Inside Google

Consumer Watchdog Lauds Clinton’s Call For Open Internet, Stresses Need For Online Consumer Privacy Safeguards

John M. Simpson

WASHINGTON, DC —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s condemnation of
cyber attacks and censorship is an important endorsement of a free
global Internet, but just as important to ensuring the Internet’s
contribution to democracy and economic growth is a commitment to
consumer privacy, Consumer Watchdog said today.

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."

Chinese Attacks On Google Show Need For Internet Giant To Focus On Security, Privacy

John M. Simpson

Santa Monica, CA — Google acted correctly in ending self-censorship of
its Chinese search engine, Google.cn, but the cyber attacks that
prompted the decision demonstrate the company must give American
consumers better security and privacy controls, Consumer Watchdog said
today.

How Google peddles its stuff

John M. Simpson

Google is notorious for maintaining a clutter-free, minimalist home page. It famously resisted adding a "privacy" link because adding the word would have brought the word count to 29, one more than the magic 28 words founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin insisted should be the maxim on the page.

Google is still the 800-pound gorilla

John M. Simpson

Google acted again Tuesday to ensure that will be a dominant player in the increasingly important mobile market.  It clearly wants to avoid what happened to other tech…

What’s Google’s next plan for mobile?

John M. Simpson

Tuesday is a big day for those trying to figure out just what Google is planning for the increasingly important mobile phone market.

The Internet giant has…

Smart Phone Apps Can Find You, Follow You

James Temple

The Center for Digital Democracy and U.S. Public Interest Research
Group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last January,
arguing that people should be asked for their consent before their
information can be collected and used for mobile advertising. The
Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog have urged the FTC
to reject Google’s acquisition of AdMob, citing both competitive and
privacy concerns.

Press Release

Consumer Groups Sound Alarm Over Google’s AdMob Buy

CONTACT: Erika Morphy

Google’s plan to acquire mobile ad network AdMob in a US$750 million deal announced last month is under fire from two consumer groups, Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy. The two have asked the Federal Trade Commission
to block the deal, arguing that it would substantially lessen
competition in the mobile advertising market, harming consumers,
advertisers and application developers, among others.

Google’s AdMob Move In The Spotlight

Richard Waters

Google’s spreading reach in internet advertising triggered fresh
scrutiny of its privacy practices this week, as US consumer groups used
its proposed $750m acquisition of mobile advertising company AdMob to throw a new spotlight on the issue. The move on Monday, by Consumer Watchdog and Center for Digital Democracy, echoes a similar campaign at the time of Google’s acquisition of online display advertising group DoubleClick in 2007.

Press Release

Consumer Groups Want To Stop Google’s Purchase Of AdMob

CONTACT: James Temple

San Francisco, CA — Two consumer groups called on the Federal Trade
Commission to block Google Inc.’s planned $750 million acquisition of
mobile advertising company AdMob, arguing the deal undermines
competition in what could become the critical billboard space of the
digital age. In a joint letter to the FTC on Monday, Consumer Watchdog and the
Center for Digital Democracy argued that combining the online search
giant with a company that describes itself as the "largest mobile ad
network globally," would harm consumers, advertisers and developers of
mobile applications.