Privacy

Websites Share User Data More Often Than Previously Thought

October 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>A study finds the practice of sending personal information to advertisers and others is pervasive, though not necessarily intentional, on some of the more popular websites.</b></p> <p> Reporting from Washington and San Francisco -- Popular websites are disclosing personal information to advertisers and others more often than previously believed, according to new research, and the finding is renewing calls to let Internet users block companies from tracking their online surfing.</p>

Websites Leak More Info Than Consumers Are Aware Of

October 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="printarticle"> <h1> <img alt="Photo" border="0" src="http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20111011&t=2&i=514204283&w=250&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=BTRE79A1AOG00" /></h1> <p> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers are less anonymous than they think while surfing the Web, according to a study released on Tuesday that triggered new calls for "do not track" rules.</p>

Stanford Researcher Finds Lots of Leaky Web Sites

October 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The Web is porous. Remarkable information trickles in from everywhere. It also sometimes spills out without its users knowing exactly where or how.</p>

Popular Websites Share User Information, Email Addresses, Stanford Study Finds

October 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <span id="mn_Article">By signing onto many of the most popular sites on the Web, you may be unknowingly sharing your email address or name with other websites and data collection companies that help target online advertising, according to a <a href="http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/node/6740"><strong>study</strong></a> by Stanford computer science researchers that sparked new calls for "Do Not Track" laws after its release Tuesday.</span></p>

Websites Lying About Information Shared – Little Anonymity Online

October 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://www.tech-progress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mayer.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-1986" height="199" src="http://www.tech-progress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mayer.jpg" title="mayer" width="146" /></a></p> <p> Websites lie about what private information they are sharing with other sites, including advertising sites like Doubleclick.</p>

INITIATIVE ANNIVERSARY: 100 Years of Ballot-Box Battles – Political Process Still Controversial

October 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> SACRAMENTO - If Hiram Johnson, the California governor who campaigned in 1910 vowing to bring the initiative process to state voters and then delivered on that promise a year later, were alive today, he would not be surprised by the criticisms leveled against the state's now century-old process of direct democracy.<br /> <br /> Back in the day, he had heard them all before.<br /> <br />

Privacy Groups Hoping Study Prompts Action

October 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Many websites reveal even more personal information about consumers -- such as their user names and e-mail addresses -- than they previously admitted to, according to a study released on Tuesday. Privacy advocates quickly said the report supports their complaints and that they plan to use it to pressure Congress to pass do-not-track legislation.</p>

Privacy Study: Top U.S. Websites Share Visitor Personal Data

October 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A study released Tuesday shows that 45% of the top 185 U.S. websites transmit identifying details about their visitors to at least four outside websites.</p> <p> The data transmitted was primarily a “username” – which is the name a person uses to log into a website – or a user ID assigned by the website to a user. It was usually transmitted through referrers – which is information about the web page transmitted automatically.</p>

“Yes” to Autism Therapy, “No” to Budget Reform: Brown

October 10, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>California insurers will have to cover behavioral treatments for autism</b></p> <p>  </p> <div class="leadImageLarge" id="leadImage"> <div class="imageCaptureLarge"> <img alt="Bills Brown Signed, Vetoed Over Weekend" height="368" src="http://media.nbclosangeles.com/images/654*368/jerry+brown+no+trophy+thumbnail.jpg" width="654" /></div> <p align="right" class="imageCredit"> Getty Images</p>

You Can Join Consumer Groups’ Washington Online Privacy Discussion

October 9, 2011  ·  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" />Do you care about online privacy? Then join me on Tuesday morning at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, where a coalition of ten consumer and privacy groups including Consumer Watchdog are hosting a discussion on data collection and privacy.</p> <p> If you can't make it you can follow the event <a href="http://www.visualwebcaster.com/ProtectingConsumerPrivacyOnline">on the Web</a>.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Asks Senator Kohl To Recall Google’s Schmidt As Witness

October 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <img align="right" src="http://www.tech-progress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/consumerwatchdog1.jpg" />Noting (as<a href="http://www.tech-progress.org/?p=1948"> I did on Monday</a>) that Schmidt had basically recanted his contrite testimony before Congress in basically calling the government slow and stupid in a Washington Post interview, Consumer Watchdog said in a <a href="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/resources_ltrschmidt100511.pdf">letter</a> to Senate chairman Herb Kohl that Schmidt should be recalled to testify by the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee:</p>

Can Occupy Wall Street succeed?

October 6, 2011  ·  Jamie Court

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2250" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/images_jamiepic-new1.jpg" style="width: 133px; height: 200px; " width="133" height="200" /></p> <p> Occupy Wall Street has now drawn the attention of the labor movement, political cognoscente and the White House.  It’s an authentic movement, born of genuine financial distress and betrayal, which is why it is resonating with Americans and is sparking protests in cities across America.</p> <p> But can Zuccotti Park, the occupiers’ camp in lower Manhattan, ever become America’s Tahrir Square?</p>