Privacy

Google submits revised digital book settlement to US judge

November 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Google and US authors and publishers submitted a revised settlement to a US judge Friday seeking approval of an agreement that would clear the way for millions of books to be sold online. Rival technology companies, privacy advocates, consumer watchdog groups and the French and German governments are among those who filed objections to the original settlement with the US District Court in New York hearing the case.

Google, Authors Try To Answer Book Deal Concerns

November 14, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Google and the Authors Guild filed a new version of a deal to create a massive online library on Friday in hopes of answering antitrust and copyright concerns in the United States and overseas. Critics of the deal have been a varied group that includes Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, the National Writers Union, Consumer Watchdog and singer Arlo Guthrie.

Comparing Democratic, GOP fundraisers

November 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Both the Democratic and Republican Senate campaign committees are holding big fundraisers -- the Democrats today at Google headquarters and the Republicans on Monday and Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. Consumer Watchdog objected to the Democratic event.

Democrats’ Event Raises Questions About ‘Pay To Play’

November 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A Democratic Party-sponsored "national innovation conference" to examine key policy and technology issues at Google's headquarters beginning today has critics charging that the $5,000-and-up ticket prices limit access to the event to Silicon Valley high rollers and raise the specter of "pay to play" politics. Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica likened the event to Republicans holding an energy conference at an oil company headquarters. The consumer rights group urged California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and four other senators to boycott the fundraiser sponsored by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Watchdog Blasts Google Event

November 12, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A watchdog group is calling on seven senators not to attend an event at Google's headquarters that the organization says is a fundraiser masquerading as a policy conference. Consumer Watchdog sent a <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/LtrDSCC111009.pdf" onclick="s_objectID=">letter</a> Wednesday to the seven Democratic senators set to participate in the National Innovation Conference Friday and Saturday sponsored by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Those listed as attending include: Senators Mark Begich, D-Alaska, Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Tom Carper, D-Del., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Mark Warner, D-Va., as well as President Obama's pollster, Joel Benenson, according to a DSCC <a href="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/resources_DSCCNICFlyer.pdf" onclick="s_objectID=">brochure</a> obtained by Consumer Watchdog.

What Google Dashboard Knows About You

November 12, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Dashboard lets you get rid of some information on there. Google says part of the goal here is to stop the theory about what Google knows and doesn't know about you, to provide transparency. But there are some privacy advocates who say this is still this is not enough. For example, one group called Consumer Watchdog put out this statement saying, "If Google really wanted to give users control of their privacy, it would give consumers the ability to be anonymous from the company and advertisers in crucial areas like search data and online behavior." And you can see the statement right there.

Secrets Of Secret Jerry Brown Tapes Revealed

November 11, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer Watchdog, the public interest group engaged in a major beef with Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office, has posted transcripts of the now-famous <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/AGTapeRecordingsDisclosure.pdf">secret recordings made by Scott Gerber</a>, former press secretary to the AG. The Calbuzz Archival Research & Rosemary Woods Memorial Tape Transcription Department has been poring over the contents of the just-released recordings, and has come to the following conclusions<a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/AGTapeRecordingsDisclosure.pdf"></a>

Inside Jerry Brown’s brain, the illegal tapes

November 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> It's rare that you get to hear what's in the brain of a powerful politician because his phone conversations were taped. </p> <p> Listening to Jerry Brown opine, berate and spin reporters about their age, his age, what they should...</p>

Brown Aide Recorded 6 Interviews

November 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A spokesman for state Attorney General Jerry Brown secretly recorded six interviews with five journalists since April despite being told by department officials not to do so a year ago, according to documents obtained Monday by The Chronicle. Scott Gerber admitted to recording reporters after The Chronicle published a story about consumer activist Harvey Rosenfield's criticisms of revisions the attorney general made to the summary of a ballot measure dealing with car insurance rates. Rosenfield claimed that Brown changed the language of the measure's summary under pressure from Mercury General, one of the state's largest insurers. The company gave $13,000 to Brown's campaign in June. Brown's revision did not mention that the measure could increase insurance rates for some Californians, Rosenfield said, but Gerber added that, in the view of Brown's office, the new summary was a fair and accurate description of the measure after its authors revised the initiative.

Now’s Your Chance To Spy On Google

November 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The Google Dashboard tool is also limited to information gathered on users when logged in to Google.  It doesn’t give consumers access to information that might be tied to individual consumers in other ways -- such as searches associated with individual computer IP address or cookies. That means it falls short of being a true privacy tool, according to privacy rights advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. "The dashboard gives the appearance of control without the actual ability to prevent Google from tracking you and delivering you to its marketers,” said John M. Simpson, a spokesman for the nonprofit organization. "It doesn't reveal anything about what is at the heart of what I call Google's 'black box' -- what is associated with your computer's IP address." </p> <p>   </p>

Google Dashboard Provides Too Much Info And Yet Not Enough

November 8, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Indeed, privacy advocates, such as John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, argued Google's gesture with Dashboard was just a straw man and that if the company really wanted to help it would allow users to prevent search information from being logged or to prevent Google from tracking a user's online activity while surfing the Web.

Poking At Google’s New Privacy Dashboard

November 6, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

... Dashboard doesn't really give users any clearer insights into what the company is doing with all of the data it collects. <strong>John Simpson</strong>, a consumer advocate with <strong>Consumer Watchdog</strong>, said if Google really wants people to use Dashboard, the company should make it easier to find, noting that there are few links to the tool from the landing pages of any Google properties. Simpson said Google also should make it easier for users to blow away stored search and activity data across multiple Google properties with a single click. "Google is maximizing the PR value of this feature in response to critics who have demanded online privacy guarantees," Simpson said in a written statement. "They are letting a little light shine into the black box that is Google, but to claim that this is transparency is absurd."