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Google Apps Hasn’t Met LAPD’s Security Requirements, City Demands Refund
Two years after the City of Los Angeles approved a $7.25 million deal to move its e-mail and productivity infrastructure to Google Apps, the migration has still not been completed because the Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies are unsatisfied with Google’s security related to the handling of criminal history data.
Continue reading...Google Suffers Cloud Setback in L.A.
19. October 2011
Los Angeles is delaying until 2012 the migration of email to Google’s cloud computing suite for thousands of law enforcement officials because the system doesn’t currently meet security requirements — a blow for the tech titan as it battles rivals for government cloud supremacy.
Continue reading...Privacy Groups Hoping Study Prompts Action
11. October 2011
“This study proves that personally identifiable information is regularly shared without consumers’ knowledge,” Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson told a forum on Tuesday. “We can’t rely on industry promises to protect consumer privacy; clearly, we need do-not-track legislation, and we need it now.”
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Asks Senator Kohl To Recall Google’s Schmidt As Witness
7. October 2011
Noting (as I did on Monday) that Schmidt had basically recanted his contrite testimony before Congress in basically calling the government slow and stupid in a Washington Post interview, Consumer Watchdog said in a letter to Senate chairman Herb Kohl that Schmidt should be recalled to testify by the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee…
Continue reading...Mimes Aren’t Silent in Capital Hill Attack on Google
21. September 2011
Consumer Watchdog says that privacy and Google’s ability to pry into the lives of anyone is a growing concern among the public. Colleague Jay Greene wrote that this week the group’s primary concern is that Google is gathering a huge trove of personal information, much of it without consumers’ knowledge and consumers are powerless to stop it.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Channeling Marcel Marceau
20. September 2011
Consumer Watchdog plans to deploy a group of mimes wearing white track suits emblazoned with Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto Wednesday, just as Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The mimes will mercilessly track senators and their staffers as they move through the Dirksen Senate office building..
Continue reading...Political Theater Will Follow Google’s Schmidt to D.C.
18. September 2011
While there are plenty of groups worried about Internet privacy, few have gone to the lengths of Consumer Watchdog, which relishes its role as a thorn in Google’s side. In addition to the videos, the group has sponsored conferences, written editorials, and taken out ads, all aimed at focusing a spotlight on Google’s conduct. Its primary concern is that Google is gathering a huge trove of personal information, much of it without consumers’ knowledge. Worse still, according to the group, is that consumers are powerless to stop it. Consumer Watchdog’s Court refers to the data that Google is able to amass as “an information monopoly.”
Continue reading...Does Google Want to Own or Organize Information?
8. September 2011
“This is exactly why Google is on the hot seat for antitrust,” said Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court, an activist and frequent thorn in Google side. “This is when the search engine becomes the find engine.”
Continue reading...Europe Taking Much Stricter Stance On Do-Not-Track Rules
1. September 2011
John Simpson, spokesman for the non-profit Consumer Watchdog advocacy group says “the Europeans have exactly the right approach. They are asking that a consumer must be given the right to opt in before a cookie is placed.” Simpson says the IAB’s icon alert mechanism is “mostly window dressing.” He says if European regulators do end up imposing a strict opt-in rule across Europe, Google, Facebook and the other data aggregators and ad networks will be forced to comply to do business in Europe.
Continue reading...Experts Positive on Facebook’s New Privacy Controls
24. August 2011
Privacy advocates and security experts have given Facebook a preliminary thumbs-up on the upcoming changes designed to improve privacy controls on its site.
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20. October 2011