Privacy

Watchdog Group, Father Begin Medical Malpractice Initiative Campaign

July 25, 2013 · Mark Reback

SACRAMENTO -- Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog and the father of two children killed by a drug-abusing driver have taken the first step toward waging an initiative campaign to raise limits on medical malpractice "pain and suffering" jury awards. The proposed law, which was submitted for title and summary to the attorney general's office Thursday, needs petitions with valid signatures from 504,760 registered voters. Supporters hope to qualify for the November 2014 general election ballot.

The Circuit: Tech Companies Spent Millions On Lobbying

July 23, 2013 · Mark Reback

Lobbying from tech firms: Technology firms spent millions on lobbying during the second quarter of 2013, according to public records released by the Office of the Clerk for the House of Representatives.

Why Google Is Testing Encryption of Drive Consumer Data

July 22, 2013 · Mark Reback

There may be a hidden agenda to Google's move to begin experimenting with encryption of Google Drive consumer data, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57594171-38/google-tests-encryption-to-protect-users-drive-files-against-government-demands/" title="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57594171-38/google-tests-encryption-to-protect-users-drive-files-against-government-demands/">as reported by CNET.</a>

Ad Industry Hints It Will Ignore W3C’s Do-Not-Track Recommendation

July 16, 2013 · Mark Reback

The Internet standards group World Wide Web Consortium has unequivocally rejected the ad industry's proposal that it should be able to continue using behavioral targeting techniques to serve ads to people with do-not-track turned on.

Hall of Famer Speaks Out in Bee on His Family’s Tragedy and Patient Safety

July 11, 2013 · Jamie Court

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2668" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/images_bobpack-4sml.jpg" style="width: 167px; height: 250px; float: right; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" width="167" height="250" />The war over patient safety is heating up in Sacramento. Yesterday, Pulitizer Prize winning Los Angeles Times columnist Mike Hiltzik wrote a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20130710,0,1753167.column">cut-to-the-heart-of-it column</a> shredding the phony arguments of those resisting the patient safety reforms Bob Pack and Consumer Watchdog have been fighting for all year.

Advertisers May Capitulate On Tracking Cookies: ‘That Is No Longer Tenable’

July 9, 2013 · Mark Reback

Up to 50% of web users' browsers are sending "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals to advertisers, and the ad business is considering abandoning its insistence that it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsofts-do-not-track-plan-is-in-tatters-as-advertisers-vow-to-ignore-it-2012-10">will ignore many of those signals</a>, according to <a href="http://www.w3.org/2013/07/03-dnt-minutes">a transcript of a conference call</a> between officials trying to reach a consensus on the use of tracking cookies.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Patent Challenged

July 8, 2013 · Mark Reback

Two US public interest groups have asked a<a href="http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit"> federal appeals court</a> to hear a challenge of a patent over human <a class="glink tt_basic" href="http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_1682.asp" rel="*page.asp?obj_id=1682&cAct=SIMP" title="embryonic stem cells">embryonic stem cells</a> (hESCs).

Europeans Fire Broadsides at Google Over Privacy

July 6, 2013 · Mark Reback

Several European countries clearly are not OK with the changes Google introduced to its privacy policies last year, but Google insists that it is not breaking any European laws. Even if it were found to be noncompliant, it's unlikely that any serious fines would be imposed. Still, the countries aren't showing any signs of backing off, and their relentless pressure is casting a shadow over Google.

WARF Stem Cell Patents Challenged in Federal Court

July 3, 2013 · Mark Reback

Public interest groups that earlier unsuccessfully sought to remove embryonic stem cell patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation have asked a federal appeals court to reopen the case challenging one of the patents, which they say should be invalidated because of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Consumer Groups Appeal Patent on Use of Stem Cells

July 3, 2013 · Mark Reback

A patent controlling use of human embryonic stem cells should be struck down, two consumer groups said in a legal appeal filed Tuesday. Promising therapies developed with these cells will be delayed from reaching patients if the patent remains intact, say researchers, including Jeanne Loring of The Scripps Research Institute and Gene Yeo of UC San Diego.

Report Discloses 131 DataBreaches in California Last Year

July 2, 2013 · Mark Reback

Electronic data breaches put the personal information of 2.5 million Californians at risk in 2012, according to a report released Monday by Attorney General Kamala Harris. State law requires businesses and government agencies to notify consumers when a data breach might have put their personal information at risk. A bill passed in 2012 also requires companies to report a breach to the attorney general when more than 500 consumers' information has been accessed.

New Stem Cell Patent Action Filed

July 2, 2013 · Mark Reback

A stem cell patent held by a Wisconsin university foundation should be invalidated, according to a legal filing made Tuesday by two consumer advocate groups. Consumer Watchdog of Santa Monica and the New York-based Public Patent Foundation asked a federal appeals court to throw out the patent held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation on producing human embryonic stem cells. They said the patent is invalid because these cells are products of nature, and not patentable.

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