Privacy

Hope For Health Reform? Push Single-Payer Now

July 28, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The "New Dems" are far greedier and more troubling players than the small cadre of southern and rural Blue Dog Democrats. Of particular concern is the determination of so many of the "New Dems" to follow Baucus' lead and grab up what <a href="../../../">Jerry Flanagan, a health-care analyst with the group Consumer Watchdog</a> describes as the "huge down payment" of campaign contributions from corporations by that want any health care "reform" warped to favor their interests.

Twitter Breach Revives Security Issues With Cloud Computing

July 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Concerns are the same as with any outsourcing, remote data access, IT managers say.</strong><br /> <br /> Consumer Watchdog group said the Twitter incident raises the question of whether "Google's cloud as offered provides adequate safeguards." Moving medical and health-related records, and information on domestic and sexual assault and substance abuse to Google raises concerns over how such sensitive data will be protected, the group wrote in a letter addressed to City Council members. "Before jumping into the Google deal, the City Council needs to insist on appropriate guarantees -- for instance substantial financial penalties in the event of any security breach," John Simpson, a consumer advocate for the group wrote.

Online behavioral advertising opt-out procedures misleading

July 24, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Earlier this month  the <a href="http://www.networkadvertising.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Network Advertising Initiative (NIA</a>), a trade association that includes some of the biggest online advertising companies like Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft...

Warning issued on Google Books privacy threat

July 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Much of the focus on the proposed <a href="http://books.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Books</a> settlement has been <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporateering/articles/?storyId=28350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on antitrust concerns</a>....

L.A. delays consideration of Google email plan

July 22, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consideration of <a href="http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=09-1714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a proposal to move the City of Los Angles' email</a> and other computer applications to a system run by...

Lawmakers Taking Lead In Health Care Eeform Also Ones Taking Big Money From Health Care Industry. Is That Right?

July 21, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> JERRY FLANAGAN, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH CARE POLICY, CONSUMER WATCHDOG: You know, look, members of Congress are never going to admit they're influenced by campaign contributions, but I don't think anyone disputes the fact that $10,000 to get into a dinner or $2,500 to get to a fishing event certainly buys access to the health insurance industry and the drug industry that the rest of America doesn't get. That is what is really disturbing here is that this fund-raising while policy making gives a small sector of companies and interests access to the decision-makers that the rest of us don't have. </p>

Debit-Card Security Plan Worries Gas Pump Owners — Smaller Retailers Fear Costly Upgrades Mandated By Firms

July 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

New security mandates from credit-card companies that gas stations and other retailers upgrade equipment to protect consumer information will prove costly to merchants. "It would of course be tremendously inconvenient for many consumers who routinely pay for gas with debit [cards]," said Judy Dugan, research director and energy expert at Consumer Watchdog. "It's an issue that ought to be solvable because you don't want consumers having to put more debt onto credit cards." She said she thinks either the credit-card companies or the major oil brands should help small-station owners pay for the upgrade or work out a schedule to pay over time. "It's unfair for the people at the bottom of the chain the way it's structured now, which is the consumer and the small-station owner," Dugan said.

L.A. needs assurances before moving to Google’s ‘cloud’

July 18, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Frustrated by an out-of-date email system that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's spokesman Matt Szabo calls "Pac-Man-era technology" the <a href="http://lacity.org/lacity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City of Los Angeles</a> is considering entrusting...

Interest Groups Complicate California’s Budget Woes

July 14, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>As lawmakers edge closer a budget deal, teachers' unions, business groups, and even the governor hit the airwaves with their demands.</strong><br /> “Our budget process is really driven by the interest groups and the apparent inability of elected officials to shut everyone out of the room and do the work [on the budget],” says Doug Heller, executive director of the California-based Consumer Watchdog.

No shame

July 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> AIG is at it again, showing just how <a href="ap:%20http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/10/news/companies/aig_bonuses/?postversion=2009071014">tone deaf</a> they really are, searching for approval from President Obama's pay czar to dole out millions more in executive bonuses... </p>

Google Is Faulted On Privacy

July 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A group critical of Google's privacy practices got a jump on the search giant yesterday. Consumer Watchdog, which accuses Google of spying on users, sent out an alert early yesterday claiming it had obtained a "confidential" and "proprietary" document that the company had intended for lawmakers.

Google snips ‘confidential’ label from lobbying doc after criticism

July 9, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Google probably thought it was being subtle and sly. Just after Consumer Watchdog obtained and released Google's new "confidential" lobbying document, Google posted the same document, stripped of its "confidential" and "proprietary" labels, as an example of its public transparency.  </p>