Privacy

FTC Expands Antitrust Investigation of Google Android

April 28, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>In the wake of new antitrust objections to Google's Android operating system announced by the European Commission (EC) last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly widening its own probe into the tech giant.</p> <p>Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal earlier this week reported that FTC staff members have recently met with representatives of other companies to discuss "concerns that Alphabet Inc.'s Google abuses the dominance of its Android smartphone software."</p>

The Road to Regulating Self-Driving Cars is Long, Winding

April 28, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>As automobile accidents go, a 2-mile-per-hour sideswipe typically would not reach the level of having an insurance company pay the repair bill, let alone set off a policy discussion in the highest reaches of government.

Silicon Valley Pleads For Less Regulation At Second Public Hearing On Self-Driving Cars

April 27, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Autonomous vehicle regulations are fast approaching</strong></p>

Hearing Held On Safety Standards For Self-Driving Vehicles

April 27, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="267" src="http://abc7news.com/video/embed/?pid=1312646" width="476"></iframe></p> <p>PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- The drive to develop autonomous vehicles is evident throughout Silicon Valley where companies large and small are working on the technology, so now federal regulators are starting to step in to set safety rules.</p> <p><br /> Competition drives innovation, and a major focus is on creating autonomous vehicles that are safer than cars with human drivers.</p>

How Google Is Shaping The Rules Of The Driverless Road

April 26, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>The battle to dominate the next generation of cars hinges in part on autonomous driving technology. Google has built a leading position - thanks not just to its tech expertise, but also its persistent lobbying. </strong></p> <p>AUSTIN, Texas – The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Plaza here is a strip mall with a pet-accessories store, a Thai restaurant and a yogurt shop, an unlikely venue to display the high-tech future.</p>

Drug Makers Spend Big To Fight California Price Control Referendum

April 25, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>The industry is expected to pour $100 million into an effort to squash the November ballot initiative</strong></p> <p>Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton give drug makers the jitters when they talk about Medicare negotiating the prices of prescription drugs. But the biggest near-term threat to the industry comes from a California ballot initiative that would test a version of that idea in the most populous state.</p>

After suffering migraines, a woman goes into a risky invasive surgery without being prepped on the risks. Due to negligence, she suffers from a stroke and dies from complications.

April 21, 2016  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2978" alt="" class="right" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/resources_robyn_frankel.png" style="width: 200px; height: 201px; float: right;" width="421" height="423" />After talking to a neurosurgeon about her history of migraine headaches, Robyn Frankel was told to undergo an invasive cerebral angiogram requiring the injection of contrast dye into a vein in an attempt to try to find what was causing her headaches.  When the dye was injected, Robyn immediately suffered a stroke and went into a coma.</p>

EU Case Against Google Shows Contrast With US

April 21, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Washington, April 21, 2016 (AFP) - The latest EU antitrust complaint against Google underscores a sharp contrast from the approach taken by the United States, which has largely taken a hands-off approach on emerging technologies.</p> <p>Some US tech industry leaders and analysts argue that the European Commission's new filing on the Android mobile operating system shows a lack of understanding of the sector, and could stifle innovation in the fast-evolving market.</p>

Google Under Fire From US And EU

April 21, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Google has again found itself the centre of much unwanted attention. Yesterday the European Commission (EC) told the company it believed it had <a class="external" href="http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1492_en.htm" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">breached EU antitrust rules around Android</a>.

Consumer Watchdog Seeks FTC Action Against Google

April 21, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="brief">Cites European Commission initial finding of antitrust violations</span></strong></p> <div class="content clearfix"> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Consumer Watchdog has asked the Federal Trade Commission to file suit against Google on antitrust grounds over its Android operating system.</p>

Uber, Twitter Are Spending Big On Political Lobbying

April 21, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Twitter and Uber both ramped up their efforts to influence members of Congress through political <a href="http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/03/comcast-telecoms-lobbying-2015/">lobbying</a> in the first three months of the year, reveals new data. According to disclosures <a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldsearch.aspx" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">filed</a> on Wednesday, both companies stood out among their peers in the tech industry, which registered a marginal increase or even lowered their lobbying expenditures compared to the last year.</p>

Apple, Alphabet Cut Lobbying Spend As Facebook Pumps It Up: Report

April 21, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Alphabet</strong> (<a class="ticker" data-ticker-symbol="GOOGL" href="http://www.investors.com/news/technology/apple-alphabet-cut-lobbying-spend-as-facebook-pumps-it-up-report/">GOOGL</a>)-owned Google, <strong>Apple</strong> (<a class="ticker" data-ticker-symbol="AAPL" href="http://www.investors.com/news/technology/apple-alphabet-cut-lobbying-spend-as-facebook-pumps-it-up-report/">AAPL</a>) and <strong>Comcast</strong> (<a class="ticker" data-ticker-symbol="CMCSA" href="http://research.investors.com/stock-quotes/nasdaq-comcast-corp-cl-a-cmcsa.htm">CMCSA</a>) have slashed spending o