Inside Google

Can Google Be Trusted? No: The Search Engine Must Do More To Protect Private Data

John M. Simpson

Few doubt that Internet giant Google is succeeding in its audacious
corporate mission "to organize the world’s information and make it
universally accessible and useful." The problem is that the mission
puts Google directly at odds with our privacy rights, and Google
appears unwilling to give consumers enough control.

Press Release

Google’s Book-Scan Deal Is Not Solid Yet

CONTACT: Alex Pham

Google Inc.’s settlement with authors and publishers over the digital
scanning of books got a preliminary approval from a federal judge last
week, but the controversy may be far from over. In fact, legal experts and industry observers who have been closely
following the case believe the fight over Google’s ambitious
book-scanning efforts is just starting all over again.

Press Release

Antitrust Concerns Linger In Google Books Deal

CONTACT: Elinor Mills

The revised Google Books settlement agreement may quiet international opponents, but it still gives Google a monopoly on commercializing out-of-print books where the copyrights are unclaimed and fails to protect consumer privacy, opponents said on Monday. Also troubling to critics is the fact that the revised settlement circumvents traditional copyright provisions by allowing Google to digitize orphan works without first getting rights holder permission, while any Google competitors are blocked from doing so barring legislation granting them licensing rights. “For the millions of volumes of orphan books that Google has already scanned in, they can offer those without risk of anyone coming forward and suing them for infringement,” said John Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.

When Does Oversight Overstep?

Jef Akst

There are mixed reviews among the scientific community about whether CIRM’s close watch of their grantees is a good thing. To some, it is an important practice for public funding agencies such as CIRM to show the tax payers that their money is going towards productive and fruitful research. “I think the oversight is outstanding,” said John Simpson, the stem cell project director at the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog in California. “It shows that they’re not asleep at the switch. CIRM is functioning as both a grant making agency [and] also something of a steward of the funds it hands out.”

Political Parties, Candidates Cashing In On Pay-To-Play Issues Forums

Manu Raju

Top industry executives piled into Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters over the weekend to hear California’s Barbara Boxer, New Mexico’s Jeff Bingaman and other Democratic senators discuss some of the most pressing policy issues on Capitol Hill. Consumer Watchdog urged the seven Democratic senators on the agenda for
the weekend’s Google event to boycott it, since it created the
appearance of "pay-to-play politics when so many issues of concern to
Google and the rest of the Silicon Valley technology community are on
the table."

Press Release

Google submits revised digital book settlement to US judge

CONTACT: Chris Lefkow

Google and US authors and publishers submitted a revised settlement to a US judge Friday seeking approval of an agreement that would clear the way for millions of books to be sold online. Rival technology companies, privacy advocates, consumer watchdog groups
and the French and German governments are among those who filed
objections to the original settlement with the US District Court in New
York hearing the case.

Press Release

Google, Authors Try To Answer Book Deal Concerns

CONTACT: Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Google and the
Authors Guild filed a new version of a deal to create a massive
online library on Friday in hopes of answering antitrust and
copyright concerns in the United States and overseas. Critics of the deal have been a varied group that includes
Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, the
National Writers Union, Consumer Watchdog and singer Arlo
Guthrie.

Watchdog Group Questions Propriety Of DSCC Fundraiser For Bingaman, Others

Matthew Reichbach

A $5,000-per-ticket “national innovation conference,” hosted by
the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and attended by senators
including New Mexico’s Jeff Bingaman, is being criticized by a consumer watchdog group that says it gives the appearance of “pay to play.”

Comparing Democratic, GOP fundraisers

John M. Simpson

Both the Democratic and Republican Senate campaign committees are holding big fundraisers — the Democrats today at Google headquarters and the Republicans on Monday and Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. Consumer Watchdog objected to the Democratic event.

Democrats’ Event Raises Questions About ‘Pay To Play’

Carla Marinucci

A Democratic Party-sponsored "national innovation conference" to
examine key policy and technology issues at Google’s headquarters
beginning today has critics charging that the $5,000-and-up ticket
prices limit access to the event to Silicon Valley high rollers and
raise the specter of "pay to play" politics. Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica likened the event to Republicans holding an energy conference at an oil company headquarters. The consumer rights group urged California Sens. Barbara Boxer and
Dianne Feinstein and four other senators to boycott the fundraiser
sponsored by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.