Inside Google

Watchdog Group Asks Google To Create Personal Data “Opt-Out”

Chris Kanaracus

A Consumer Group Has Asked Google To Let Users Opt-Out Of Leaving Personal Data On The Search Vendor’s Systems.

The nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog asked on Friday that Google give users of its search engine the ability to
"opt out" of leaving personal data, such as IP addresses, on Google’s servers.

Yahoo Sets New Consumer Data Retention Policy

Mary Elizabeth Hurn

This week Yahoo released a new policy on data retention. Under the policy, the number two search engine will anonymize its users log data within 90 days. Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit consumer group, immediately called on
Google to match Yahoo’s policy. Google currently has a policy of
retaining data for nine months. Microsoft has an 18-month policy.

Microsoft: Zero Data Retention Not Possible To Keep Search Engines Viable

Clint Boulton

John Simpson, a privacy advocate for the non-profit consumer rights
group Consumer Watchdog, said no less than a zero retention policy will
suffice, arguing that since most users of Google or Yahoo return daily
they are constantly providing a new stream of personal data. His group
wants users to have the option to control their data and browse
anonymously.

Search Engines Beef Up Privacy Policies

Joseph Tartakoff

But Some Say Not Enough Data Are Purged 
John Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement, "If data is not completely anonymous, this is nothing more than PR." Simpson’s consumer group called for major search engines to match the policy of IXQuick, a Danish search engine that deletes all personal data after 48 hours.

Consumer Watchdog: Google Should Increase Privacy Efforts

Mike Sunnucks

Consumer Watchdog wants Google Inc. to implement more privacy protections in its e-mail and search systems as it may be looking at e-mails coming and going from GMail accounts.

Group Warns of Google Browsing, E-mail

Ric Romero

Consumer Watchdog is a consumer advocacy group that believes Google’s
e-mail service, called Gmail, is not private or secure. And Consumer
Watchdog says the security problem is not only with Gmail users, but
also with those who may not have Gmail but correspond with Gmail users.

Consumer Watchdog: Google Made First Political Contributions

Staff Writers

California campaign disclosures show that Google, which has had issues from privacy advocates and government regulators, made what appears to be the first political contributions to elected officials in the company’s history.

Consumer Watchdog Group Accuses Google Of Spying

CBS

Consumer activists are criticizing internet goliath Google for spying on its customers. News 8 investigates and gets Google’s side of the story.

News 8 received a video news release from ConsumerWatchdog.org that asks Google to stop…

Consumer Watchdog Asks Google for More Privacy, While Firefox Adds ‘Porn Mode’

Jack Schofield

With Google adding a browser to its search engine, cloud applications, ad tracking and toolbar, it already knows more about you than even your mother could. But Consumer Watchdog thinks the Lords of the Web should still make it easier for people to have a bit more privacy…

Is Chrome Spying on You?

Chris Thompson

The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog
has called on Google to amend several features in its new browser that,
they claim, seriously compromise your privacy on the Web. You may have
noticed that whenever you start typing into Google’s search field, the
site starts suggesting topics for you. Google is, in fact, recording
and storing every keystroke you type, regardless of whether you hit the
search button or not. The company also stores your IP address, which
can narrow your physical location down to within a block or two. In
short, Google has compiled a profile of who you are and what you’re
like, along with a damn good idea of where you live. If the government
would like to know as well, and can get their hands on a subpoena,
there’s not much you can do about it.