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Consumer Watchdog investigations and advocacy on data privacy, surveillance, AI, and your right to control your personal information.
Privacy Group Asks FTC To Push Google on U.S. ‘Right To Be Forgotten’

Privacy Group Asks FTC To Push Google on U.S. ‘Right To Be Forgotten’

<p>The failure of Google to offer users in the U.S. the same "right to be forgotten" <a href="http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=16978">protection</a> <a href="http://www.cio-today.com/accuserve/accuserve-go.php?c=16978"><img alt="Relevant Products/Services" border="0" height="13" src="http://images.cio-today.com/images/new/icon-inline-shop.gif" width="17" /></a> available in Europe violates U.S. law on unfair and deceptive trade practices, according to the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog.
New Data Breach Bill Covers Photos, Geolocation Data, Other ‘Sensitive’ Information

New Data Breach Bill Covers Photos, Geolocation Data, Other ‘Sensitive’ Information

<p>A new bill introduced in the House on Wednesday would require companies to notify consumers within 30 days if hackers obtain “sensitive” information -- including photos, geolocation data and medical information.</p> <p>The Consumer Privacy Protection Act, introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I. ) and backed by other Democrats, is a companion bill to a Senate measure proposed earlier this year by Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and supported by Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).</p>
Consumer Group Wants Government to Make Google Give Americans the ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Online

Consumer Group Wants Government to Make Google Give Americans the ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Online

<p>Internet users in Europe have something Internet users in the U.S. don't have: a right to be forgotten online. Thanks to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/eu-court-people-entitled-to-control-own-online-histories/2014/05/13/8e4495d6-dabf-11e3-8009-71de85b9c527_story.html">2014 court case</a>, Europeans can ask search giants to remove results that are outdated, inaccurate, or irrelevant -- giving them more control over their online reputations.</p>
Consumer Group Wants Google to Adopt “Right to Be Forgotten”

Consumer Group Wants Google to Adopt “Right to Be Forgotten”

<p>Consumer Watchdog is asking the Federal Trade Commission to extend Europe’s “right to be forgotten” to Google and other search engines.</p> <p>Because of the European law adopted in 2014 as the result of a court case, Google has removed more than 41 percent of the requests it receive in Europe. It declined to remove about 495, 674 requests.</p>
Should We Have The “Right To Be Forgotten” By Google In U.S.?

Should We Have The “Right To Be Forgotten” By Google In U.S.?

<p>Even those of us who didn’t grow up in the Internet age can <a href="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1992-12-03/news/9212020688_1_tevye-michel-haskett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still find traces of our much younger selves online</a>, which can occasionally make for a fun trip down memory lane. But not everyone is pleased with the idea that every online mention of their name may be forever etched into Google’s search memory.
Should Google be Forced to Bring the “Right to Be Forgotten” to The U.S.?

Should Google be Forced to Bring the “Right to Be Forgotten” to The U.S.?

<p>I’ve been a critic of the European “right to be forgotten” ruling that requires Google to remove links to some Internet content.</p> <p>The ruling is anti-information, anti-free speech and a burden for companies that have to sift through thousands of requests. Since Google lost the ruling last year, it has removed links to more than 40 percent of more than 1 million sites, according to <a href="http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/removals/europeprivacy/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its own transparency report. </a></p>
Privacy Group Asks FTC to Bring Europe’s “Right to be Forgotten” to The U.S.

Privacy Group Asks FTC to Bring Europe’s “Right to be Forgotten” to The U.S.

<p>The advocacy group Consumer Watchdog today filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, saying that Google's failure to offer U.S. users the same “right to be forgotten” enjoyed by citizens of the European Union is “unfair and deceptive.”</p> <p>John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project director, wrote that “Google’s refusal to consider such requests in the United States is both unfair and deceptive, violating Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.”</p>
Group Demands That Google Offer Users The ‘Right To Be Forgotten’

Group Demands That Google Offer Users The ‘Right To Be Forgotten’

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p dir="ltr">A group on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) arguing that Google should allow users to request that information about them be taken down from the search engine.</p>
Pressure Mounts On Google To Extend Right To Be Forgotten to US

Pressure Mounts On Google To Extend Right To Be Forgotten to US

<p>The <a href="http://betanews.com/2015/05/13/google-rejects-most-right-to-be-forgotten-requests/">Right To Be Forgotten</a> has proved controversial. A little over a year ago Google was told by a European court that it should accept requests to remove from search results pages that are "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant". Now, calls for the scheme to be extended to the US are growing ever-louder.</p>
Consumer Watchdog: Google Should Extend ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ to U.S.

Consumer Watchdog: Google Should Extend ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ to U.S.

<p>Americans should be entitled to a "right to be forgotten" from Google search queries, a consumer advocacy group says. Consumer Watchdog on Tuesday <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/ltrftcrtbf070715.pdf">filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission</a>, accusing Google of "unfair and deceptive" practices for failing to provide U.S.