Privacy

Opposing Obama’s Deputy CTO Pick

June 3, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

Two consumer groups have lined up to oppose President Obama's pending <a href="http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/06/google_government.php">appointment</a> of Google's Andrew McLaughlin as deputy chief technology officer in the White House. In a letter to Obama, John Simpson, consumer advocate at <a href="../../../">Consumer Watchdog</a> (formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights), and Jeffery Chester, executive director of the <a href="http://www.democraticmedia.org/">Center for Digital Democracy</a>, said McLaughlin's position as Google's director of global public policy violates the intent of the president's ethics rules to stop the revolving door between lobbyists and the executive branch.

Cell Phone ‘Choice of Law’ Clause Unlawful, Judge Finds

May 28, 2009  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

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U.S. Court Rules Class Action Against AT&T Can Go On

May 27, 2009  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p> <strong>Class action on Cingular/AT&T deal allowed to proceed -- Customers say being forced to pay fees, buy phones.</strong></p> <p> Consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog described the ruling as a major victory for AT&T customers. "The company broke its promise to its customers, making them pay millions of dollars more than they should have. Now we can move forward to get people their money back," said Harvey Rosenfield, a lawyer for the non-profit the California-based consumer group.</p>

Fact Sheet on the Cingular-AT&T Merger Lawsuit

May 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Who is the lawsuit against?</strong> The defendants are Cingular Wireless Corporation, a national cell phone company, and AT&T Wireless Services, a cell phone company that Cingular acquired in a $41 billion deal in October,...</p>

A deafening — and embarrassing — $ilence

May 26, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

<p> Los Angeles Times business columnist <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-hiltzik25-2009may25,0,6067235.column?track=rss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Hiltzik has just explored</a> the situation thwarting noncommercial neural...</p>

Google University of Michigan Sign Digital Library Oversight Agreement

May 21, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Google attracted more negative attention than perhaps it bargained for with its goal to digitize the world's libraries. In April 2009, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, Consumer Watchdog, wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking the government to examine the settlement between Google, The Author's Guild, and the Association of American Publishers (AAP). That settlement, Consumer Watchdog argued, deserved to be placed under government review because it gave Google the same financial terms of digital-book rights as any future competitor.

Give Google your data or die

May 21, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

Believe it or not, <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/execs.html#larry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google's co-founder Larry Page</a> says that the Internet giant needs to retain your search data more than six months in order to save lives.

Consumer Watchdog Litigation Team’s Summary of Tobacoo II Case Decision

May 19, 2009  ·  Pam Pressley

In a 4-3 decision, the California Supreme Court today reversed a lower court ruling in a false advertising class action pending for more than a decade against the tobacco companies that would have severely restricted consumers’ ability to bring lawsuits under the state’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) to stop businesses unlawful, unfair and fraudulent practices.

Consumer Class-Action Suits Are On Trial In California

May 18, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>A far-reaching ruling is expected in a case that could apply limits in 2004's Proposition 64 to ads for cigarettes.</strong> </p> San Francisco, CA -- Consumer class-action lawsuits in California, which have encountered mounting skepticism from courts, face a major test in a tobacco case to be decided Monday by the state Supreme Court. Some advocates say beneficial consumer litigation is getting tossed along with the frivolous. "The big picture is a broad assault on consumer protection laws by the defendants' lobby, with the growing support of the judicial branch," lamented Harvey Rosenfield, attorney for Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.

Google’s New Scourge Strikes A Nerve

May 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>In-your-face watchdog gets advice from Microsoft 'people,' interest from Verizon</strong> <p> SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Google Inc. has attracted a number of critics over the years, but the Internet search giant hasn't yet had to deal with any as jarringly adversarial as Consumer Watchdog. "Their tactics tend to be more confrontational than others'," said Tim Little, executive director of the Rose Foundation, an Oakland, Calif.-based organization that funds Consumer Watchdog. "But sometimes there's a place for folks being confrontational." </p>

Google Openness Is A Closed Door — Open Source Versus An Open Mind

May 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

When Google meets with Congressional staffers, hoping to convince US lawmakers that it's nothing but good for the world, the web giant likes to say that it believes in openness. "Open is better than closed, "the company says. Open "enhances competition" and "encourages innovation." But if you ask the company to discuss its openness, it's not too open about it. Late last week, the consumer watchdog known only as Consumer Watchdog uncovered the canned pitch that Google recently launched at Capitol Hill in an effort to re-spin itself.

Is Google Insurmountable?

May 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

After Google unveiled new features to its search results yesterday, one analyst is saying that the company’s leadership position has become virtually unshakable. Google’s name is <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/05/08/as-google-grows-so-to-do-the-antitrust-issues/">increasingly coming up</a> in antitrust discussions, and there are signs that regulators are considering whether it is <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124156244115989189.html">a monopoly</a>. A presentation outlining reasons Google is not monopolistic <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporateering/articles/?storyId=27175">surfaced on Consumer Watchdog</a> last week.