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Boucher’s Privacy Bill Scolded by Consumer Groups
The quest for comprehensive, federal privacy legislation has been on many a lawmakers’ wish list for years, and two House members took the next step this week with the release of draft legislation that would require opt-in access to sensitive online data, an expectation of privacy regarding third-party apps, and easily accessible privacy practices. Consumer groups, however, said the bill does not do enough and criticized provisions that would prevent stronger state laws or individual lawsuits.
Continue reading...Online Advertisers Targeted in Privacy Moves
3. May 2010
With behavioural targeting and privacy becoming hot internet issues, a coalition of consumer and privacy advocacy groups is taking their fight for online rights to Capitol Hill. The sizeable coalition – its members are Consumer Action, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Consumer Watchdog, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy Lives, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Privacy Times, US Public Interest Research Group and the World Privacy Forum – says industry self-regulation has not provided meaningful consumer protection and legislation is needed.
Continue reading...Jennifer Stoddart Blazes a Global Trail for Privacy Protection
27. April 2010
“She has taken the lead in sounding the privacy alarm,” said John Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica, Calif.
Continue reading...Watchdog Calls for Google Break-Up; Urges DoJ to Investigate
23. April 2010
Consumer Watchdog said it welcomed the ongoing investigation into Google Books by the DoJ, and the Federal Trade Commission’s probe into the AdMob buy, but said it was: “past time to act against Google’s monopolistic and pervasive power over the entire Internet”.
Continue reading...Internet Consumer Watchdog Asks DOJ to Break Google into Smaller Companies
22. April 2010
One watchdog group called Consumer Watchdog has asked the DOJ this week to break Google into smaller companies to prevent a monopoly situation along the lines of Microsoft. John M. Simpson from Consumer Watchdog is the person who made the request to the DOJ and he argues that the DOJ’s actions against Google’s attempts at buying other advertising firms and scanning books isn’t enough to ensure the search giant doesn’t turn into a monopoly.
Continue reading...Watchdog Calls for Federal Inquiry into Google
22. April 2010
Consumer Watchdog released its letter (PDF) to the Justice Department today at a news conference called “The Antitrust Case Against Google,” which was held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Other participants were Joseph Bial, special counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, who represents myTriggers.com and TradeComet.com.; Simon Buckingham, a New York based Internet and mobile entrepreneur; and Gary Reback, an attorney with Carrell & Ferrell and a founder of the Open Book Alliance.
Continue reading...Group Urges Google Breakup
22. April 2010
Google’s treatment of rivals “warrants a full-blown investigation,” John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog said in Washington. Breaking up the company “should be on the table,” he said.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Asks DoJ to Break Up Google
21. April 2010
An independent consumer group will today call on the Department of Justice to consider breaking Google up because of uncompetitive practices. Consumer Watchdog says the $23 billion corporation, which holds more than 70 percent of the search market, has a stranglehold on the market.
Continue reading...Google Faces Antitrust Questions, More Privacy Concerns
21. April 2010
Privacy advocates. The Federal Trade Commission. The Chinese government. They’ve all been on Google’s back recently. And it seems the company is now on Consumer Watchdog’s blacklist as well. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer advocacy group is lobbying the U.S. Department of Justice to begin an antitrust investigation into the search giant. In fact, the argument has also been made that the company may need to be broken up.
Continue reading...Google Spent $1.3 Million on Lobbying, What Are They Buying?
21. April 2010
Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, revealed today that Google upped its spending on Washington lobbyists by a mammoth 57% from the same period last year. Lobbying disclosure forms filed with the Senate Office of Public Affairs show that the firm handed over $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with $880,000 in 2009.
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4. May 2010