Inside Google

Is Apps for Government Ready for Prime Time?

Margot Williams

Google received U.S. government security certification for its Apps for Government products on this week, a milestone for the search giant whose quest for government cloud computing contracts has been marred by its failure to meet deadlines for converting the City of Los Angeles email system.

Why we need to demand a Congressional hearing on Google’s Wi-Spying

John M. Simpson

We need your help. Sign our petition and demand that Google comes clean about the Wi-Spy scandal. Demand that Congress hold hearings immediately into the question of why Google thinks it’s OK to gather our private data and what they plan on doing with it. Google must also explain its relationship with the National Security Agency.

Google Users Concerned About WiSpy But Still Prefer Google

Clint Boulton

Web consumers are concerned about Google’s collection of data over wireless networks, but still give the search engine and Web services provider a favorable rating of 74 percent. That’s the latest from a poll conducted by Google watchers Consumer Watchdog and Grove Insight, which also found citizens are concerned about their privacy.

Extension Lets You Know If Google Is Spying On You

Andrea Petrou

Google has also come under scrutiny from Consumer Watchdog, which has said that the Energy and Commerce Committee must conduct hearings into Google privacy violations, with information coming to light about Google’s classified contracts with the US government. Consumer Watchdog suggests that Google has been fibbing.

You can take action now…

Evan Thomas King

We need your help. Sign our petition and demand that Google comes clean about the Wi-Spy scandal. Demand that Congress hold hearings immediately into the question of why Google thinks it’s OK to gather our private data and what they plan on doing with it. Google must also explain its relationship with the National Security Agency.

Liveblog: Wrapping up the Senate privacy hearing

Khan Shoieb

The three-hour hearing on Online Consumer Privacy has just come to a close, but unfortunately nothing substantive has emerged. Senators asked the two panels questions that were fed to them by their staff, and, when responses came from Google & Facebook that were conciliatory-sounding enough, the Senators refused, or perhaps more likely did not know how, to ask follow-up questions that might have actually taken us somewhere.

Liveblog: Google still “investigating” Wi-Spy activities

Khan Shoieb

Google Privacy Engineering Lead Dr. Alma Whitten told the Committee that the company was “conducting investigations” into why its Street View cars gathered communications from home WiFi networks.

Liveblog: FTC chairman endorses “opt-in”

Khan Shoieb

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz endorsed an opt-in framework for privacy policies on the internet over an opt-out one in response to a question by Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz endorsed an opt-in framework for privacy policies on the internet over an opt-out one in response to a question by Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV).

Liveblogging online privacy hearing

Khan Shoieb

Today I will be liveblogging the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on Consumer Online Privacy. It is the first hearing on this subject by a full committee.

Consumer Watchdog poll finds concern about Google’s Wi-Spy snooping

John M. Simpson

Americans Favor Broad Range Of Online Privacy Protections for Consumers

SANTA MONICA, CA — A significant majority of Americans are troubled by recent revelations that Google’s Street View cars gathered communications from home WiFi networks, and they want stronger legal protection to preserve their online privacy, according to a national opinion poll released today by Consumer Watchdog.