Inside Google

Press Release

Our letter to Eric Schmidt: Google shouldn’t care more about its own privacy than ours

CONTACT: Jamie Court

Google’s mission may be to open the world to information, but it is refusing to let our consumer group buy a search advertisement promoting wildly popular online animation that takes CEO Eric Schmidt to task over his statements about privacy issues. It seems the search giant cares a lot more about its own corporate privacy, than it does about its users’ privacy.

Consumer Watchdog To Google CEO: Berlin Comments At Odds With Personal Privacy And Orwellian; Search Ads For Animation Critical Of Google Should Be Seen On Google

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — New comments by Google CEO Eric Schmidt in Berlin show the top executive of the Internet giant fails “to recognize that the direction Google is currently heading is inexorably at odds with the notion of personal privacy,” Consumer Watchdog said today. Schmidt said, among other things, “We can suggest what you should do next, what you care about. Imagine: we know where you are, we know what you like.”

Anti-Google Video Ad On Privacy Running In Times Square

Sharon Pian Chan

An anti-Google video is running on a billboard in Times Square, criticizing the search company on privacy issues. The 15-second cartoon depicts Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as an ice cream peddler with the text, “He’s collecting your personal information.” The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, based in Santa Monica, Calif., is running the $25,000 campaign on a 560-square-foot CBS Jumbotron in Times Square. The video will air 36 times a day, in between promos for the TV show “CSI,” until Oct. 15.

After Google Incident, Wi-Fi Data Collection Goes On

Robert McMillan

Made wary by the Google Wi-Fi scandal, privacy advocates are concerned. Part of the problem is that there’s so little public awareness of what’s going on, said John Simpson, an advocate with Consumer Watchdog, a group that’s been highly critical of Google in the past. “If I buy a cell phone, do I expect to be mapping people’s Wi-Fi locations for the company that sold me the phone?” he asked. “My answer to that is I’d kind of be taken aback. Part of the problem with this technology is that people just don’t know what’s going on,” he added.

Consumer Watchdog Hopes To Lick Google

Amber MacArthur

The animated creation portrays Google CEO Eric Schmidt as a creepy old dude riding around in an ice cream truck offering up free treats to little kids. The high-tech vehicle conducts body scans of the children to capture their personal information and “Schmidt” shares news with the little ones about their parents’ web surfing habits. According to Consumer Watchdog, they are hoping the video will encourage people to create a “Do Not Track Me” list that will prevent Internet companies from invading consumers’ privacy (just like the “Do Not Call” lists).

Times Square Video Pokes Google On Privacy

Gautham Nagesh

Consumer Watchdog has launched a 540-square-foot animated advertisement that mocks Google’s privacy practices by depicting Google chief executive Eric Schmidt using an ice cream truck to steal secret information from children.

Online views soar in overwhelming response to Inside Google video

John M. Simpson

Response to our video “Don’t Be Evil?” lampooning Google and its CEO Eric Schmidt’s attitude toward privacy has been overwhelming since we launched it with a jumbotron digital ad in New York’s Times Square last week. Views  soared past the quarter million mark on Monday of the three-day holiday weekend. The satirical video shows Schmidt […]

Press Release

Google settles ‘Buzz’ suit; Texas opens antitrust probe

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

There were two major legal developments Friday involving Internet giant Google as the nation focused its attention on the long Labor Day holiday weekend. Both merit recapping, but unfortunately one is less of a victory for consumers than it might first appear. The other development could be a hint of huge problems to come for Google.

Erika Morphy

Rabid Consumer Watchdog Attacks Google CEO

Consumer Watchdog has created quite a stir with its Times Square jumbotron attack ad depicting Google CEO Eric Schmidt as a child predator. The so-called lampoon is designed to provoke outrage against Google’s perceived privacy intrusions, but some viewers may find the privacy group’s tactics even more outrageous. Consumer Watchdog’s Simpson shrugged off such criticism. “Sometimes, as an advocate, you want to focus attention on an issue — and if someone calls you crazy, then you put on your thick skin and smile, because that means they are focusing on the issue,” he said. “As long as people are talking about the issue seriously, we are happy.”

Consumer Watchdog Thinks Google’s Schmidt is a Data Perv

Robert X. Cringely

Imagine wandering through Times Square and seeing a 60-foot-tall animation depicting you (yes, you) as a creepy child-baiting ice cream truck driver. How would you feel? That’s probably the question Google’s Eric Schmidt is being asked today.