Consumer Watchdog

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Consumer Watchdog

Privacy

Consumer Watchdog investigations and advocacy on data privacy, surveillance, AI, and your right to control your personal information.
Rockefeller Reintroduces Legislation To Set Mandatory Do-Not-Track Rules

Rockefeller Reintroduces Legislation To Set Mandatory Do-Not-Track Rules

<p>Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Feb. 28 reintroduced a do-not-track bill (<a class="bluenobold" href="http://op.bna.com/der.nsf/r?Open=sbay-95d25a">S. 418</a>) aimed at allowing consumers to opt out of having their activities followed by online services and mobile application providers.  </p>
Rockefeller Introduces Do Not Track Bill, Is Backed By Consumer Watchdog

Rockefeller Introduces Do Not Track Bill, Is Backed By Consumer Watchdog

<p>Senator Jay Rockefeller has introduced a Do Not Track bill, which would require the FTC to make standards regarding consumers’ ability to opt-out of having their information collected. This is following the first Do Not Track report <a href="http://www.slashgear.com/ftc-do-not-track-paper-suffers-opt-in-concern-27220252/">we saw back in 2011</a>, which was a variant of the current bill. Consumer Watchdog has jumped into the mix, backing the bill.<br /> <br />
Watchdog Alleges Google Leaked Personal Data To App Developers

Watchdog Alleges Google Leaked Personal Data To App Developers

<p><a href="http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/02/25/watchdog-alleges-google-leaked-personal-data-to-app-developers/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast</a>.</p> <p>SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — A consumer advocate group on Monday urged California Attorney General Kamala Harris to investigate whether alleged privacy violations by Google were in violation of state law.</p>
Privacy Group: Google Sharing Too Much Personal Info With Developers

Privacy Group: Google Sharing Too Much Personal Info With Developers

<p><b>Google's sharing of app buyers' personal information with developers violates an FTC settlement, Consumer Watchdog says</b></p> <p class="first"><span class="article-source">IDG News Service - </span>The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the California Office of the Attorney General should investigate Google's Wallet service for sharing app buyers' personal information with app developers, a privacy group said.</p>
Consumer Watchdog Calls On Federal Trade Commission To Act Against Google’s App Store Privacy Violations; Says Penalties Should Be In Billions of Dollars

Consumer Watchdog Calls On Federal Trade Commission To Act Against Google’s App Store Privacy Violations; Says Penalties Should Be In Billions of Dollars

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-20319" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/images_ftcbldg_6.jpg" style="width: 300px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right; height: 200px;" width="600" height="400" />SANTA MONICA, CA—Consumer Watchdog today called on the Federal Trade Commission to act immediately against Google’s most recent privacy violation – sharing users’ personal information with apps developers – and said the penalties for violating a previous consent order should reach into the billions of dollars.<br />  <br />
Report: State Environmental Agency A ‘Problem Child’

Report: State Environmental Agency A ‘Problem Child’

<p><a href="http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2013/02/21/116780/report_state_environmental_agency_a_problem_child?category=science">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast</a>.</p> <p>The consumer advocacy group <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/">Consumer Watchdog</a> issued a harsh <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/golden-wasteland-report">report</a> this week of California's <a href="http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/">Department of Toxic Substances Control</a>.</p>
Insiders Say CA Toxic Regulation is Weak

Insiders Say CA Toxic Regulation is Weak

<p><b>Sources in the Department of Toxic Substances Control say agency’s lax enforcement puts public health at risk</b></p> <p id="paragraph1"><strong>2/21/13 UPDATE: </strong><em>Lawmakers are now demanding a Senate investigation into the Department of Toxic Substances Control after our investigative report exposed flaws in the agency.</em></p>
KNBC TV-4 LA: Investigation: Regulators Failing to Protect Neighborhoods From Toxic Waste

KNBC TV-4 LA: Investigation: Regulators Failing to Protect Neighborhoods From Toxic Waste

<p>The state agency charged with protecting Californians from most polluters is allowing companies to dump toxic waste and put lives at risk, as Joel Grover and the NBC4 I-Team Investigation reveals.</p> <p><a href="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Investigation-Toxic-Waste-Dump-California-Department-of-Toxic-Substances-Health-Cancer-192147871.html">Click here to watch the video of this news broadcast</a>.</p>
Scroogled: Microsoft Escalates Google Battle

Scroogled: Microsoft Escalates Google Battle

<p class="bodytext"><span id="mn_Article">Escalating one of tech's biggest rivalries, Microsoft is accusing <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/topics?Google%20Inc.">Google</a> (<a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mng-ba.siliconvalley/quote?Symbol=GOOG">GOOG</a>) of compromising the privacy of Gmail users -- leveling the charge in an unusual, in-your-face ad campaign that it hopes will resonate with consumers even if some analysts call it alarmist and irresponsible.</span></p>
Facebook Defends Graph Search’s Privacy Controls For Teens

Facebook Defends Graph Search’s Privacy Controls For Teens

<p><b>The site explains how search results for minors are displayed with its new search tool</b></p> <p>Facebook is working hard to assure users that Graph Search, its new search engine designed to uncover all sorts of information buried within the site, does not compromise the privacy rights of minors.</p>