Inside Google

Self-Driving Cars Now Legal In California

Heather Kelly

Consumer Watchdog, a consumer-rights group, has expressed reservations about the cars on privacy grounds, saying they would allow Google to gather personal information about passengers.

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California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Driverless Car Law

Mike Rosenberg

Consumer groups charge Google and other companies are really only interested in using the on-board computers to track people's movements like on the Web.

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Calif. Gives Driverless Cars Go-Ahead

James Temple

Another lingering concern about driverless cars is privacy. The machines will have to collect and store certain information about a person's movements as part of their basic functioning, as well as to improve their performance over time. Because of pressure from privacy advocates, the law requires manufacturers to provide written disclosures describing the data collected. But John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's privacy project, says that doesn't go far enough.

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Google’s Driverless Car Law Poses Threat to Californians’ Safety and Privacy

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – The driverless car law signed today by Gov. Jerry Brown at a ceremony at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View poses threats to Californians’ safety and privacy, Consumer Watchdog said.

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Jerry Brown Signs Driverless Car Bill

David Siders

Opponents of the bill included the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Consumer Watchdog. Automakers have raised liability concerns, while Consumer Watchdog argued Google's driverless cars should not be allowed on California roads until privacy protections are in place.

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Proposed Google Settlement is Inadequate: Consumer Watchdog

Ed Silverstein

Consumer Watchdog has criticized the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s proposed $22.5-million fine that Google might pay in connection with privacy settings on Apple’s Safari browser.