Inside Google

Thursday Poll: Should Driverless Cars Protect Privacy?

Tim OBrien

In California, the state is close to approving allowing the automated cars on the road. (And in Spain, a convoy of them recently took to the highway.) But some people in California are raising privacy concerns. Google, of course, is known for tracking where its users go on the web and using that information to make money.

Privacy Group Wants To Put The Brakes on Google’s Driverless Cars

Andrea Petrou

A privacy group wants to put the brakes on Google’s driverless cars, demanding that they shouldn’t be allowed on the road until privacy legislation has been put into place. Consumer Watchdog, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group, is demanding that the technology is incorporated into a bill, SB 1289, which would see proper legislation around this technology, put into place to protect people.

Consumer Group Says Self-Driving Cars Pose Privacy Risk

Jerry Hirsch

The legislation should be amended to provide adequate privacy protection for users of the technology, said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “Without appropriate regulations, Google’s vehicles will be able to gather unprecedented amounts of information about the use of those vehicles. How will it be used? Just as Google tracks us around the Information Superhighway, it will now be looking over our shoulders on every highway and byway,” Court said in a letter to Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles).

Privacy Group Wants Google’s Driverless Cars Kept Off The Road

Sharon Gaudin

A privacy group is calling on the California Assembly to keep Google’s self-driving cars off the road. Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit privacy group, sent an open letter to the Assembly today urging members to defeat a bill, SB 1289, that would allow Google’s self-driving cars on California’s roads unless the bill is amended to provide “adequate” privacy protection for the cars’ users.

California Offers First Test Case for Google’s Robot Cars

Dave Lieber

California Senate Bill 1298 is now up for grabs in the State House after unanimous passage in the state Senate. The bill permits “autonomous vehicles” on California roadways. In a protest letter to the California House Speaker, the group Consumer Watchdog seeks to kill portions of the bill. The group leaders write that the company lost its trustworthiness with the so-called “Wi-Spy scandal, the largest wiretapping effort ever, in which Google’s Street View cars sucked up emails, passwords and other data from private Wi-Fi networks in 30 countries around the world.” Click here to read a report from the group.

Consumer Watchdog Seeks To Stop Google’s Driverless Cars On U.S. Highways Without Privacy Protections

John M. Simpson

Group Seeks Amendments to California Legislation

SANTA MONICA, CA –Google’s driverless cars should not be allowed on U.S. highways unless adequate privacy protections for users of the new technology are implemented, Consumer Watchdog said today.

European Regulators Put Google in the Hot Seat on Privacy Changes

Erika Morphy

Stonewalling is Google’s M.O. when it comes to regulatory requests, John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project director, told the E-Commerce Times. “Google did it with the FCC over its inquiry into the StreetView project,” he said. “The FCC fined Google (US)$25,000 because it dragged its feet in responding.”

They’re Finally Getting Google’s Number

John M. Simpson

Consumer Watchdog has long held the view that Google’s executives are hypocrites, claiming their mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, while remaining deeply secretive about the company’s activities. It wasn’t a popular view of the Internet giant. I think many people used to see Google as a […]

Consumer Watchdog Counters Google’s FOIA Objections in FCC Wi-Spy Probe

John M. Simpson

Wants Release of Underlying Documents in Commission’s Investigation

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today countered Google’s objections to the Federal Communications Commission’s release of detailed documents about the Commission’s investigation

Group Welcomes Sen. Grassley’s Probe Of Google’s Use Of NASA Airfield

John M. Simpson

Consumer Watchdog Report Revealed How Google Bases Jet Fleet At Moffett Field

SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today welcomed an investigation by Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa) into Google’s use of NASA’s Moffett Federal Airfield in Santa Clara County, California, near Google headquarters.