Inside Google

Press Release

Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big

CONTACT: Miguel Helft

Eyes are rolling, especially in reaction to the idea that Google is a
relatively small player in a giant market. “They describe where they
are in a market under a kind of a fairy-tale spun gloss that doesn’t
reflect their dominance of key sectors,” said Jeff Chester, executive
director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Google search is an
absolute must-have for every marketer in the world.”

Hill Mulls Online Privacy Rules — And Which Agency Would Oversee

Anne Veigle Greg Piper

Consumer groups want rules requiring a standard disclosure and
opt-in form, a ban on tracking information on a consumer’s health,
sexual orientation and financial condition and a "do-not-track"
registry that would enable people to declare they don’t want to be
tracked, according to a written statement from the Consumer Federation
of America. That group, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer
Watchdog and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have agreed on the
principles and are urging policymakers to adopt them. Allowing industry
to self-regulate won’t work, they say, because most companies rely on
"opt-out" mechanisms that are hidden from consumers. And the FTC’s
principles for behavioral advertising "don’t provide a basis for action
to stop abuses," the statement said.

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.

Google Praised For Agreeing To Improve E-mail Security

Staff Writers

Consumer Watchdog praised Google on Tuesday for agreeing to offer improved
security for users of its online e-mail services like Gmail.

Press Release

Google Says It Loves Competition

CONTACT: Richard Koman

With Justice Department scrutiny over the Google Books Settlement
only the the leading edge of antitrust regulators’ attention to Google,
the company has launched a dog-and-pony show dedicated to combating the
impression that more control is needed. In a presentation (PDF)
acquired by Consumer Watchdog, Google public affairs lead Adam
Kovacevich argued that Google is anything but anti-competitive. Its
success comes from “learning by doing,” the presentation says.

Press Release

Google Polishes Competition Charm Offensive

CONTACT: Tom Krazit

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Google continued to lay the groundwork Wednesday for
an antitrust defense in the event that the federal government decides
to take a formal look at its core business.
Inside a conference room in Google’s San Francisco office,
executives ran through essentially the same presentation leaked last
month by the consumer activist group Consumer Watchdog,
focusing most of their efforts on trying to paint a picture of Google
as just one part of a large Internet ecosystem, as opposed to a
dominant search giant.

Press Release

Reports: DOJ Turns Up The Heat On Google’s Book Deal

CONTACT: Juan Carlos Perez

The U.S. Department of Justice has stepped up its review of a deal that would settle a lawsuit publishers and authors filed against Google over the latter’s book search engine, according to published reports. Consumer Watchdog has charged that the proposed settlement gives Google special protections against lawsuits over orphan works.

Press Release

Google Receives Federal Request For Book Settlement Info

CONTACT: Staff Writers

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly investigating Google’s
digital books settlement with publishers, which Google claims will make
millions of volumes accessible to all but which has critics crying
antitrust issues. Google’s books project has run into opposition from a
number of groups, including Consumer Watchdog, arguing that it gives the search engine company too
much control over content with little oversight.

Consumer Groups Challenge Obama’s Appointment Of Google Executive

Staff Writers

Two consumer groups are seeking to throw a roadblock in front
of President Obama’s pending appointment of Google’s top global public
policy official, arguing that it would violate Obama’s ethics rules
aimed at eliminating the influence of lobbyists on the federal
government.

John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog, said
McLaughlin is good at what he does – "lobbying around the world for
Google’s interests," he said. "That’s not what this job requires. It
should not go to any person whose most recent position has been
advocating policy for a technology company," he said.

TOSback: Keeping tabs on the Web’s fine print

John M. Simpson

Among the most frustrating things about online services and Internet companies are the "terms of service" policies governing how the businessses interact with you and use your personal information.

Internet companies claim…