Privacy

Consumer Group Demands Google Answer Robot-Car Questions

April 7, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>As federal officials prepare to hold a public hearing Friday on self-driving cars, a consumer-advocacy group is demanding that Google explain how safe – and unsafe – its self-driving cars are.</p> <p>The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s public meeting in Washington, D.C. is intended to help the agency develop guidelines for driverless cars. Another meeting will be held in California this spring, but the date and location haven’t been announced yet.</p>

FCC Debuts New Consumer Broadband Labels

April 5, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Arguing that broadband Internet services are increasingly necessary for everyday life, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said those services should be clearly labeled so customers know exactly what they're paying for.</p> <p>Service providers can make their prices and offerings more transparent by using a system similar to the nutrition labels provided on food products, according to the FCC. Yesterday, the agency unveiled recommendations for broadband labels that were developed by its Consumer Advisory Committee.</p>

Santa Monica Group Promps Federal Safety Hearings on Self-Driving Vehicles

March 25, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span class="timesDatelineBlack">March 25, 2016</span> -- Would you feel safe in a completely driver-less car? Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based nationally recognized advocacy group prone to litigating issues involving taxpayers and shoppers, says no way.</p> <p>The nonprofit organization on Ocean Park Boulevard has been engaged in a months-long battle to put the brakes on the pace of rapidly moving autonomous vehicle technology, and this week announced its efforts have prompted the federal government to hold hearings on the issue.</p>

NHTSA To Hold Public Meetings On Robot Cars After Consumer Groups Call For Open Process

March 23, 2016  ·  John M. Simpson

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2922" alt="" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/images_nhtsa-logo-large_0_0.png" style="width: 225px; height: 141px; float: right;" width="2400" height="1500" />The <a href="http://NHTSA.gov">National Highway Traffic Safety Adminsitration (NHTSA)</a> says it will hold public meetings about self-driving robot car technologies after a <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/after-google-car-crashes-bus-consumer-groups-call-transparency-public-involvement-dot-nh">coalition of consumer groups sent a letter</a> to Transportation Secretary  Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Adminsitration Mark Rosekind calling for public invo

How Self-Driving Cars Will Threaten Privacy

March 22, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Automated vehicles will learn everything about you—and influence your behavior in ways you might not even realize.</strong></p> <div class="article-body" itemprop="articleBody"> <section id="article-section-1"> <p>Allow me to join you, if I may, on your morning commute sometime in the indeterminate future.</p>

Automakers Agree To Make Automatic Braking A Standard Feature By 2022

March 17, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Nearly every American car would be equipped with automatic emergency braking within six years under an “unprecedented” pact announced Thursday between federal regulators and the auto industry.</p> <p>The agreement was reached between the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and 20 automakers that represent nearly the entire U.S. auto market.</p>

Industry Calls For Fast Lane For Self-Driving Cars

March 16, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>WASHINGTON: Google, Lyft and auto industry executives have urged lawmakers to help create a regulatory fast lane to help the deployment of self-driving cars.</p> <p><br /> In testimony at a Senate hearing, representatives of General Motors and auto-equipment maker Delphi touted numerous safety and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles.</p> <p><br /> Chris Urmson, who heads the Google self-driving car project, said a consistent regulatory framework is important to deploying those technologies, and that conflicting rules in US states could limit innovation.</p>

Google Wants Congress To Put Self-Driving Cars In The Fast Lane

March 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Google is determined to get its self-driving cars on the road and doesn't want any roadblocks being erected by the states, so today it will ask Congress to give federal regulators the authority to override state wishes, billing it as a safety measure.</p> <p>"We propose that Congress move swiftly to provide the secretary of transportation with new authority to approve lifesaving safety innovations," says Google self-driving czar Chris Urmson in remarks prepared for testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee.</p>

Google Asks Senate Committee For Fast-Tracked Rules On Self-Driving Cars

March 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="bodytext"><span id="mn_Global"><span id="MNGiSection">Google on Tuesday told U.S. senators that the federal government must fast-track regulations to allow self-driving cars on U.S. roads so America can stay ahead of China, Europe and Japan. </span></span></p> <p><span id="mn_Global"><span id="MNGiSection">"They're hot on our heels," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's driverless car unit. </span></span></p>

‘There is no question that someone is going to die’: Expert warns self driving cars are not ready as Google leads the calls for a ‘fast lane’ for technology

March 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><font style="font-size:1.2em;">Google, Lyft and industry executives are urging lawmakers to help create a 'regulatory fast lane' to help push through the development of self-driving cars - as experts warn they will kill.</font></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><font id="ext-gen117" style="font-size:1.2em;">At a Senate hearing, representatives of General Motors and Delphi touted numerous safety and environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles.</font></p>

WATCH: Video Shows Google Self-Driving Car Hitting Bus

March 11, 2016  ·  ConsumerWatchdog

<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A new video shows a Google self-driving car hitting a bus in California, the first such accident where the tech company said its vehicle was at fault.</p> <p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority released the video to The Associated Press.</p>

Google Robotic Car Hits a Moving Bus – Are We Really Ready for This?

March 11, 2016  ·  ConsumerWatchdog

<p style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);">When I recently wrote about concerns being voiced, mine included, about self-driven (robotic or driverless) cars I did not imagine I would get to say, “I told you so” quite so quickly.