Inside Google

How Google Can Stop Being Beaten With Privacy

Thomas Claburn

That Google can still be surprised by privacy concerns is in itself
surprising and suggests the company ought to approach privacy more
proactively. Google would benefit from doing so because greater attention to privacy
would defang its foes.

Press Release

Tech Giants Unite Against Google

CONTACT: Maggie Shiels

Three technology heavyweights are joining a coalition to fight Google’s
attempt to create what could be the world’s largest virtual library.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU of Northern California and
the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group wrote to Google to ask the company
to "assure Americans that Google will maintain the security and freedom
that library patrons have long had: to read and learn about anything…
without worrying that someone is looking over their shoulder or could
retrace their steps".  

Google seeks spinmeisters

John M. Simpson

Internet giant Google is seeking communications personnel to get its story out to the world and counter what it calls negative press.

According to an …

L.A. Council committee signs off on Google email plan with caveats

John M. Simpson

The Los Angeles City Council’s Information Technology and General Services (ITGS) Committee on Tuesday Continue reading...

Twitter Breach Revives Cloud Security Fears

Jaikumar Vijayan

Some interest groups are urging Los Angeles to rethink its plan to implement Google Apps.

Last month’s breach of a hosted Google Apps implementation used by
Twitter Inc. has heightened fears in some quarters that cloud computing
could pose significant security and privacy risks to users. Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group based in Santa Monica, Calif.,
said the Twitter incident raises questions about whether "Google’s
cloud as offered provides adequate safeguards." In a letter to several
Los Angeles city councilors, the group urged that city IT personnel
first test Google Apps with a small group of users, rather than
following the current plan of implementing it for 30,000 users by the
end of this year.

L.A. Council committee meeting on Google plan postponed again

John M. Simpson

A proposal to switch Los Angeles city government’s email and some other computer applications to a "…

Press Release

Arthur Levinson To Follow Eric Schmidt’s Lead?

CONTACT: Mary Kathleen Flynn

Calls for Genentech Inc.chairman Arthur Levinson to quit either the board of Apple Inc. or the board of Google Inc. are increasing, following on the heels of Monday’s news that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stepped down from Apple’s board. Consumer Watchdog is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that is also
pushing the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission
to insist on guarantees of user privacy before agreeing to the 10-year
deal between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! Inc.

Long Term, The Microsoft-Yahoo Deal Could Benefit Consumers

Larry Magid

John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog raised concerns about how users’ personal data is collected, stored and shared. He’s worried about "up-until-now separate databases being merged and
used in ways that haven’t been made explicit." Simpson hopes to see
Microsoft and Yahoo come up with a data retention policy that expunges
personal information in about a month and says that, by default, they
shouldn’t collect behavioral information unless consumers opt-in.

Press Release

Microsoft-Yahoo Deal Faces Moderate Antitrust Scrutiny, Say Experts

CONTACT: Greg Piper

Microsoft and Yahoo finally tied the knot, but they signed an expansive pre-nup to limit antitrust scrutiny. Vocal Google critic Consumer Watchdog didn’t denounce the deal
outright, noting that "some have suggested" that the tie-up may
increase competition against Google. But the Microsoft-Yahoo deal is a
chance for regulators to "set to the gold standard for privacy
guarantees by Internet companies and for the government to use its
leverage to obtain it," it said. Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson said
the FTC should take a strong lead on privacy matters. "If the result of
this deal is that there are two stronger Internet search enterprises
who exploit users’ data at the expense of their privacy rights,
consumers are worse off, not better," he said. "Justice and the FTC can
— and must — insist on this."

Press Release

Consumer Advocates Exhort DOJ, FTC To Scrutinize Microsoft-Yahoo Deal

CONTACT: Clint Boulton

John Simpson, an advocate with non-profit group Consumer Watchdog, also
said the Microhoo deal must be closely scrutinized by the Federal Trade
Commission, the Justice Department and the European Commission to
ensure that there are no antitrust violations and that user privacy is
guaranteed. "If the result of this deal is that there are two stronger Internet
search enterprises who exploit users’ data at the expense of their
privacy rights, consumers are worse off, not better," said Simpson.
"Users must have control of their data—whether it is collected and how
it is used. Guarantees of that control must be in place before this
deal is approved. Justice and the FTC can—and must—insist on this."