Privacy

A Movie About Online Sex-Trafficking Might Actually Get Laws Changed

May 19, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p id="U1220541235865JvD">It’s tough getting a consensus on anything these days, but child sex abuse and human trafficking are generally considered indefensible crimes. So who’s defending them?</p> <p id="U12205412358654qB">According to “I Am Jane Doe,” that would be Google. And Microsoft. And Facebook. And Yahoo.</p>

Google Targeted Over Child Sex-Trafficking Claims

May 19, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Imagine taking shelter from a downpour under a large umbrella, when an unkempt gentleman in a trench coat and no pants joins you to avail himself of the same protection.</p> <p>That’s the situation Google finds itself in with respect to a law that shields companies running websites from liability over material posted by others.</p> <p>For the Mountain View tech giant and many other Silicon Valley companies operating sites that host third-party content, the protection from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) is vital to their business interests.</p>

Report Shows How Google Funded Defense of Child Sex Trafficking Hub

May 17, 2017  ·  Jamie Court

SANTA MONICA, CA – A coalition of anti-child sex trafficking and public interest groups, and the mother of a trafficking victim, today released a report...

How Google’s Backing of Backpage Protects Child Sex Trafficking

May 17, 2017  ·  John M. Simpson

Details of Backpage’s victims have filled multiple lawsuits, legal actions and government investigations: A 13-year-old girl in Miami whose pimp tattooed his name on her...

Google-Backed Groups Claim Backpage’s Child Sex Ads Are Free Speech

May 17, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<h2 class="dek">'Their proposed fix might undermine all speech platforms online'</h2>

Bernie Sanders Wants California To Lead On Health Care

May 6, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span class="dateline">Los Angeles, CA -- </span>Sen. Bernie Sanders, assailing Republicans in Washington for their health care bill, delivered a message Saturday to the Democratic-controlled California Legislature: “Please lead the country and pass the single-payer bill.”</p>

Bernie Sanders Returns To California This Weekend

May 5, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Bernie Sanders </strong>returns to California for an awards ceremony Saturday that will gather nearly 700 trial lawyers, labor union officials, activists and others from Sanders’ left wing of the Democratic Party.</p> <p>Rage for Justice, the signature gala for the Santa Monica nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, honors “fellow travelers in the fight to hold corporations and politicians accountable for their abuses,” according to <strong>Jamie Court</strong>, the organization’s president.</p>

Amid Uncertain Future, State’s Stem Cell Agency Loses Transformative Leader

May 4, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California’s stem cell agency is on the hunt for a new president and CEO after <a href="https://www.cirm.ca.gov/about-cirm/newsroom/press-releases/05022017/cirm-announces-leadership-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the surprise announcement this week</a> that C. Randal Mills will be departing the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He will leave at the end of June.</p>

Uber Tracking Controversy Catches Congress’s Eye

April 28, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Uber’s public relations problems have been piling up over the past few months. <br /> <br /> But the ride-hailing firm’s latest controversy may have crossed a line that could create headaches for the company in Washington.<br /> <br /> A recent report that claims Uber was tracking customers even after users deleted the app is catching the eye of Congress and federal regulators because of the serious privacy implications. <br /> <br />

Investigate Uber For Phone Tracking, Consumer Group Tells FTC

April 28, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Consumer Watchdog asked the federal agency to check out claims the company tracked driver's iPhones even after the app was deleted.</strong></p>

Uber Problems: Company May Face Investigation After Reports Of Tracking Users

April 28, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="article-body" itemprop="articleBody"> <p>Following report that Uber has partaken in some questionable practices, including tracking users after they deleted the Uber app, Congress and federal regulators are considering investigations into the company, according to a <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/technology/330958-ubers-problems-multiply-in-washington" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> report from the Hill</a>.</p>

Uber Beefs Up Privacy Controls

April 28, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Faced with a fresh public relations crisis, Uber today <a href="https://newsroom.uber.com/your-privacy-settings-all-in-one-place-and-easier-to-use/">unveiled</a> new settings aimed at giving users more control over their data.</p> <p>Among other changes, the app will add a "privacy settings" menu, which will house all privacy controls -- including controls over how Uber uses location data. Uber will also now allow people to delete their accounts. In the past, users couldn't do so without contacting customer service.</p>