
scrutiny of its privacy practices this week, as US consumer groups used
its proposed $750m acquisition of mobile advertising company AdMob to throw a new spotlight on the issue. The move on Monday, by Consumer Watchdog and Center for Digital Democracy, echoes a similar campaign at the time of Google’s acquisition of online display advertising group DoubleClick in 2007.

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News Clipping

John M. Simpson, an advocate with Consumer Watchdog, a California consumer
group, said his organization had been contacted by justice department
lawyers to discuss orphaned rights after protesting about this aspect
of the Google book settlement early this month. Meanwhile, a second
person said that the anti-trust agency had also held talks with lawyers
for Google on the same issue in the last two weeks.

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