Inside Google

Google Proposes Separate Rules for Wireless Web

Amy Thomson

Verizon Communications Inc. and Google Inc. urged U.S. regulators to leave wireless Internet services outside most policies that are designed to prevent carriers from making some websites perform better than others. Consumer Watchdog, a consumer group based in Santa Monica, said the proposal “completely undermines the future of the Internet” because the wireless use of the Web is gaining in popularity.

Google-Verizon call for Congressional ban on Net Neutrality for mobile devices

Byron Acohido

John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog, concurs. He says the Google-Verizon proposal “pays lip service” to Net Neutrality and contains two fundamental flaws.

Anger Greets Google-Verizon Plan for Routing Web Traffic

Byron Acohido

“Ultimately, consumers would pay the costs for the premium delivery, or worse, would never see the content of smaller companies,” says John Simpson, director of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. “Google claims it won’t use premium channels for delivery, but not long ago they professed to defend true net neutrality.”

There’s no privacy in third world America

Jamie Court

A big New York foundation once told me years ago that privacy is the last thing people in the developing world have to worry about. It was a nice way of saying no to funding for my consumer group’s privacy project, but the line rang out to me again this week as new reporting at the Wall Street Journal brings into focus the great privacy betrayals of America’s giant tech companies and Third World America, Arianna Huffington’s new book, makes its debut.

Google-Verizon blueprint: creeping control of Internet by corporate giants

Margot Williams

The Google-Verizon statement on regulating the Internet isn’t business deal, the two companies say. Its a “legislative framework proposal” and a “a path to the open internet.” Web watchers aren’t buying it. It’s an alliance of two companies looking to lock in market advantages with political action.

Sign Our Petition: Defend a free and open Internet

Evan Thomas King

Two giant corporations – Google and Verizon — have just announced a joint plan that would kill the open Internet as we know it. They want to allow Internet Service Providers to charge a premium do deliver some data services faster than other content. They would place no restraint on data discrimination on the wireless Internet.

We can’t let two companies decide the rules for the Internet. The Federal Communications Commission must act to ensure that “Net Neutrality” is guaranteed for both the wireline and wireless Internet. Please sign our petition.

Google-Verizon broadband proposal undermines Internet, Consumer Watchdog says

John M. Simpson

SANTA MONICA, CA — Google and Verizon’s new joint broadband proposal pays lip service to the idea of “net neutrality,” but actually would completely undermine the open and free Internet we enjoy, Consumer Watchdog said today.

Consumer Watchdog asks FBI, DEA to explain use of Google Earth

John M. Simpson

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FBI and DEA are now making extensive use of Google Earth, according to federal spending records. Consumer Watchdog is filing Freedom of Information Act requests with the agencies today to determine how the Internet giant’s digital mapping technology is being used for domestic surveillance, including whether it is used for racial profiling or other abuses of civil liberties.

Google, Verizon Offer Internet Proposal

Staff Writers

Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog, however, said that while the new broadband proposal “pays lip service to the idea of net neutrality,” it would actually “completely undermine the open and free Internet we enjoy.” John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group, said there are two main problems with the proposal.

Google-Verizon deal prompts protest petitions

John M. Simpson

Several progress groups like MoveOn.org and Color of Change have launched online petition campaigns aimed at persuading Google to stick with its earlier espoused principles on “net neutrality” and not cut a a deal with telecommunications giant Verizon that would undermine an open Internet.