Consumer Watchdog

Expose. Confront. Change.

Consumer Watchdog

Privacy

Consumer Watchdog investigations and advocacy on data privacy, surveillance, AI, and your right to control your personal information.
Google’s Changes To Gmail Provoke More Privacy Fears

Google’s Changes To Gmail Provoke More Privacy Fears

<div class="group"> <p><a class="inline_quotes" data-gdsid="19004" data-inline-quote-symbol="GOOG" href="http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/GOOG" target="_self" rel="noopener">Google</a>'s privacy polices came under fire again on Friday regarding changes to its Gmail service, two days after it was fined by France for data protection violations.</p> <p>Gmail users could soon receive messages from people with whom they have never shared their email addresses, following the latest in a string of moves to link Google's email service with its online social network, Google Plus.</p>
Consumer Watchdog Says Google+ Circles Admit Just Anyone, Friend Or Not

Consumer Watchdog Says Google+ Circles Admit Just Anyone, Friend Or Not

<p><b>But it also thanks Google for taking steps against online predators</b></p> <p>Fairly or not, people often judge you by the company you keep. And the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog says this can cause huge problems for people with Google+ accounts, who might not be able to control who does or does not associate with their virtual online personae.</p>
Opening the Privacy Files

Opening the Privacy Files

<p>SACRAMENTO — For privacy advocates, these are heady days.</p> <p>European leaders are weighing tough new online data protection rules—and costly penalties for violators—for their 500 million residents. The courts and Congress have placed a bullseye on U.S. National Security Agency surveillance programs. Even dictionary.com declared "privacy" the word of 2013 because this "was the year that the desire to be seen and heard was turned on its head."</p> <p>Then, of course, there is Edward Snowden.</p>
Google’s For-Profit Surveillance Problem

Google’s For-Profit Surveillance Problem

<blockquote> <p>“We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about.”</p> <p>“Your digital identity will live forever… because there’s no delete button.”</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><strong>—Eric Schmidt</strong></p>
Google+: A Playground for Online Predators

Google+: A Playground for Online Predators

Additionally, it appears that Google+ also makes suggestions of people one might want to add to his or her Circle based on the content theysearch for and profile pages they visit as will be documented further below.
NASA Audit Says Google Execs Saved Millions With Jet Fuel Discount

NASA Audit Says Google Execs Saved Millions With Jet Fuel Discount

<p>SAN FRANCISCO -- Google executives got a steep discount on jet fuel from the federal government for their fleet of private aircraft over a six-year period, a new <a href="http://oig.nasa.gov/Special-Review/NASA_H211.pdf">audit</a> from the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/science-technology/space-programs/nasa-ORGOV000098.topic" id="ORGOV000098" title="NASA">NASA</a> inspector general says.</p>
NASA: Google Co-Founders Got An Improper Discount On Jet Fuel

NASA: Google Co-Founders Got An Improper Discount On Jet Fuel

<p class="bodytext"><span id="mn_Global"><span id="MNGiSection">MOUNTAIN VIEW -- <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/topics?Google%20Inc.">Google's</a> (<a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mng-ba.siliconvalley/quote?Symbol=GOOG">GOOG</a>) cofounders got an improper subsidy worth $3.3 million to $5.3 million when their private aircraft company was allowed to buy jet fuel at discounted rates from a federal agency at Moffett Field, according to a report issued Wednesday by NASA's Inspector General.</span></span></p>
Google Executives’ Planes Saved Millions In Costs Due To Error – NASA

Google Executives’ Planes Saved Millions In Costs Due To Error – NASA

<p><span id="articleText"><span class="focusParagraph">(Reuters) - The company that manages a fleet of airplanes owned and leased by <span class="mandelbrot_refrag"><a class="mandelbrot_refrag" data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOG.O&lc=int_mb_1001">Google</a></span> Inc executives Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt improperly bought fuel from the government at below-market rates, for a savings of up to $5.3 million according to a report released by the NASA Inspector General on Wednesday.</span></span></p>
NASA Audit Finds Google Execs Saved On Jet Fuel

NASA Audit Finds Google Execs Saved On Jet Fuel

<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An aircraft fleet owned by Google's founders and former CEO received improper discounts on jet fuel that saved the three billionaires up to $5.3 million dating back to depths of the Great Recession in 2009, according to a government report released Wednesday.</p> <p>The findings by NASA's inspector general surfaced during a review of a government airfield lease for seven planes and two helicopters controlled by Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and the Internet search company's former CEO, Eric Schmidt.</p>