Inside Google

Press Release

DOJ: Thumbs Down Again to Google Book Search Settlement

CONTACT: Juan Carlos Perez

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.

Google, NSA Partnership Raises Privacy Hackles

James Temple

The revelation that Google Inc. is partnering with the National Security Agency to probe a widespread cyber attack has quickened the pulse of privacy advocates.

Press Release

DOJ Not Pleased With Latest Google Book Agreement

CONTACT: Elinor Mills

Although the amended settlement agreement for Google’s Book Search addressed some concerns the U.S. Justice Department had, it still could give the company anticompetitive advantages in the digital book marketplace, the agency said on Thursday. The nonprofit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog praised the Justice Department’s stance. "The settlement still abuses the class-action mechanism and purports to
enroll absent class members automatically into new business
‘opportunities,’ in violation of current copyright laws," Consumer
Watchdog reiterated from its friend-of-the-court brief opposing the
agreement as modified.

Press Release

Google E-Book Bid Still Under Fire

CONTACT: Wire Reports

Google’s bid to secure the digital rights to millions of books
remains under attack from rivals and other critics trying to block a
revised legal settlement that would unlock a vast electronic library.
The most strident criticism to the
changes so far has come from the same foes that have spearheaded the
resistance since last summer. The opposing camp includes the Open Book
Alliance, a group including Google rivals Microsoft Corporation, Yahoo
and Amazon.com, as well as Consumer Watchdog, a group that fights abusive business practices.

Press Release

Last-Minute Objections Filed To Google Book Settlement

CONTACT: Chris Lefkow

Groups File Briefs In Google Books Case

Juliana Gruenwald

Consumer Watchdog urged the court to reject the settlement, saying
it’s anticompetitive and violates U.S. and international law. "This
scheme acts to the disadvantage of absent class members and would
result in unfair competitive advantages to Google in the search engine,
electronic book sales, and other markets, to the detriment of the
public interest. Along the way, the settlement raises significant
international law and privacy concerns," the group said in it’s brief.

Consumers Have A Right To Online Anonymity

Op-Ed By John M. Simpson

The FTC’s job is make sure that consumers have control of what data
is gathered, how it is used and how long it’s kept. Consumers must
first be able to see what data Google and the other online companies
have accumulated, then delete it if they wish or prevent it from being
gathered in the first place. Control is the key. Google could long ago have offered everyone a
simple "make me anonymous" button. But it’s not likely that Google or
any other company will voluntarily give us that control, because it
endangers their advertising profits.

Googling Obama’s China policy

Eamon Javers Kenneth P. Vogel

Google’s ties to the Obama administration are perhaps unrivaled in corporate America, but the Internet giant’s announcement this week that it’s considering pulling out of China because of Chinese censorship and hacker attacks put the White House in a tricky spot. "They like to go around and sing the mantra, ‘Don’t be evil,’" said
John Simpson, a consumer advocate with the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog.
"But they almost always act in what they perceive to be Google’s
interest – and that doesn’t necessarily coincide with that of any
government."

Security Firm Outlines How Attack Against Google Was Pulled Off

Pete Carey

A Silicon Valley Internet security firm on Thursday described for the first time how hackers from China were able to crack Google’s defenses, saying the attackers took advantage of a flaw in Microsoft’s Web browser to probe deeply into the company’s network. In addition to the Google network, the high-profile intrusion also
targeted Gmail accounts in the United States and other countries. This
may prompt users to demand better security for electronic mail and
other personal data that’s stored on Internet clouds, some advocates
say. "The problem up until now is that people like Google have
emphasized speed and efficiency and ease of use," said John M. Simpson,
an advocate with Consumer Watchdog. "In too many cases, they have let
security and privacy become a secondary issue. This situation is a
wake-up call for everybody."

Google Does An About-Face On China Policy

James Temple

San Francisco, CA — In a surprise announcement late Tuesday, Google Inc. said it may turn its back on the huge Chinese market after a sophisticated cyber attack on the e-mail accounts of human rights advocates in the Asian nation. Some have dubbed the country’s censorship efforts, which apply to Yahoo
Inc. and Microsoft Corp.’s search engines too, the "Great Firewall of
China." Users of Google.cn in China generally couldn’t look at images
of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, dig up information about Tibet’s
Dalai Lama or access the Web site for journalism watchdog organization
Reporters Without Borders, according to reports. "While Google
should never have agreed to censor search results in China in the first
place, it is doing the right thing by ending the practice now," said
John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog in Los Angeles. "The company should
be commended."