Inside Google

Google Rolls Out Its Tablet

Roger Yu

Google Now. A feature in Jelly Bean that may raise questions for privacy advocates, Google Now uses search history, location and the calendar to alert users about pertinent information, including events, places of interest, faster travel routes and sports scores for favorite teams. “It’s Google looking closer and closer over your shoulder,” says John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.

The Do-Not-Track Balancing Act

Richard Adhikari

Online advertisers and privacy advocates generally agree that Do Not Track options should be available on Web browsers. However, there’s much debate about whether DNT should be opt-in or opt-out. “The privacy-friendly thing is to have DNT on by default,” said Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson. But advertisers say turning on DNT by default would essentially deprive consumers of choice.

Activists Want Stronger Privacy Protections for Driverless Cars

Donna Tam

Consumer Watchdog says Google is going to go willy-nilly with data collection for autonomous vehicles, and the California bill shouldn’t get the green light without more restrictions. Internet companies do whatever they want and it needs to stop, a consumer group said in an argument calling for more privacy protection in robotic cars. Consumer Watchdog […]

Google Says California Legislators Could Drive Away Robotic Cars

Donna Tam

Consumer Watchdog, which has long dogged Google on its data gathering practices, asked the committee to include language restricting the operators of the robotic cars to only gathering data that is necessary to run the car. The bill’s analysis said it was difficult to define what data is necessary to run the car, but called for companies to disclose all information gathered.

Don’t Allow Google’s Driverless Cars On Our Highways Without Strong Privacy Protection, Consumer Watchdog Tells California Assembly Transportation Committee

John M. Simpson

SACRAMENTO, CA – Google’s driverless cars should not be allowed on our highways unless strong privacy protections for users of the new technology are implemented, Consumer Watchdog told the California Assembly’s Transportation Committee today.

Consumer Watchdog’s Mimes Invade Mountain View Before Google Shareholders Meeting As Its “Track Team” Focuses Attention On Google’s Online Tracking

John M. Simpson

Group Plans To Ask Google Executives What They Knew About Wi-Spy

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Consumer Watchdog today sent its “Google Track Team” comprised of mimes dressed in white track suits to follow shareholders as they gathered for the company’s annual meeting in a bid to focus attention on the Internet giant’s online tracking activity.

At Google’s Annual Meeting, Silence From Larry Page

David Streitfeld

A theatrical moment occurred before the meeting, when a watchdog group dressed up as “the Google Track Team” to protest what it viewed as the company’s less-than-exemplary privacy policies. The protesters, from Consumer Watchdog, tried to “track” Google employees and shareholders as they checked in for the meeting. Google’s security team was not amused.

Google Stock Split Wins Approval; CEO Loses Voice

Michael Liedtke

Consumer Watchdog demonstrator Don McLeod protests in front of a Google shareholder outside of Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Thursday, June 21, 2012 before the shareholders meeting. Protestors demonstrated to help raise awareness of Google’s online tracking policy. They are calling for legislation for “Do Not Track” mechanism urged by the FTC. They are protesting information from being gathered by Google without permission.

Google CEO Page Should Testify To Congress As News Corp. CEO Murdoch Had To Answer To Parliament Says Consumer Watchdog

John M. Simpson

Washington, DC – In an opinion piece published in POLITICO today, Consumer Watchdog’s Jamie Court and John M. Simpson compare the treatment of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch – who was called before Parliament in Britain to answer for hacking into the private phone records of families – and the kid glove treatment Google CEO Larry Page has received in America after a much larger privacy breach in which the new media giant collected personal information from millions of Wi-Fi networks around the world.

Trust Busters Put Google In Crosshairs

Brendan Sasso

Consumer Watchdog, a vocal anti-Google advocacy group, has urged regulators to consider breaking up Google. The group says the company’s search engine is a “gateway” to the Web and that it should be forced to spin off some of its businesses to ensure that it doesn’t have an unfair advantage.