Privacy

Privacy Groups, Business Firms Firing Warning Shots on New Online Ad Privacy Bill

May 4, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Privacy advocates and business groups drew early battle lines on Tuesday in the debate over a new bill to rein in Web advertisements that are based on consumers’ online shopping habits and Internet browsing histories. “While the discussion has started on this privacy issue because of this bill, I can’t really say very much good about it,” John Simpson from Consumer Watchdog later said on the call. “This bill really adopts and endorses an archaic, bankrupt notice-and-consent regime that we all know does not work.”

Boucher’s Privacy Bill Scolded by Consumer Groups

May 4, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The quest for comprehensive, federal privacy legislation has been on many a lawmakers’ wish list for years, and two House members took the next step this week with the release of <a href="http://www.boucher.house.gov/images/stories/Privacy_Draft_5-10.pdf">draft legislation</a> that would require opt-in access to sensitive online <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/print_article2/0,1217,a=250603,00.asp?hidPrint=true#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a>, an expectation of privacy regarding third-party apps, and easily accessible privacy practices. Consumer groups, however, said the bill does not do enough and criticized provisions that would prevent stronger state laws or individual lawsuits.

Online Advertisers Targeted in Privacy Moves

May 3, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

With behavioural targeting and privacy becoming hot internet issues, a coalition of consumer and privacy advocacy groups is taking their fight for online rights to Capitol Hill. The sizeable coalition - its members are Consumer Action, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Consumer Watchdog, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy Lives, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Privacy Times, US Public Interest Research Group and the World Privacy Forum - says industry self-regulation has not provided meaningful consumer protection and legislation is needed.

WARF Loses a Round in Stem Cell Patent Dispute

May 3, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has suffered a blow in its effort to protect a key patent for embryonic stem cell technology. The challenges were brought by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, Calif., and the Public Patent Foundation in New York City. The groups argued the work done in the mid-1990s by Thomson could have been done by any good scientist with access to embryos and funding. "This is a major victory for unfettered scientific research that could lead to cures for some of the most debilitating diseases," John M. Simpson, stem cell project director at the California Foundation, said in a news release.

Ohio AG backs antitrust suit against Google

May 1, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> In yet another indication of the seriousness of the mounting antitrust concerns about Goolge, the <a href="http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio Attorney General, Richard A. Cordray</a>, has weighed in on the side of <a href="http://mytriggers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">myTriggers</a>, an internet search firm suing <a href="http://google.com/about">Google</a> for unfair anticompetitive practices.<br /> <br /> </p>

Gathering your WiFi data – Google’s business plan

April 30, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Government data protection authorities in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/technology/30google.html" title="New York Times">Germany</a> and the <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/26/google_wifi_ico/" title="Register">UK</a> are questioning the collection of information on individual WiFI networks by Google’s Street View cars traversing their local streets. </p>

Jennifer Stoddart Blazes a Global Trail for Privacy Protection

April 27, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h2> Canada's Privacy Commissioner has taken on the Internet heavyweights - and transformed her office in the process</h2> <p> <img src="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/images/JenniferStoddardGlobe+Mail.jpg" hspace="7" width="#" height="#" align="left"/>...</p>

What’s In the Senate Wall Street Reform Bill?

April 27, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <em><strong>UPDATE:</strong> The Wall Street filibuster of financial reform was broken Wednesday night. Now the Senate moves to a full and open floor debate - where the public will expect Senators to take a stand against bank lobbyists' efforts to weaken reform. </em> </p>

Watchdog Calls for Google Break-Up – Urges DoJ To Investigate

April 23, 2010  ·  John M. Simpson

John M Simpson, consumer advocate at the group, said: “Google exerts monopoly power over Internet searches, controlling 70 percent of the U.S. market.  For most Americans – indeed, for most people in the world – Google is the gateway to the Internet. How it tweaks its proprietary search algorithms can ensure a business’s success or doom it to failure.”

Google Spent $1.3 Million on Lobbying, What Are They Buying?

April 21, 2010  ·  John M. Simpson

Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, revealed today that Google upped its spending on Washington lobbyists by a mammoth 57% from the same period last year. Lobbying disclosure forms filed with the Senate Office of Public Affairs show that the firm handed over $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with $880,000 in 2009.

Consumer Group to Call for Google Break up

April 21, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer Watchdog, <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org">the Santa Monica group</a> that’s proving a perpetual thorn in the side of Google Inc., plans to call on the Justice Department to launch an antitrust action against the search giant and seek remedies including a possible break up. 

Watchdog Wants Google’s Head as Google’s Lobbying Spend Jumps 57%

April 21, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

There was a time a couple years ago when we pundits tracked Google’s lobbying spend by year. No longer, because that spend is growing at a fat clip. Consumer groups and privacy watchdogs suspicious of Google Creep — its growing size and extension on the Web  — are looking at Google’s moves in Washington, D.C., with the flinty enthusiasm of fire and brimstone preachers.