Inside Google

Secret Google Presentation Defends Invasive Behavioral Ads

Carmen Balber

Consumer Watchdog Releases Satirical Annotated Version, Says Cyber-Spying Should Raise Lawmaker Alarms Over Internet Giant’s New ‘Net-based Operating System

Consumer Watchdog Praises Google For Considering New E-mail Security But Asks Why It Took Internet Giant So Long To Act To Protect Users

John M. Simpson

Santa Monica, CA — Google should be praised for agreeing to offer
improved security for users of its online services like Gmail, Consumer
Watchdog said today, but the non-partisan, non-profit consumer group
asked why the the company waited so long to act.

Consumer Groups To Obama: Google Lobbyist’s Appointment To Technology Post Raises Ethics Rules Questions For White House — Appointment Should Not Go Forward

John M. Simpson

Washington, DC — Two consumer groups today urged the White House not
to move forward with the pending appointment of Google’s top global
public policy official to the position of Deputy Chief Technology
Officer in the White House, saying it would violate the intent of
President Obama’s ethics rules meant to end the revolving door between
lobbyists and the executive branch.

Press Release

Google Presentation On “Google, Competition and Openness” Shared With Justice Department And Myths Debunked By Consumer Watchdog

CONTACT: John M. Simpson 310 392-0522 ext 317 or Jamie Court ext 327

Washington, DC — Consumer Watchdog has sent to the U.S. Justice
Department a Google document presenting the best corporate arguments
for why Google should not be viewed as monopolistic, along with a
duplicate of the presentation marked up with comments from an expert
countering the claims.  The nonprofit consumer group received both
documents from an anonymous industry insider.

U.S. Senate Records Reveal Google Inc. Lobbying Campaign On Personal Medical Records Law Despite Internet Giant’s Denials

John M. Simpson

Washington, DC — First quarter federal reports show Google lobbied on
the electronic medical records provisions of the federal economic
stimulus act, contradicting the Internet giant’s earlier claims that
Consumer Watchdog’s report of its effort was “100 percent false.”

Press Release

Consumer Group Calls On Justice Department To Intervene In Google Book Settlement

CONTACT: John M. Simpson 310-392-0522 ext. 317 or cell 310-292-1902

"Orphan Works" provision and "Most Favored Nation" Clause Raise Antitrust Concerns

Santa Monica, CA — Google’s proposed settlement with authors and
publishers raises antitrust concerns, Consumer Watchdog said today and
the nonpartiasn, nonprofit group called on the U.S. Department of
Justice to intervene.

Privacy Watchdog Condemns Google For Effort To Defund It: Calls For Greater Corporate Disclosure About Lobbying Efforts And Independent Privacy Chief

Jamie Court

Washington, DC — Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court wrote
Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt today questioning the company’s priorities
following efforts by one of Google’s top executives to dissuade a
charitable foundation from supporting the nonpartisan group’s privacy
efforts.

Consumer Watchdog To Google: Publicly Disclose Your Lobbying Positions On Electronic Medical Record Provisions In Stimulus Bill

Jerry Flanagan 310 889-4912

Santa Monica, CA — A national consumer group today called upon Google
to publicly disclose its lobbying positions on the electronic medical
record provisions of the financial stimulus legislation given a new
account by an independent journalist that Google’s presence on the bill
was felt on Capitol Hill.

Consumer Watchdog Calls on Google to Cease Lobbying Effort to Allow Sale of Patient Medical Records; Urges Congress to Adopt Privacy Protections in Economic Stimulus Bill

Jerry Flanagan 310 889-4912

Santa Monica, CA — The non-partisan Consumer Watchdog called on Google
today to cease a rumored lobbying effort aimed at allowing the sale of
electronic medical records in the current version of the Economic
Stimulus legislation.  Consumer Watchdog called on Congress to remove
loopholes in the ban on the sale of medical records and include other
privacy protections absent from the current bill such as giving
patients the right to an audit detailing who had accessed their medical
records and how the records were used.

Consumer Group Calls On Google To Offer Zero Personal Data Retention Policy

John M. Simpson

Seeks Meeting With Chairman Eric Schmidt About Privacy Concerns

Santa Monica, CA — Google should offer users of its search engine
the ability to leave no personal data on the Internet giant’s servers, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Consumer Watchdog said today and asked for a
meeting with Google’s chairman to discuss the group’s privacy concerns.