Privacy

FTC Wades Deeper Into Online Child Privacy Thicket

September 28, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>An update to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, long overdue since the law's enactment in 1998, are nonetheless drawing fire from consumer advocacy groups who contend the changes will further invade children's privacy instead of preventing it. Groups such as the ACLU and Consumer Watchdog have written the FTC in opposition of the current proposed rules.</strong></p>

Did You Purchase a Home in the Last Five Years?

September 27, 2012  ·  Laura Antonini

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2486" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/inescrow.jpg" style="float: right; width: 250px; height: 205px; " width="382" height="314" />If so, you may have been overcharged by your escrow company, and not even know it. Consumer Watchdog is investigating certain escrow companies who are up to no good, and we need your help.</p>

Google Well Poised To Privatize The Web

September 27, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Consumer Watchdog warns of TLD shopping spree</b></p>

Self-Driving Cars Now Legal In California

September 26, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California is the latest state to allow testing of Google's self-driving cars on the roads, though only with a human passenger along as a safety measure.</p>

California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Driverless Car Law

September 26, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Mountain View, CA -- Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Gov. Jerry Brown car-pooled to work on Tuesday in a white Toyota Prius, and no one was driving. One day, in the not-so-distant future, you can join them.<br /> <br /> Brown hitched a futuristic ride to Google's Mountain View headquarters to sign landmark legislation that will for the first time allow self-driving cars to hit California streets by 2015.<br /> <br />

Calif. Gives Driverless Cars Go-Ahead

September 26, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California has become the third state to affirm the legality of driverless vehicles, setting the stage for computers to take the wheel along the state's roads and highways - at least eventually.</p>

Proposed Google Settlement is Inadequate: Consumer Watchdog

September 25, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Consumer Watchdog has criticized the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s proposed $22.5-million fine that Google might pay in connection with privacy settings on Apple’s Safari browser.</p> <p>The consumer advocacy group also complains that the FTC does not have a permanent injunction against Google for violating the earlier “Buzz” consent decree.</p>

Jerry Brown Signs Driverless Car Bill

September 25, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

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FTC $22.5 Million Settlement With Google Is Deficient For Three Reasons Including Failure To Include Permanent Injunction, Consumer Watchdog Tells Court

September 24, 2012  ·  John M. Simpson

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2512" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/images_ftc-hq.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; border-width: 7px; border-style: solid; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="100" height="100" />SAN FRANCISCO – The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed $22.5 million settlement with Google for hacking past privacy settings on Apple’s Safari browser fails to include a permanent injunction against violating its “Buzz” Consent Decree with the Commission, one of three reasons it be should be rejected, Consumer Watchdog said today.<br /> <br />

Advocacy Group Urges Court To Reject Google’s ‘Miniscule’ $22.5M Privacy Settlement

September 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A deal that calls for Google to pay a $22.5 million civil penalty for tracking Safari users should be rejected, Consumer Watchdog argues in new court papers.</p> <p>"The proposed settlement is markedly unusual and deficient," the organization says in papers filed on Friday with U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco.</p>

Microsoft Launches Google-Is-Evil Campaign Targeted At Safari Users

September 21, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Microsoft is launching an attack-ad campaign, warning Safari users that Google might have tracked them without their permission, and promising that Bing won't do the same. It's not clear how widespread the campaign is, but it's certainly an attention-grabber.</p>

Group Asks Senator To Oppose Google, Amazon gTLD Purchases

September 20, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>The large number of applications from the two companies would make the Internet 'privatized,' Consumer Watchdog says</b></p> <p>A consumer group, citing concerns about the creation of a new, private Internet, has asked a senior U.S. senator to help block Google and Amazon.com from buying dozens of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).</p> <p><a href="https://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/061212-the-top-10-proposed-new-260110.html">The top 10 proposed new top-level domains so far</a></p>