Privacy Archives

Senate Panel Mulls Consumer Protection Deal

March 3, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

The Senate might break its impasse on financial overhaul if it moves forward with a proposal that would put a consumer financial protection watchdog inside the Federal Reserve. "It's time for Senator Dodd to stop negotiating with Senators who have dug into battle trenches with the big banks in their attempt to block any meaningful consumer protections, and move a bill that will give the rest of the Senate a chance to vote for Main Street and support real reform," said Carmen Balber, Washington director for Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group.

Google bucks Europe on Street View

March 2, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

European Union officials are asking <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google </a>to improve privacy practices with its Street View service, ...

Treasury official auditions for bank lobbyist job

March 1, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/01/top-treasury-official-lea_n_481102.html">Huffington Post</a> just reported that a top Treasury Department official, whose job was to work with the House Financial Services Committee in drafting financial reform legislation, just took a job with a firm that lobbies Congress on behalf of big banks.

Justice’s Google probe is ongoing

February 26, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

I've just been reading <a href="http://thepublicindex.org/docs/case_order/fairness-hearing-transcript.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the transcript</a> from last week's Fairness Hearing in the Google Books case and one thing is crystal clear: The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust investigation of Google is by no means finished.

Group Calls On Justice To Probe Google Searches

February 25, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

The consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog wrote the Justice Department Wednesday to urge it to investigate allegations that Google is manipulating its search results to favor its own products.

Google’s European troubles and one good thing about the Italian case

February 25, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

Google has taken a one-two punch to the chin this week from Europe first with the news that the European Commission is probing the Internet giant for possible antitrust violations followed by the conviction of three top executives for invasion of...

Google Faces New Antitrust Complaints

February 24, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

Earlier this month, the shopping comparison search engine myTriggers <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=122918">brought</a> an antitrust action against Google, alleging that the search giant unfairly lowered myTriggers' quality score. This afternoon, the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog piled on. Consumer Watchdog called for the Department of Justice to investigate whether Google "is manipulating" search results by returning its own sites high in the search results.

How Lawmakers Turn Perks Into Profit

February 20, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

WEST SACRAMENTO – State law says legislators legally reside wherever they're registered to vote, which in Van Tran's case is 418 miles south, at his parents' house in Westminster. The law also says that if legislators live far away, they're entitled to a daily, tax-free allowance when they work at the Capitol. These laws have enabled Tran to enjoy every aspect of home life while also collecting more than $137,000 in allowance for being away from home during the legislative session. "This is a state where its own financial house and its broader economy is in disarray and yet there's still a major financial advantage and loopholes to politicians wily enough to take them," said Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, an observer of California government. "It should shake any taxpayer to see their lawmakers work so many angles to get rich off their public service."

Judge Puts Off Ruling On Google’s Proposed Digital Book Settlement

February 19, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

NEW YORK, NY -- Google confronted a barrage of criticism from opponents of its proposed digital book settlement Thursday as the Internet search giant tried to persuade a federal judge to approve a deal that would allow it to create the world's largest online library. Some consumer groups warned Thursday that the company that preaches not to be evil could suffer from eroding trust. "They are part of this Silicon Valley culture which says 'don't ask for permission because you can always ask for forgiveness,' " said John Simpson, head of the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog. "The problem is that they are starting now to be so big and so ambitious that some of the things they are trying to do now are overreaching in a way that will very likely tarnish their brand."

Judge asks tough questions in Google Books case

February 19, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Chin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Judge Denny Chin</a> began Thursday's marathon Fairness Hearing in the Google Books case by ending the suspense. "I'm not going to rule today," he said. But sitting in the courtroom observing the more than four-hour long hearing, the questions Judge Chin asked left me believing that the objections to the deal raised by groups like Consumer Watchdog have made a strong impression on him.

Banking On Hope

February 18, 2010 · Consumer Watchdog

Ten years ago, scientists discovered stem cells in the dental pulp of human teeth. Despite the fact that there are still no FDA-approved therapies using these cells, at least four dental stem cell banking companies exist so far, charging anywhere from $575 to more than $1,600 for the initial extraction plus an annual storage fee of around $100 per year. "It's not a huge sum," said John M. Simpson, the Stem Cell Project director at Consumer Watchdog, but "it just seems an idea to try to cash in on the stem cell craze without any obvious benefits for people being asked to fork over the money."

At Hearing On Google Books, Critics Reiterate Opposition