Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Challenges Google-FTC Privacy Settlement

Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, is dialing up its criticism of the proposed privacy settlement between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Google.

Google To Pay $22.5M Fine Over Privacy Practices

Google will pay a historic fine to settle U.S. government charges that it violated privacy laws when it tracked via cookies users of Apple’s Safari browser.

Experts Positive on Facebook’s New Privacy Controls

Privacy advocates and security experts have given Facebook a preliminary thumbs-up on the upcoming changes designed to improve privacy controls on its site.

Privacy Groups Cheer FTC’s Action Over Google Buzz

“We appreciate this landmark privacy decision by the FTC, but Google needs to be punished and feel pain on its bottom line,” said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, in a statement. “Nothing will completely stop Google from invading users’ privacy until it gets hit where it hurts, its bank accounts.”

Report: Privacy Worries Many Facebook, Google Users

Ifmany of their users are worried specifically about privacy, Google and Facebook should support efforts to get the U.S. government to implement and enforce a “do not track” legislation and mechanism, Consumer Watchdog said in a statement in reaction to the survey.

Is Google’s Copying Complaint Fair or Hypocritical?

When involved in a spat over allegations of unauthorized copying or misappropriation of content and ideas, Google — fairly or not — usually plays the villain… “Google’s complaint is the height of hypocrisy. The company’s entire business model is built on the use of other people’s content usually without bothering to seek permission,” said John Simpson, from Consumer Watchdog’s Inside Google research team.

Google’s CEO Switch Could Be a Risky Move

Consumer Watchdog, an organization that has been critical of Google’s privacy policies and missteps, said it welcomes the CEO change. “Eric Schmidt has put his foot in his mouth so far on key issues like privacy that he’s kicked himself out of the CEO’s office,” said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Inside Google Project, in a statement.

Facebook Bug Exposes Private Chats

John Simpson, an official with Consumer Watchdog, was displeased with the incident. “Once again we see what happens when companies push the technological envelope with little concern for consumers’ privacy rights,” he said via e-mail.

Press Release

DOJ: Thumbs Down Again to Google Book Search Settlement

In a big blow to Google’s efforts to build a massive digital-books marketplace and library, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has come out against the revised agreement to settle copyright lawsuits brought against Google by authors and publishers. Consumer Watchdog, a critic of the settlement, praised the DOJ’s
opinion and predicted the judge will not approve the proposal. "The
Department of Justice should be commended for standing firm in opposing
this private deal that unfairly benefits the narrow agenda of one
company," said John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer
Watchdog, in a statement.

Press Release

DOJ: Court Should Reject Google Book Search Settlement

The U.S. Department of Justice has come out against the proposed
agreement to settle copyright lawsuits that authors and major
publishers filed against Google over the search company’s book search
program. Consumer Watchdog, a
consumer protection organization that earlier this year urged the DOJ
to get involved, filed a 30-page document opposing the agreement,
saying it will "strip rights from millions of absent class members,
worldwide, in violation of national and international copyright law,
for the sole benefit of Google. There should be a competitive book-search market, while the U.S.
Congress must solve the orphan works problem. The parties simply cannot justify this ‘solution’ which does not
adequately protect the Rightsholders and unfairly benefits a single
party," reads the Consumer Watchdog statement.