Privacy

Swine Flu vaccine for Wall Street, but not for kids, nurses, or Main Street?

November 6, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The news that the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jemnWB5veRnM9evI2vqkMks9HwkwD9BPM93G0">New York offices of Citigroup</a> got 1,200 doses of H1Ni flu vaccine, and Goldman Sachs got about 200, makes me even angrier than their executive bonuses. Don't these people have any sense of propriety? It wouldn't surprise me if Citgroup just took its salary list and vaccinated execs from the top down.  </p>

Google Releases Dashboard Privacy Tool

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The advocacy group <a href="../../../" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumer Watchdog</a>, which has been critical of the amount of personal data Google stores, called the dashboard a small step in the right direction. "If Google really wanted to give users control over their privacy it would give consumers the ability to be anonymous from the company and its advertisers in crucial areas such as search data and online behavior," spokesman John M. Simpson said on the group's Web site. "<a href="https://www.google.com/dashboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dashboard</a> give the appearance of control without the actual ability to prevent Google from tracking you and delivering you to its marketers." </p>

Dashboard Shows What Google Knows About You

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong> Critics Say Google Makes Some Privacy Progress, But Call For More Transparency</strong> </p> <p> Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit advocacy group formerly known as the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said in a statement today that it applauds Google for giving users a single place to go to manage their data. But at the same tine, the group also came down hard on Google, contending that it needs to give users a vehicle for stopping the company from collecting any personal data. The company should also provide a way for users to delete their information from Google's servers, the group added. </p>

N.Y. Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Intel

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Chipmaker Used Bribes, Coercion To Get PC Makers To Shun Its Rivals, Cuomo Says</strong><br /> </p> <p> The lawsuit was cheered by some consumer advocates, who say they hope that public sentiment and the new administration will bring about tougher scrutiny of monopolistic behavior. "It does seem to me to be indicative of a new attitude in antitrust enforcement that is a welcome development," said John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog. "It's clearly the case that technology companies for too long have not had enough close scrutiny."<br />   </p>

Mixed Reviews For Google Dashboard

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Google launched an application Thursday that allows users to see what data is stored in their accounts, but at least one group says the effort doesn't go far enough. The Google Dashboard is "designed to be simple and useful" and summarizes data for a range of products from e-mail and calendar applications to social networking and video sharing platforms. Consumer Watchdog, a group that has repeatedly thrashed Google for its advertising and privacy protection practices, said the Internet giant should let users opt out of tracking and delete information associated with their computer's IP address from Google's servers.

Google Offers Users A Peek At Stored Data

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Google, which has been criticized frequently for amassing large amounts of data about people, is giving users an easy way to find out what information it stores in their accounts. John Simpson, of Consumer Watchdog, a frequent critic of Google, said Dashboard gave users the appearance of control over privacy but did not really prevent Google from tracking users across the Web. “What the Dashboard does is list all the information linked directly to your name, but what it doesn’t do is let you know and control the data directly tied to your computer’s IP address, which is Google’s black box and data mine, Mr. Simpson said in a press release. “Google isn’t truly protecting privacy until it lets you control that information.”

Google Creates Privacy Dashboard

November 5, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Google, which has had a bullseye on its back when it comes to Internet privacy, on Thursday launched a Web site that shows people what data Gmail, Google Calendar and more than a dozen other Google products store about them. John Simpson of consumer-advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog said the dashboard focuses on data that people have consciously shared with Google while they are logged into various Google accounts, but ignores all the data that Google collects and ties to a user’s computer address and through other software, known as cookies. “The dashboard is really the appearance of control without giving users the ability to see how Google tracks them all over the place,” he said. </p>

Jerry Brown Escapes Scrutiny?

November 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer groups, including Consumer Watchdog, immediately cried foul, alleging that Brown had changed the official ballot wording because Mercury had given him a $13,000 campaign donation. That's when Marinucci called Brown's office for comment, and his spokesman decided to secretly tape her. Officials from Brown's office did not return a phone call seeking comment for this story, but in their interview with Marinucci, they maintained that there was no quid pro quo with Mercury and that they altered the official ballot measure wording because the insurance company had made substantial changes to its initiative.

Big Bird’s Birthday: Part Of Google’s Charm Campaign?

November 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>For Big Bird's birthday, the Sesame Street icon's feet replaced the L in Google's search logo. Is Google pressing Big Bird into the service of its charm offensive? <br />       </strong><br /> Critics say its corporate motto of “Don’t be evil” is a smoke screen for invasive procedures that are stripping away privacy (like scanning your gmail account for keywords to create targeted advertising). “I love Google. But I also fear Google,” says Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “It’s made finding information remarkably easy, but I’m not under any illusion that that’s a free lunch. And most Internet users have had their eyes opened recently to the fact that they are being tracked and they don’t have a way of stopping that.”

Google To Unveil New Privacy Controls

November 4, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

Google Inc. will announce a feature tomorrow that will give users more control over their online privacy, according to a consumer advocate who discussed the matter with the company. John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog hasn't reviewed Google Dashboard yet, because he refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement. But attorneys for the Mountain View search giant informed him the new feature would be unveiled on Thursday, he told The Chronicle. <br />

Microsoft vs. Google: When It Comes To The Cloud, It’s War

November 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> "All warfare is based on deception," goes the famous line attributed to <a href="http://www.military-quotes.com/Sun-Tzu.htm">Sun Tzu in the Art of War</a>. It may very well be the operating principle that both Google and Microsoft have taken to heart in their battle for dominance of the office desktop and cloud. Case in point: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091027-721650.html">The recent battle between the two companies</a> to sell office productivity and email services to the city of Los Angeles. Last month, before the city made a decision, Google downplayed an attack on the security of its cloud-based offerings by <a href="https://consumerwatchdog.org">Consumer Watchdog</a> -- but quickly published a "fact check" document to distribute to city officials to support its claims about reliability and security. <a href="http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/10/14/google-using-double-talk-cloud-security-says-l-consumer-group">According to one report</a>, Google suggested that Consumer Watchdog was "being paid to target Google specifically," without publicly naming the party allegedly paying the group. </p>

Who said Joe Lieberman wasn’t hilarious?

November 3, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Only the vastly under-seen cartoonist Tom Tomorrow could mash up the public option, Joe Lieberman and Harry Reid, and make a tragicomedy of it. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yansglh">See it here</a>, or below. </p>