reform – Page 15 – Inside Google

News Clipping

White House, Consumers in Mind, Offers Online Privacy Guidelines

By Edward Wyatt , THE NEW YORK TIMES

23. February 2012

“The real question is how much influence companies like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook will have in their inevitable attempt to water down the rules that are implemented and render them essentially meaningless,” John M. Simpson, privacy project director for Consumer Watchdog, said in response to the administration’s plan. “A concern is that the administration’s privacy effort is being run out of the Commerce Department.”

Press Release

White House Plan For Privacy Bill Of Rights Could Boost Protections, Consumer Watchdog Joins Groups Issuing Principles For Fair Process, Voices Some Concerns

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

23. February 2012

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Obama Administration’s blueprint to protect online privacy with a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” unveiled today could provide meaningful protections, Consumer Watchdog said, but warned that the test of its effectiveness will come as the implementation unfolds. The nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest group also voiced a concern that an announced Internet industry commitment to honor “Do Not Track” could be aimed at undercutting an effort by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to create a strict Do Not Track standard.

Press Release

Consumer Watchdog Calls California ‘Apps’ Privacy Agreement A Step Forward, But Says Do Not Track Legislation Is Necessary To Protect Consumers

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

22. February 2012

SANTA MONICA, CA – California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ agreement announced today committing the leading operators of mobile application platforms to require privacy policies for applications (“apps”) is a step forward, Consumer Watchdog said, but in addition “Do Not Track” regulations must be implemented to fully protect consumers.

Press Release

Consumer Watchdog Praises State Attorneys General Action Against Google

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

22. February 2012

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today praised state attorneys general for voicing their concerns about Google’s changes in privacy polices and asking for a meeting with the Internet giant’s CEO Larry Page. Attorneys general from 35 other states and territories joined Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler in sending the letter. They gave Google a week to reply.

News Clipping

White House Pushes for New Privacy Codes of Conduct

By Grant Gross , PCWORLD.COM

22. February 2012

Privacy group Consumer Watchdog praised the White House privacy announcement, although the group had not seen the proposals as of Wednesday evening. “From what I understand to be in it, the report may represent real progress,” said John Simpson, privacy project director for the group. “Enforceable codes of conduct could matter. Baseline privacy legislation could make a difference.”

News Clipping

Google Bypassed Apple Privacy Settings: Researcher

By Staff Writers , AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

18. February 2012

“Google has clearly engaged in ‘unfair and deceptive’ practices,” said Consumer Watchdog privacy project director John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project director. “They have been lying about how people can protect their privacy in their instructions about how to opt out of receiving targeted advertising.”

News Clipping

Privacy Brouhaha Reveals Google’s Split Personality

By Staff Writers , CNET.COM

18. February 2012

An FTC spokesman said the agency had received the Consumer Watchdog complaint but said he could not comment further. “We are taking immediate steps to address concerns and we are happy to answer any questions regulators and others may have,” Google said in a statement when asked to comment.

News Clipping

How Google Gets Inside Browsers

By James Temple , THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

18. February 2012

The group Consumer Watchdog and some lawmakers asked publicly whether Google had violated last year’s settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission over an unrelated privacy breach. Some tech watchers said that while the company’s actions are certainly questionable, the full extent of the breach probably exceeded what Google had intended to do, as Google itself maintains.

News Clipping

Lawmakers Target Google’s Tracking

By Jennifer Valentino-Devries , THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

18. February 2012

“Google falsely told Safari users that they could control the collection of data…when in fact Google was circumventing the preference,” wrote John Simpson, the privacy-project director with the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Another advocacy group, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, also made similar charges.

News Clipping

Google, Safari And The Wild Web At War

By Levi Sumagaysay , GOOD MORNING SILICON VALLEY BLOG (San Jose Mercury News)

17. February 2012

The day after a Wall Street Journal report that Google and other ad networks bypassed settings on Apple‘s Safari Web browser — which doesn’t allow certain third-party cookies — reactions are mixed. While some tech bloggers are saying, basically, that the WSJ report is blowing this thing out of proportion, one persistent Google critic, the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group, has reportedly already asked the FTC to investigate. And Microsoft, which is no friend of Google’s, has also weighed in and blasted its competitor. There’s no getting around it: This looks bad for Google, which lately seems to be putting out one PR fire after another.

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