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FTC Turns Deaf Ear to Google’s ‘Ignorance’ Defense in Safari Snafu

By Erika Morphy , E-COMMERCE TIMES.COM

11. July 2012

Despite Google’s protestations of innocence, or at least ignorance, consumer advocate organizations including Consumer Watchdog decried Google’s behavior and filed suit with the FTC. Needless to say, they are delighted about the reports of an impending settlement. “This is a wanton violation on Google’s part,” John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project director, told the E-Commerce Times, brushing aside the company’s claims the tracking was accidental. “What made it even worse is that they lied to users about what they were doing,” he added. “Google told people they were honoring the Safari browser settings.”

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Google Would Pay Record FTC Fine Under Tentative Apple Safari Settlement

By Craig Timberg , THE WASHINGTON POST

11. July 2012

Google officials have called the use of tracking cookies an accident caused by technical glitches that have been corrected. Privacy advocates have scoffed at those explanations. “When they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar doing something they clearly should not be doing, they say, ‘Oops, it was completely by accident,’ ” said John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, based in Santa Monica, Calif., and one of several groups to file complaints about Google’s alleged tracking on Apple browsers.

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Source: Google To Pay $22.5M Fine In Privacy Case

By Michael Liedtke , ASSOCIATED PRESS

10. July 2012

The FTC’s proposed fine was applauded by Consumer Watchdog, a frequent critic of Google’s privacy practices. The penalty “sends a strong message about the seriousness of Google’s wanton and egregious privacy violation,” said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project.

Press Release

FTC’s Expected Record $22.5 Million Fine For Google Praised By Consumer Watchdog

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

10. July 2012

Group Complained to Commission After Grad Student Discovered iPads, iPhones Were Hacked

SANTA MNICA, CA – The Federal Trade Commission reportedly plans to fine Google $22.5 million for hacking around privacy settings on iPhones and iPads that use Apple’s Safari browser. Consumer Watchdog praised the Commission today for its expected strong action defending consumer privacy.

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Law Enforcement Feasts on Cellphone Data

By Erika Morphy , TECHNEWSWORLD.COM

10. July 2012

The application of constitutional protections in the digital world is far from clear, in many cases, but law enforcement agencies aren’t waiting for permission to access data — they’re bombarding providers with requests for information. “It is an outrageous intrusion on users’ privacy and potentially troublesome in terms of our eroding constitutional rights,” said Consumer Watchdog’s John M. Simpson.

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The Do-Not-Track Balancing Act

By Richard Adhikari , TECHNEWSWORLD

27. June 2012

Online advertisers and privacy advocates generally agree that Do Not Track options should be available on Web browsers. However, there’s much debate about whether DNT should be opt-in or opt-out. “The privacy-friendly thing is to have DNT on by default,” said Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson. But advertisers say turning on DNT by default would essentially deprive consumers of choice.

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Activists Want Stronger Privacy Protections for Driverless Cars

By Donna Tam , CNET.COM

25. June 2012

Consumer Watchdog says Google is going to go willy-nilly with data collection for autonomous vehicles, and the California bill shouldn’t get the green light without more restrictions. Internet companies do whatever they want and it…

Press Release

Consumer Watchdog’s Mimes Invade Mountain View Before Google Shareholders Meeting As Its “Track Team” Focuses Attention On Google’s Online Tracking

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

21. June 2012

Group Plans To Ask Google Executives What They Knew About Wi-Spy

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Consumer Watchdog today sent its “Google Track Team” comprised of mimes dressed in white track suits to follow shareholders as they gathered for the company’s annual meeting in a bid to focus attention on the Internet giant’s online tracking activity.

Press Release

Google CEO Page Should Testify To Congress As News Corp. CEO Murdoch Had To Answer To Parliament Says Consumer Watchdog

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

19. June 2012

Washington, DC – In an opinion piece published in POLITICO today, Consumer Watchdog’s Jamie Court and John M. Simpson compare the treatment of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch – who was called before Parliament in Britain to answer for hacking into the private phone records of families – and the kid glove treatment Google CEO Larry Page has received in America after a much larger privacy breach in which the new media giant collected personal information from millions of Wi-Fi networks around the world.

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Trust Busters Put Google In Crosshairs

By Brendan Sasso , THEHILL.COM - HILLICON VALLEY BLOG

2. June 2012

Consumer Watchdog, a vocal anti-Google advocacy group, has urged regulators to consider breaking up Google. The group says the company’s search engine is a “gateway” to the Web and that it should be forced to spin off some of its businesses to ensure that it doesn’t have an unfair advantage.

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