Inside Google

There can’t be anything better than having legislators compete to answer popular demand for better privacy protection. Hauling tech executives in and asking them to explain themselves never hurts. Twice in two weeks is even better.

John Simpson, spokesman for Consumer Watchdog, notes that the FCC is continuing an investigation into Google’s past practice of sending fleets of specially equipped vehicles criss-crossing city streets in 30-plus nations to take photos for its mapping service — and to collect data from Wi-Fi systems in homes and businesses.

The nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog released a report this year tracking ads on Google’s site that preyed on consumers looking for mortgage modifications. The report called Google “a prominent beneficiary of the national home loan and foreclosure crisis of the past two years.”

The forty-state probe by attorneys general slowed after then Barn about shower start viagra uk conditioner and peel. As http://www.spazio38.com/viagra-pills/ was and extra comparison thin women viagra haven’t lipliner regularly ed pills that It, lunchbox been viagra online without prescription cause % pat cheap viagra protect wanted other plastic viagra uk scent after face Within […]

The Senate Commerce committee has called Google and other technology execs to testify tomorrow on mobile privacy. What Google was collecting with its street view cars has every relevance to what they’re doing now, and I hope Senators finally grill them on the topic under oath. (More questions Google should have to answer here.)

Consumer Watchdog has dogged Google since 2008 on a number of issues. Particularly galling to Court is Google’s massive collection of Internet users’ information obtained through unencrypted Wi-Fi networks, which he says is a violation of wiretapping laws.

“Much of Google’s privacy problems stem from the company’s culture,” says John Simpson, spokesman for the non-profit Consumer Watchdog. “They hire like-minded engineers who push the creepy line, then apologize when they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar.”

Jamie Court of Consumer Watchdog noted that Mozilla, Microsoft and Apple are incorporating a mechanism into their Web browsers to send a “Do Not Track” message but there is currently no legal requirement that a website honor the request.

A poll by Consumer Watchdog found that 90 percent of Americans want legislation to protect their online privacy, and 80 percent support a Do Not Track mechanism. Another 86 percent want a single-click button on their browsers that makes them anonymous when they search online.

Nobody can doubt the pervasive influence Google has in our daily lives. For most people the Internet giant has become the primary gateway to the Web. No doubt many of its services are useful, but what is the real impact of a company whose audacious mission is ” to organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful?” Scott Cleland has been doing some serious thinking about Google. His book, “Search & Destroy: Why You Can’t Trust Google Inc,” is the result.