Privacy

The 5 Rules On How To Kill A Consumer-Friendly Initiative

October 10, 2014 · Mark Reback

California's initiative process can shine a bright light on how money and influence work their magic in American politics.

Proposition 46 Stirs Controversy About Patient Privacy

October 7, 2014 · Mark Reback

New Initiative Law Makes Far Too Few Fixes

October 7, 2014 · Mark Reback

From the rhetoric Gov. Jerry Brown employed on it, you'd think a law he signed early this fall would clean up the initiative process for all time. Not exactly, for like the so-called groundwater fix he signed earlier, this one also leaves untouched the chief flaws of the process it's supposed to fix.

New Calif. Law Increases Oversight of Health Plan Provider Networks

October 5, 2014 · Mark Reback

Here’s The Evidence That Google’s Search Results Are Horribly Biased

October 2, 2014 · Mark Reback

Yelp and a coalition of like-minded travel and shopping websites have created an elegant demonstration of the way they say Google biases search results in favor of Google's pages. It's a Chrome browser extension that Yelp says strips Google+ pages from Google's search results, forcing the search engine to display only the "organic" results Yelp says Google would serve if it wasn't biased in favor of Google's own sites and links.

Ad Watch: Proposition 46 Foes Distort Reality In New TV Ad

October 2, 2014 · Mark Reback

The campaign formed to oppose Proposition 46 has added to its critique of the measure, arguing in a new TV ad called “ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIyzUVZTjZQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside</a>” that it puts Californians’ medical information at risk.

Focus On User Group Uses Google Algorithm To Attack Map Pack

October 1, 2014 · Mark Reback

<h2 class="subhead">Yelp-led consortium wants third party sites included in top results.</h2> Yesterday a new anti-Google consortium called “Focus on the User” launched a <a href="http://focusontheuser.eu">website</a> that cleverly uses Google’s own words and algorithm to make an argument against Google+ Local (map pack) search results. It also operates as a concrete proposal that might substitute for the now defunct “rival links” compromise in the Google-EU antitrust matter.

Brown Criticized For Veto Of Bill To Reform Toxic Substances Agency

October 1, 2014 · Mark Reback

Gov. Jerry Brown's veto of a bill to reform the California Department of Toxic Substances Control is drawing indignation from community groups and state legislators who had pressed for broad changes at the troubled agency. Legislators said they were deciding whether to reintroduce legislation at year's end. Brown rejected the bill Monday, saying it would delay the department's plans to fix its problems internally.

Google Rivals Launch Site Explaining Why E.U. Should Do Something Already

September 29, 2014 · Mark Reback

Yelp, TripAdvisor and their allies launched a new effort Monday to convince European antitrust officials to force Google to stop promoting its own online services at the expense of its rivals. The companies unveiled a new website, <a class="external" href="http://focusontheuser.eu">Focus on the User</a>, which explains why they’re concerned that Google is making it harder for consumers to find their competing services.

Reality Check: New Anti-Prop. 46 Ad Misleads With Database Scare

September 28, 2014 · Mark Reback

Proposition 46 would raise California's cap on "pain and suffering" damages in medical malpractice cases from $250,000, set in 1975, so that the cap is indexed to inflation; require doctors to submit to random drug testing; and require doctors to consult a state database to prevent "doctor shopping" by prescription drug abusers.

Consumer Watchdog Sues Two More Insurers Over Narrow Networks

September 26, 2014 · Mark Reback

Google Got It Exactly Right This Time

September 10, 2014 · John M. Simpson

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2799" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/images_bsd_google_takeaction_netneutrality_sharegraphic_an4-web.png" style="width: 200px; height: 133px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px; float: right;" width="600" height="400" />I don’t often agree with Google, but today I must admit that the Internet giant said exactly the right thing and came out strongly in support of net neutrality.

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