John Simpson, an advocate with non-profit group Consumer Watchdog, also said the Microhoo deal must be closely scrutinized by the Federal Trade Commission, the Justice Department and the European Commission to ensure that there are no antitrust violations and that user privacy is guaranteed. "If the result of this deal is that there are two stronger Internet search enterprises who exploit users' data at the expense of their privacy rights, consumers are worse off, not better," said Simpson. "Users must have control of their data—whether it is collected and how it is used. Guarantees of that control must be in place before this deal is approved. Justice and the FTC can—and must—insist on this."
Continue reading...Friday, May 15, 2009
In-your-face watchdog gets advice from Microsoft 'people,' interest from Verizon SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Google Inc. has attracted a number of critics over the years, but the Internet search giant hasn't yet had to deal with any as jarringly adversarial as Consumer Watchdog. "Their tactics tend to be more confrontational than others'," said Tim Little, executive director of the Rose Foundation, an Oakland, Calif.-based organization that funds Consumer Watchdog. "But sometimes there's a place for folks being confrontational."
Continue reading...Wednesday, May 13, 2009
When Google meets with Congressional staffers, hoping to convince US lawmakers that it's nothing but good for the world, the web giant likes to say that it believes in openness. "Open is better than closed, "the company says. Open "enhances competition" and "encourages innovation." But if you ask the company to discuss its openness, it's not too open about it. Late last week, the consumer watchdog known only as Consumer Watchdog uncovered the canned pitch that Google recently launched at Capitol Hill in an effort to re-spin itself.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009
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