Inside Google

Inside Google’s John M. Simpson to testify to Congress

John M. Simpson

We haven’t yet persuaded the House Energy and Commerce Committee to convene a hearing on Google’s Wi-Spy snooping and its dealings with intelligence agencies, but I’m off to Washington to testify to another committee.

Multi-State Probe Into Google WiFi Incident Announced

Juliana Gruenwald

Consumer Watchdog, a group that has been critical of Google on multiple fronts, praised the state effort but again urged Congress to hold a hearing on the issue. “Just as the CEO of BP was asked to explain the Gulf oil spill to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, so should Google CEO Eric Schmidt be required to testify about the gross intrusion into consumers’ privacy,” John Simpson, the group’s consumer advocate, said in a statement.

Google Lobbying Spending Nearly Doubles, $1.34M Spending Focused on Privacy

Austin Carr

This past quarter, Google spent $1.34 million on Washington lobbyists, an increase of 41% over last year’s spending during the same period. That brings the company’s lobbying money up to $2.72 million for the first half of 2010, according to Consumer Watchdog. With all that spending, who and what is Google trying to influence?

Consumer Watchdog Praises Attorneys General For Google Probe, Renews Call for Congressional Hearing on Wi-Spy Scandal

John M. Simpson

Santa Monica, CA — Consumer Watchdog today praised a group of 37 state attorneys general for seeking to get to the bottom of the Google Wi-Spy scandal and reiterated its call for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold hearings on the issue.

Google’s Lobbying Spending Soars 41 Percent to $1.34 Million While Internet Giant Relies On Well-Connected Team

John M. Simpson

WASHINGTON, DC — Google spent $1.34 million trying to influence federal lawmakers and regulators in the second quarter of 2010, a 41 percent increase over $950,000 in the same period a year ago, Consumer Watchdog said today. Besides its willingness to spend, a key to Google’s lobbying effort is its well-connected Washington staff, most of whom have worked for Congress or the executive branch, said the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group.

Google Games in the future?

Margot Williams

Google’s plans to create a social media service are taking shape with word that the search giant has invested more than $100 million in Zynga, maker of popular online games available on Facebook

Google Has Been Fibbing About Data Mining

Staff Writers

Consumer Watchdog has said that the Energy and Commerce Committee really must conduct hearings into Google privacy violations, with information coming to light about Google’s classified contracts with the US government.

Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson discusses the Google Street View scandal with Channel 11 news team.

John M. Simpson

Update: Consumer Watchdog Will Testify at Thursday Web 2.0 Hearing

Gautham Nagesh

The House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Information Policy has reversed itself and invited John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog to testify at Thursday’s hearing on federal agencies’ use of Web 2.0 technologies. The invitation to Simpson is dated Tuesday, one day after a subcommittee staff member informed Republican lawmakers that the hearing would feature only one panel of all government witnesses. Simpson is the lead advocate on Consumer Watchdog’s Google Privacy and Accountability Project and has been a harsh critic of the search giant in the past. He was also the only witness requested by Republican lawmakers.

Advocacy Calls for Congressional Hearings on Google Spying

Byron Acohido

The Washington Post’s Top Secret America investigation about the vast scale and scope of U.S. government top-secret work, published this week, has revealed some troubling alliances with giant corporations to potentially spy on individual citizens. The Post identified 1,931 companies engaged in top-secret work for the government, including search giant Google. Citing revelations from the Post’s report, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, is petitioning Congress to look examine whether Google’s Wi-Fi spying may be tied to Google’s government contracts.