Privacy

Bing, Yahoo Agree to Remove Mortgage Ads

November 21, 2011 · Mark Reback

Federal regulators shut down mortgage-modification scams running as ads on Yahoo and Bing, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program said on Monday. Similar ads on Google were shut down last week. The ads falsely promised to lower homeowners’ mortgages in exchange for a fee, often even diverting mortgage payments to the fraudulent websites, according to officials.

California Assembly Committee Budgets Conceal Travel By Lawmakers’ Personal Aides

November 20, 2011 · Mark Reback

<img class=" size-full wp-image-9453" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/images_caassemblyexpenseschart.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 327px;" width="640" height="393" /> Much of the money spent for travel by Assemblycommittees this year went to fly personal aides of Southern California legislators round-trip between the Capitol and their districts. The trips contradict what the Assembly tells Californians in its annual expenditure report – that committee travel funds are used primarily for hearings to serve the public.

Mortgage Fraud Underscores Online Ad Challenge for Consumers

November 18, 2011 · Mark Reback

A consumer watchdog group says that Google should donate the “tainted revenue” it received from businesses tied to a recent investigation involving multiple mortgage scams advertised online. The news came after a government agency that investigates mortgage fraud related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program said on Wednesday that Google had suspended advertising relationships with more than 500 Internet advertisers tied to 85 online mortgage fraud schemes.

Feds Shut Down Mortgage Scammers Who Used Google Ads

November 16, 2011 · Mark Reback

The Treasury Department shut down 85 alleged online mortgage scams that advertised with Google to target struggling homeowners. The scammers allegedly preyed on homeowners seeking to lower their mortgages through a program created by the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, created by the federal bailout in 2008. The TARP program, known as the Home Affordable Modification Program, offers homeowners who are having difficulty paying their mortgages a way to alter their payments to ease the burden.

Google Dabbles in Dream Tech in Hush-Hush X Lab

November 14, 2011 · Mark Reback

Google is experimenting in some rather large-minded projects, if a recent report is to be believed. Somewhere in the San Francisco area, Google researchers are studying technologies that could lead to constructions such as a space elevator, according to the report. It's also apparently where Google's trying to make its driverless car suitable for mass use.

Google’s Dominance

November 12, 2011 · Carmen Balber

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2300" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/images_googlebuilding.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="100" height="100" /><a href="http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/index.php">CQ Researcher</a> on Friday released a 24-page analysis titled “Google’s Dominance, Is the online-search giant too powerful?” It takes on the fast-growing list of antitrust and privacy questions swirling around the biggest company in tech.

Robocalls Instigate a Cellphone Fight

November 12, 2011 · Mark Reback

Almost everyone with a landline has felt the annoyance of picking up the phone and realizing that a call is not from a friend or a family member but rather is a prerecorded message delivered by a software-robot. Currently, cellphone users are protected from these “robocalls” if they haven’t consented to receive them, but some industry groups are pushing for a clearer path to making those calls.

Pushing for online privacy on the East and West Coasts

November 4, 2011 · John M. Simpson

<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" />The week began for me at meetings in the heart of geekdom in Silicon Valley and concluded with consumer and privacy advocates meeting in New York City. The two sessions are more related than you might first think. The New York meetings, convened by the Consumer Federation of America, were an off-the-record session for consumer and privacy advocates to discuss privacy issues candidly with each other and some Microsoft Corp. representatives.

How to Opt Out of Cell Phone Company Data Collection

November 2, 2011 · Mark Reback

Last month, Verizon changed its privacy policy to allow the company to share your Web browsing habits, app downloads, and other information with third-party marketers. Naturally, this set off a wave of public backlash and alarm bells among consumer interest groups. But when we took a closer look at what other carriers were doing, it turns out Verizon wasn't the only one making a little side revenue from selling customer data.

Consumer Groups Attack Proposed Revisions to Telemarketing Rule

November 1, 2011 · Mark Reback

Is Google following Microsoft’s evil path?

October 27, 2011 · John M. Simpson

Consumer Watchdog Lambasts Los Angeles Over Google Apps

October 27, 2011 · Mark Reback

Unfortunately, the council meeting is next week Consumer Watchdog president Jamie Court has given Los Angeles city council members an impassioned speech about the failings of its Google Apps contract, even though the meeting to discuss the issue has been moved to next week.

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