Privacy

Prescription drug bulk purchasing finally a reality… In L.A.

September 1, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

If the City of Los Angeles can put a prescription drug bulk purchasing card in the hands of every resident, why can't the United States of America? That's the question I asked myself at the press conference announcing "LA Rx."

City Could Help Patients Save Up To 40 Percent On Prescription Meds

August 31, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Villaraigosa says he'll take bulk-purchasing scheme statewide. <br /> </strong><br /> Los Angeles County residents could see savings of up to 40 percent on prescription medicine under a bulk-purchasing drug program announced Monday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "This is something that President Obama hasn't been able to accomplish," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "Los Angeles is now the gold standard among major American cities in creating big savings on prescription drugs." <strong><br /> </strong> </p>

Curbs Urged For Behavioral Ads

August 31, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>A powerful alliance of privacy and consumer groups have likened behavioral advertising to "being followed by an invisible stalker." </strong> </p> <p> "An individual’s data belongs to them and before these companies track you all over the internet, they need to be transparent about what they are doing and how they intend to use that information," said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog.  </p>

Consumer Advocates To Corner Congress With Behavioral Targeting

August 31, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and several other advocates are hosting a conference call Sept. 1 to make recommendations about how Congress may better regulate behavioral targeting. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all use behavioral targeting to better serve ads to Web surfers. The groups want to be heard by Congress, which is working on legislature to better protect consumer privacy online.

Microsoft’s Secret ‘Screw Google’ Meetings In D.C.

August 28, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

In recent months, two heavily detailed, annotated versions of confidential Google slide presentations -- one dealing with competition issues, the other with behavioral targeting -- have been published by a Santa Monica–based group called Consumer Watchdog. The annotations are highly critical of Google and seek to rebut the search giant's arguments.

Can a reverend run a tight political ship in L.A.?

August 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The size of Los Angeles and its economic woes make the city a nationally important test of surviving the economic recession. In a time like this, can a soft-hearted evangelical minister effectively run the mayor's office? It's a question being asked about Jeff Carr, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/shake-up-in-la-mayors-office-explained-by-villaraigosa.html">newly appointed</a> as Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa's chief of staff. Carr replaces the tough, capable and experienced Robin Kramer, who's reportedly been itching to leave--and get a life--for at least months. I think Carr will surprise the doubters. </p>

Throwing the bank at Congress

August 26, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Two money-in-politics reports were released today that shine a spotlight on the campaign contrbutions that banks and other financial services companies have thrown at members of Congress to influence the financial reform debate. </p> ...

Following the money in L.A.’s proposed Google email deal

August 25, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

L.A. <a href="http://lacity.org/lacity/YourGovernment/CityCouncil/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City council </a>is wrestling with a <a href="http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=09-1714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal to shift the city's 30,000 email users</a> and other computer applications to a system provided by <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google.</a>  Anytime a deal like this is under consideration, it's worth checking the money trail. I examined records kept by the <a href="http://ethics.lacity.org/campaignfinance.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Ethics Commission</a> to see who paid what to whom.

How Google Can Stop Being Beaten With Privacy

August 24, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

That Google can still be surprised by privacy concerns is in itself surprising and suggests the company ought to approach privacy more proactively. Google would benefit from doing so because greater attention to privacy would defang its foes. <br />

Top Horn Aide, Kin Paid In Campaign

August 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Chief Of Staff Also Works On Re-Election</strong><br /> <br /> Several groups that monitor ethics in government say the payments to the Wonsleys, which range from $32 to $8,341, raise questions for Horn, who was fined nearly $13,000 in 2007 for violating campaign rules and failing to disclose personal income.  “Just because it's not illegal doesn't mean it's right,” said Mark Reback of Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica group that promotes accountability among elected officials. “A lot of these politicians should be more vigilant about how they're spending campaign money. It has the appearance of looking out for themselves, rather than the public they are elected to represent.”

Tech Giants Unite Against Google

August 21, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Three technology heavyweights are joining a coalition to fight Google's attempt to create what could be the world's largest virtual library.</strong> </p> <p> The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU of Northern California and the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group wrote to Google to ask the company to "assure Americans that Google will maintain the security and freedom that library patrons have long had: to read and learn about anything... without worrying that someone is looking over their shoulder or could retrace their steps".   </p>

Whole Foods’ crummy employee insurance: What John Mackey means by ‘choice’

August 20, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The whole <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119099537379">boycott fracas</a> over Whole Foods CEO John Mackey made me curious: what is it about health reform that scares Mr. Mackey? Mackey's <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html">Aug. 11 Op-Ed </a>in the Wall Street Journal called for government to keep out of health care--to let employers, charitable rich people and private insurance companies take care of it and allow maximum choice. He especially praises "high-deductible" health plans--which are the only form of insurance that Whole Foods offers employees. </p>