Privacy

Consumer Watchdog Warns Amazon Echo and Google Home Are Tools of Mass Surveillance

December 1, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

John Simpson, Privacy Project Director of Consumer Watchdog, warns consumers not to trust Google Home or Alexa, as they spy on users in their own...

Home Invasion: Digital Home Assistants Press Conference

November 23, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

Consumer Watchdog unveils its new report on the patent applications for digital home assistants which reveal unsettling intentions for audio surveillance.

Consumer Watchdog Backs Justice Department Bid to Block $85 Billion AT&T-Time Warner Deal

November 21, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today backed the U.S. Department of Justice suit to block AT&T’s planned purchase of Time Warner for $85 billion,...

California may limit liability of self-driving carmakers

November 16, 2017  ·  Consumer Watchdog

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators are embracing a General Motors recommendation that would help makers of self-driving cars avoid paying for accidents and other...

Consumer Watchdog Warns DMV Adopted GM Robot Car Rule Language Exceeds Its Authority

November 15, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Language adopted from a General Motors suggestion by the California Department of Motor Vehicles in its revised proposed autonomous vehicle regulations...

Digital Assistants Spy on Owners and Sell Data to Advertisers, Says Consumer Watchdog

November 15, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

Consumer Watchdog tells NBC: Don’t trust Google or Amazon, as they have plans to record your confidential conversations and sell them to advertisers.

Internet Christmas Scams Rampant on Social Media, Consumer Watchdog Warns

November 14, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog warns holiday shoppers to be wary of holiday deals on social media.

Big Win For Big Tech Accountability

November 8, 2017  ·  Jamie Court

Earlier this year, we told you about Nacole S., whose fifteen-year-old daughter was sold repeatedly online for sex. The website that aided and abetted the pimp, Backpage.com,...

Google Must Release Robot Car Safety Record Before Using Riders as Guinea Pigs

November 7, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Waymo, must publicly release key information about its robot cars’ driving records in Arizona before it turns the vehicles loose on...

Consumer Watchdog Praises Senators Harris, Feinstein for Supporting Law to Stop Sex Trafficking

November 3, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised California Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein for supporting bipartisan Congressional efforts to amend a key Internet...

Consumer Watchdog Tells California DMV: Revised Robot Car Rules Are a “License to Kill”

October 26, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

Revised proposed California regulations covering the deployment of autonomous vehicles amount to a “license to kill” because they provide no enforceable safety standards and new amendments would...

AT&T Tops Q3 Lobbying Spend – Comcast’s spending Up, Charter’s Down

October 23, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

AT&T barely outspent Google to be the third quarter’s top telecom/tech spender on lobbying, shelling out $4.13 million, up 8% from Q3 2016, according to Consumer Watchdog’s...