Privacy

Thursday Poll: Should Driverless Cars Protect Privacy?

May 31, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Wow. We hadn’t thought of this.</p> <p> You may have heard that Google has been experimenting with a driverless car, even letting a<a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/gettingthere/blind-man-drives-to-taco-bell/2874/"> <strong>blind man</strong> </a>take one through a Taco Bell drive through.</p> <p> It’s an intriguing concept we polled about once before. In <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/gettingthere/thursday-poll-would-you-buy-a-driverless-car/3235/"><strong>that poll</strong></a>, 55 percent said they’d be interested in buying one.</p>

Privacy Group Wants To Put The Brakes on Google’s Driverless Cars

May 31, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Security needs to be stepped up a gear</b></p>

Consumer Advocates Say Probe of Carrier Privacy Practices Overdue

May 30, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The FCC is asking about the security practices of carriers with respect to customer information stored on customer devices and the application of existing privacy and security requirements to that information. The Wireline and Wireless bureaus and General Counsel's Office jointly made the request in a public notice. It follows a series of questions from Capitol Hill about Carrier IQ software, raised by Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and others in Congress (WID Dec 5 p5).<br /> <br />

Consumer Group Says Self-Driving Cars Pose Privacy Risk

May 30, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A consumer group says a bill that would allow self-driving cars on California's roads does not do enough to protect privacy.</p> <p> The bill, SB 1298, sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), has passed the California Senate and is awaiting Assembly consideration in June. It establishes guidelines for "autonomous vehicles" to be tested and operated in California.</p> <p> It has flown through the Legislature, passing the Senate unanimously.</p>

Privacy Group Wants Google’s Driverless Cars Kept Off The Road

May 30, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Consumer Watchdog seeks ban on any data collection from autonomous cars</b></p> <p> A privacy group is calling on the California Assembly to keep Google's self-driving cars off the road.</p>

California Offers First Test Case for Google’s Robot Cars

May 30, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> More Americans are starting to pay attention to the lack of privacy while online.<br /> <br /> Two events that have been part of this awakening:<br /> <br /> 1) News that Google's Street View picture-snapping cars also collected private information from homes it passed by.<br /> <br /> 2) The constant difficulty of maintaining proper privacy settings on Facebook (have you tried to find the privacy settings tab lately?)<br /> <br />

European Regulators Put Google in the Hot Seat on Privacy Changes

May 25, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> European privacy regulators are breathing down Google's neck over the changes the search giant recently made to its policies. CNIL has pelted Google with numerous requests for details about how it would execute its policies, and so far isn't satisfied with the answers it's been getting. Stonewalling is Google's M.O. when it comes to regulatory requests, said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director.</p>

They’re Finally Getting Google’s Number

May 24, 2012  ·  John M. Simpson

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2203" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/images_johndrawingname.gif" style="width: 133px; height: 200px; float: right;" width="133" height="200" />Consumer Watchdog has long held the view that Google's executives are hypocrites, claiming their mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, while remaining deeply secretive about the company's activities.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Counters Google’s FOIA Objections in FCC Wi-Spy Probe

May 17, 2012  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-20122" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/googleembedded1_2_0.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right;" width="120" height="90" />SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today countered Google’s objections to the Federal Communications Commission’s release of detailed documents about the Commission’s investigation<br /> of how Google hacked into private Wi-Fi networks and sought broad disclosure of the documents’ contents.<br /> <br />

Privacy Worries Dog Facebook Ahead of IPO

May 15, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> NEW YORK, NY -- Some 900 million people like Facebook. But when they realize their private information is being bought and sold, some don't like it so much.<br /> <br /> The question of privacy and the use of personal data is a key issue for Facebook as the booming social network prepares to list on Wall Street.<br /> <br /> That is because the freewheeling world of social media must give way to a business model of using the personal information on Facebook as a commodity for marketing and advertising.<br /> <br />

FTC Preparing to Fine Google Millions for Safari Privacy Breach

May 7, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

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Consumer Watchdog Files FOIA Request Seeking All Documents In FCC’s Investigation Of Google Wi-Spy Scandal

May 2, 2012  ·  John M. Simpson

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2877" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/images_fcc.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 150px;" width="300" height="300" />SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today filed a Freedom Of Information Act Request with the Federal Communications Commission seeking all documents related to the Commission’s investigation of the Google Wi-Spy scandal.<br /> <br />