WASHINGTON, DC – Consumer Watchdog has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about the deceptive and unfair way Google displays results from its comparison shopping engine, Google Shopping, in its search results, the nonprofit public interest group said today.
Continue reading...26. November 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer groups on both sides of the Atlantic are opposed to a proposed deal to settle the European Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google. Consumer Watchdog, a U.S.-based public interest group, filed comments late Monday night opposing a proposed settlement to the European Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google because the proposed deal “will not restore a competitive search marketplace that will serve the interests of consumers.”
Continue reading...25. November 2013
SANTA MONICA – Google is taking advantage of its monopoly position in search to charge merchants more for placement in Google Shopping, causing higher prices for consumers, a Consumer Watchdog study has found. The nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group is filing the study, made Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, with the European Commission as part of the group’s comments on a proposal to settle the Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google.
Continue reading...18. November 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA. – Google’s $17 million settlement with states attorneys general demonstrates the Internet giant’s business strategy of doing whatever it wants and then buying its way out of trouble when caught breaking the rules, Consumer Watchdog said today.
Continue reading...14. November 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog has endorsed the bipartisan, bicameral Do Not Track Kids bill introduced in Congress today, but added that all users of the Internet should be entitled to protection by a Do Not Track law.
Continue reading...6. November 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA – Google’s latest proposal to settle a European antitrust investigation does nothing to solve the underlying problem of how the Internet giant manipulates results and favors its own services in search, Consumer Watchdog said today as it released the proposal and questions the European Commission is asking about it.
Continue reading...6. November 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog has challenged Google to make public its latest proposal to settle the European Commission’s antitrust investigation by 5 p.m. Wednesday, or the public interest group said it would release the proposed deal itself.
Continue reading...22. October 2013
WASHINGTON, DC — Google continued to lead tech firms in lobbying expenses during the third quarter, spending $3.4 million on its effort to buy influence with federal legislators and policymakers, according to disclosure forms just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Continue reading...17. October 2013
WASHINGTON – A coalition of 23 US consumer, privacy and public interest groups today wrote the European Parliament expressing strong support for the proposed European Data Protection Regulation because “we believe that the promotion of stronger privacy standards in Europe will benefit consumers around the globe.”
Continue reading...16. October 2013
SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog joined the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and three other public interest groups today in re-iterating their opposition to a proposed $8.5 million settlement in a class action suit against Google for privacy violations in the way it handled users’ search data because proposed recipients of settlement funds don’t represent the interests of the class.
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4. December 2013