Privacy

Gov’s cabinet member resigns due to conflict of interest

March 6, 2009  ·  Mark Reback

To follow up on <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/politicians/articles/?storyId=25216">my post from earlier this week</a>, one of the Gov’s cabinet members resigned due to inquiries about income she received from companies who lobby her agency.

California lawmakers’ 2008 Statements of Economic Interest and a couple of kernels

March 6, 2009  ·  Doug Heller

<p> Every year California officials are required to file a public document called a Statement of Economic Interest, or Form 700, with the Fair Political Practices Commission.  Below are links to a series of ZIP files with all the 2008 Statements of Economic Interests for California's state politicians.  After the links, I've included some thoughts on what we've found after reviewing just a few, drawn randomly out of the pile. </p>

Picking Up The Profits After Countrywide’s Collapse

March 6, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN HOST: Some former Countrywide executives are mopping up some of their own mortgage messes today. Not out of the goodness of their hearts or anything, they actually found good profits in lad loans. </p> <p> JAMIE COURT, CONSUMER WATCHDOG.ORG: It's outrageous that the executives that created this mess knowingly putting people in loans they couldn't afford are now poised to make a fortune cleaning it up. </p>

Is Google Burning Its Brand?

March 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The recent incident involved a privacy group called Consumer Watchdog. The organization and Google have had a history of run-ins. Consumer Watchdog has been critical of Google in terms of privacy, and has been aggressive at times in publicly challenging the search giant, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKybBlEjSyk&eurl=http://industry.bnet.com/technology/1000980/is-google-burning-its-brand/">as can be seen in this video</a> ironically documented on YouTube, which is owned by Google.

Stimulus Spending Is Visible Online

March 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/03/03/stimulus_online_reports/">Click here to listen to the audio of this broadcast</a>. </p> <p> Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog, calls the online updates an unprecedented experiment.<br /> Jamie Court: This is I think the first time government is held accountable in any accessible way for the public.<br /> He adds the online transparency could give taxpayers more confidence in how stimulus money is being spent, and so boost their willingness to spend their own. </p>

White House website cuts tie to Google’s YouTube

March 3, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

In the face of criticism from privacy advocates, the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House website</a> apparently has ended its ties to <a href="http://www.youtube.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google's YouTube</a> video service.

Consumer Lawyers Fighting Against Legal Tide

March 2, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>California Supreme Court Will Decide Key Proposition 64 Case on Class Action Consumer Suits</strong><br /> "It's some kind of a twilight zone where insurance gets to live and no one can touch them," said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the nonprofit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog and the author of the 1988 voter-approved Proposition 103, which cut insurance rates statewide. "It's very disturbing to see what the courts are doing."

Podcast: Watchdog On Facebook’s Democratic Foray

February 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10173699-2.html">Click here to listen to the podcast</a>. <p> Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 26 that, from now on, the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input. CBS News and CNET Technology analyst Larry Magid discuss the move with Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. </p>

Facebook’s new democracy could challenge other web giants

February 27, 2009  ·  Jamie Court

Facebook has taken the unusual step of allowing 30% of its members to decide privacy policies.  CBS News and CNET's Larry Magid and I talked the change over in <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10173699-238.html">this interview late last night</a>.

Google Seeks Starvation Of Growling Watchdog

February 26, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>(Semi-)Apology For Money-Snuffing Missive</strong><br /> <br /> San Francisco, CA -- Google has attempted to cut the funding of a well-known public watchdog, after the organization launched a "guerrilla" attack on its Washington lobby operation.

Google Stays Mum On EHR Privacy Provisions Of Stimulus Bill

February 26, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer Watchdog, a Washington D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, said the additions were a victory for patient privacy rights activists. "Google and Microsoft and medical records companies are now accountable in the way HIPAA providers are," Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog told The Industry Standard. "Heretofore these guys had no accountability."

Google Tries To Kibosh Funding Of Critic

February 25, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

This week, it came to light that Google attempted to persuade a foundation to stop funding Consumer Watchdog, Santa Monica, Calif.-based non-profit that criticized the search giant for its privacy stance.