Inside Google

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — Google founder Sergey Brin said he would be “open to” releasing accident reports about crashes involving its robot cars in response to a Consumer Watchdog challenge for transparency about the crashes today. However, Google executives rejected Consumer Watchdog’s call to protect privacy of driverless car users by limiting the use of data gathered by the cars to only operating the vehicles.

WASHINGTON, DC — Google spent a record $5.47 million on lobbying during the first quarter of 2015, an increase of 43 percent from $3.82 million in the comparable 2014 period, according to disclosures just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Group Says Action Should Benefit Americans After FTC’s Failure To Act Decisively

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today welcomed news reports that Europe’s competition authorities plan to file formal antitrust charges against Google on Wednesday and added that the action should benefit Americans after the Federal Trade Commission’s failure to take decisive action against the Internet giant.

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called on European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to file formal charges against Google in the European Commission’s ongoing antitrust investigation of the Internet giant.

So-called “Family-Friendly” YouTube Kids App Combines Commercials and Videos, Violating Long-Standing Safeguards for Protecting Children

Washington, DC – Consumer Watchdog has joined a coalition of prominent children’s and consumer advocacy groups that filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today requesting an investigation of Google, charging the company with unfair and deceptive practices in connection with its new YouTube Kids app.

WASHINGTON – Consumer Watchdog today welcomed plans by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to examine the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google that was closed in 2013 without a lawsuit.

WASHINGTON – Consumer Watchdog today called on the Federal Trade Commission to re-open its antitrust investigation of Google and urged the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee to hold a hearing probing how the Internet giant escaped prosecution for its anticompetitive practices.

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today warned the California Department of Motor Vehicles that it must not allow Google and others with a vested interest in developing driverless vehicles to push the DMV into issuing rules regulating the public use of robot cars on highways that are inadequate to protect public safety.

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today backed the Data Broker Accountability and Transparency Act, saying the legislation would require accountability and transparency for data brokers who collect and sell personal and sensitive information about consumers.

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today joined 13 other public interest groups in a letter to President Obama outlining the shortcomings of the draft Consumer Privacy Bill Of Rights Act and pledging to work with the Administration and Congress to strengthen the bill.