Privacy

Judge Rules Gmail Ads Might Violate Privacy

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>In a major defeat for Google, a federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that its Gmail service violates federal wiretap laws by scanning emails in order to surround them with contextual ads.<br /> <br />

Google’s Reading Of Gmail E-mail Can Be Challenged, Judge Rules

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Judge puts stop to company's motion to dismiss class-action suit regarding scanning of Gmail e-mails, says Wiretap Act is applicable.</strong></p> <p>A class-action suit targeting Google's scanning of Gmail messages to deliver targeted advertising can go ahead, based on a federal anti-wiretapping law, a judge ruled Thursday.</p>

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Google’s Gmail Scans To Move Forward

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A federal judge ruled Thursday that Google may be violating wiretap law when it scans the e-mails of non-Gmail users, allowing a lawsuit against the company to move forward.</p> <p>In her ruling, Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern District Court of California, questioned the clarity of Google’s privacy policy in explaining how it collects and uses e-mail data for advertising purposes. A “reasonable” Gmail user reading the privacy policy could not be expected to understand the e-mail scanning process.</p>

Google’s Gmail Keyword Scanning Might Violate Wiretap Law, Judge Finds

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A federal judge today found that Google may have breached federal and California wiretapping laws for machine-scanning Gmail messages as part of its business model to create user profiles and provide targeted advertising.</p>

Wiretapping Law Apply To Google Intercepting Emails, Federal Judge Says

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Google’s practice of intercepting users’ emails is subject to state and federal wiretapping laws, a federal judge in San Jose, CA. ruled Thursday.</p> <p>Google’s intercepting users’ email to better target advertising to those users does is not exempted under wiretapping laws, Judge Lucy Koh said, rejecting in part Google’s attempt to have a class action suit over its intercepting practices dismissed.</p>

Google Files to Avoid Wiretap Charges, But Judge Says Denied

September 26, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>According to the <a href="http://communications-media.lawyers.com/privacy-law/Wiretapping.html">Wiretap Act,</a> it is illegal to</p>

California Law Says All Websites Must Give Minors Option To Delete User Activity

September 24, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>New Law Will Take Effect in January 2015</b></p>

Zipped and Zapped

September 22, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Consumer Watchdog, the California advocacy group known to take on Sacramento special interests, certainly grabbed our attention with a press release with the subject line: "Plutonium in your zipper?"<br /> <br /> "Have you bought a pair of jeans made here in Los Angeles lately?" the release opened. "You could be wearing jeans with a radioactive zipper."<br /> <br />

Consumers Seek Ways To Avoid Data Mining

September 22, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Americans who believe their charitable contributions, political affiliation or the number of credit card transactions they made in the past 13 months are private matters were delivered a cold dose of reality this month.</p> <p>About two weeks ago, a Little Rock, Ark.-based data analytics and software company unveiled a website that allows consumers to take a firsthand look at the types and scope of online personal data that have been collected about them.</p> <p>And there's a lot.</p>

Do-Not-Track Bill A Small Step Toward Real Privacy

September 21, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<div id="text-pages"> <div class="page" style="display: block;"> <p>In early 2011, Mozilla added a do-not-track feature in its Firefox browser that allowed users to clearly state that they didn't want their online activities monitored by websites and advertisers.</p> <p>Other browser vendors soon followed suit, including Microsoft, Apple and Google, seemingly handing consumers a simple way to protect their information that would persist no matter what new collection technology and techniques the industry invented.</p>

New California Rules Aim For Transparency In Online Campaign Material

September 20, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

Campaigns will now have to report when they pay people to post praise or criticism of candidates and ballot measures on websites. SACRAMENTO — Under new rules approved Thursday, the state hopes to help Californians determine whether political material they read online is a writer's own opinion or propaganda paid for by a campaign. Campaigns will now have to report when they pay people to post praise or criticism of candidates and ballot measures on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other websites.

State’s New Rule: Campaigns Must Say When They Pay For Web Posts

September 19, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>SACRAMENTO — The state campaign watchdog agency acted Thursday to require political campaigns to report when they pay people to post favorable or unfavorable content on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites.</p> <p>The state Fair Political Practices Commission acted out of concern that the public might be deceived into thinking paid content on blogs that praises or criticizes a candidate is objective political commentary.</p>