Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Praises EU Data Commissioners For Rebuking Google For Merged Privacy Policy

John M. Simpson

Calls on Federal Trade Commission To Protect U.S. Consumers

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised the European data commissioners for rebuking Google’s unilateral merging of privacy policies and data across its various product lines and called on the Federal Trade Commission to act to protect U.S. consumers.

Drive Toward Autonomous Cars Shouldn’t Be So Automatic, Critics Warn

Erik Derr

Consumer privacy also is at risk through the new legislation, says John Simpson, privacy project supervisor for the nonprofit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. California’s new driverless-auto law “gives the user no control over what data will be gathered and how the information will be used,” Simpson tells WardsAuto. “That’s where we have a problem.”

You Have No Privacy. Get Over It

Graeme Burton

“Google has demonstrated an ability to out-maneuver government regulators repeatedly and ride roughshod over the privacy rights of consumers. Google continues to be disingenuous about its practices,” says John Simpson, privacy project director at US organization Consumer Watchdog.

Google’s Driverless Car Raises Safety And Privacy Concerns

Mark Kimmich

Santa Monica, California — October 1, 2012 — Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a driverless car law into effect at a ceremony at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. According to advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, the law poses threats to safety and privacy.

Auto Outlook: Robo-Cars Legal In Calif.

Al Swanson

With all that technology at work, John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project, says manufacturers will have to let the public know in writing how much data about them and their movements is being collected by the driverless vehicle.

Google Well Poised To Privatize The Web

Staff Writers

Consumer Watchdog is calling for ICANN to keep a close eye on enormous corporations such as Google and Amazon, and to reject applications made to buy new Top Level Domains (TLDs) in bulk.

Consumer Watchdog Urges ICANN To Reject Google, Amazon Applications To Buy Generic Internet Domains

John M. Simpson

Says Control of New Strings Could Threaten Free Internet SANTA MONICA, CA  – Consumer Watchdog has called on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to reject applications from Google and Amazon to buy control of huge swaths of the Internet by purchasing new generic Top Level Domains. In an open letter to […]

Self-Driving Cars Now Legal In California

Heather Kelly

Consumer Watchdog, a consumer-rights group, has expressed reservations about the cars on privacy grounds, saying they would allow Google to gather personal information about passengers.

California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Driverless Car Law

Mike Rosenberg

Consumer groups charge Google and other companies are really only interested in using the on-board computers to track people’s movements like on the Web.

Calif. Gives Driverless Cars Go-Ahead

James Temple

Another lingering concern about driverless cars is privacy. The machines will have to collect and store certain information about a person’s movements as part of their basic functioning, as well as to improve their performance over time. Because of pressure from privacy advocates, the law requires manufacturers to provide written disclosures describing the data collected. But John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project, says that doesn’t go far enough.