Privacy

If A Driverless Car Runs A Red Light, Who’s To Blame?

March 12, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Sacramento</strong> -- State regulators are wadding through complex questions on how to prepare California roadways for computer-driven car technology - from self-parking features to traffic jam autopilot to completely driverless vehicles.</p>

California Preparing for Self-Driving Cars by 2015

March 12, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Autonomous vehicles are headed for the commercial market, and they may find their way onto our roadways as early as 2015.</p>

DMV’s Autonomous Vehicle Regulations Must Protect Users’ Privacy

March 11, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

I was up in Sacramento today to call on the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that the regulations that they are developing to govern...

California Mulls How To Regulate Driverless Cars

March 11, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="lingo_region entry-content" id="articlebody"> <p>Los Angeles - Sooner or later, consumers will be able to buy cars that rely on computers — not the owner — to do the driving.</p> <p>With that in mind, the California Department of Motor Vehicles held an initial public hearing Tuesday as it puzzles through how to regulate the public's use of the technology that is still being tested.</p> <p>Among the complex questions officials wanted to unravel:</p> <p>How will the state know the cars are safe?</p> <p>Does a driver even need to be behind the wheel?</p>

Editorial: Go After Doctors Who Overprescribe Painkillers

March 11, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The biggest <a class="lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/drug+problem/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;">drug problem</a> in the United States is not the one we think we have: illegal drugs. It is drugs prescribed by doctors.</p>

In Prop. 8 Ruling’s Wake, Initiative Sponsors Take Protective Steps

March 8, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Mindful of the Supreme Court ruling against Proposition 8, California initiative sponsors build in language so they can defend their measures if the state does not.</b></p> <p>SAN FRANCISCO — Anxious about last summer's ruling on Proposition 8, sponsors of California ballot measures are going to considerable lengths to ensure they will be able to defend them if the state doesn't.</p>

Ten States With the Most Fraud Complaints

March 7, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Fraud and scams cost Americans more than $1.6 billion last year. According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there were more than 2 million cases of fraud in 2013, down slightly from the previous year.</p>

European Commission Responds to Consumer Watchdog’s Concerns About Google Deal

March 7, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

<p>Back in February <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/consumer-watchdog-objects-eu-commissioners-about-proposed-google-settlement">Consumer Watchdog wrote </a>to 27 of the 28 members of the European Union's College of <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2745" alt="" height="110" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/images_eucommission.jpg" style="float: right;" width="160" />Commissioners objecting to the tentative antitrust settlement with Google on both the merits of the deal and the procedures that were being followed.<br /> <br />

California AG Takes Lead In Cybersecurity

February 27, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2741" alt="" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images_kamala_harris_official_attorney_general_photo.jpg" style="width: 154px; height: 200px; float: right;" width="574" height="746" /></p>

Placeholder MICRA Reform Bill Gets Tepid Response

February 26, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Senate President Introduces Placeholder Bill, But Both Sides Gear Up For Initiative</strong></p> <p>Democrats in Sacramento have strong ties to both trial lawyers and the medical industry. But even efforts by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg may not avert an upcoming campaign fight over medical malpractice suit payouts.</p>

While Popular, Do-Not-Track Laws Face Uphill Fight

February 26, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Efforts to stop website from collecting online data face political pushback, tech issues</strong></p> <p>SACRAMENTO -- At a legislative hearing last week, state lawmakers grilled credit card companies and retailers about their efforts to protect consumer data from breaches like those at Target and Neiman Marcus stores. But consumer advocates said no amount of security could fully protect data from hackers. The problem lies in companies' very act of collecting mountains of consumer information, they said.</p>

Court Filings In Gmail Case Demonstrate Google’s Hypocrisy

February 25, 2014  ·  John M. Simpson

<p>Google's efforts to seal key documents in a class action suit in which the Internet giant is charged with violating<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2739" alt="" src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images_icon-gmail.png" style="width: 175px; float: right; height: 175px;" width="512" height="512" /> wiretap laws when it reads the contents of email messages on its Gmail service demonstrate hypocrisy at the company's core.<br /> <br />