Inside Google

Press Release

Google’s Former Policy Exec Faces Objections To Appointment As Deputy CTO

CONTACT: Thomas Claburn

Two consumer groups object to Andrew McLaughlin’s potential appointment, saying it would violate President Obama’s ethics guidelines.

Andrew McLaughlin is slated to become the new deputy CTO, under federal
CTO Aneesh Chopra, according to a New York Times report citing two
unnamed sources. Google has acknowledged McLaughlin’s departure, but not his
destination. The White House has not yet announced plans to appoint
McLaughlin. Nonetheless, the Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog on
Wednesday asked President Obama in a letter not to complete the rumored
pending appointment because doing so would violate the President’s
ethics guidelines.

Google Updates PageRank, Rolls Out Web Elements

Nicholas Kolakowski

However, Google has also run into some high-profile controversies over
the past few months. In April, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Consumer
Watchdog publicly questioned the settlement between Google, The Author’s Guild
and the Association of American Publishers
(AAP) over the search-engine giant’s growing
digital library. In particular, Consumer Watchdog argued that the settlement, which gave
Google the same terms as any theoretical future competitor, deserved to be
placed under government review.

Press Release

Google University of Michigan Sign Digital Library Oversight Agreement

CONTACT: Staff Writers

Google attracted more negative attention than perhaps it bargained for
with its goal to digitize the world’s libraries. In April 2009, a
nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, Consumer Watchdog, wrote a
letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking the government to
examine the settlement between Google, The Author’s Guild, and the
Association of American Publishers (AAP). That settlement, Consumer Watchdog argued, deserved to be placed under
government review because it gave Google the same financial terms of
digital-book rights as any future competitor.

Give Google your data or die

John M. Simpson

Believe it or not, Google’s co-founder Larry Page says that the Internet giant needs to retain your search data more than six months in order to save lives.

Press Release

Google’s New Scourge Strikes A Nerve

CONTACT: John Letzing

In-your-face watchdog gets advice from Microsoft ‘people,’ interest from Verizon

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Google Inc. has attracted a number of
critics over the years, but the Internet search giant hasn’t yet had to
deal with any as jarringly adversarial as Consumer Watchdog. "Their tactics tend to be more confrontational than others’," said Tim
Little, executive director of the Rose Foundation, an Oakland,
Calif.-based organization that funds Consumer Watchdog. "But sometimes
there’s a place for folks being confrontational."

Google Openness Is A Closed Door — Open Source Versus An Open Mind

Cade Metz

When Google meets with Congressional staffers, hoping to convince US lawmakers that it’s nothing but good for the world, the web giant likes to say that it believes in openness. "Open is better than closed, “the company says. Open "enhances competition" and "encourages innovation.” But if you ask the company to discuss its openness, it’s not too open about it. Late last week, the consumer watchdog known only as Consumer Watchdog
uncovered the canned pitch that Google recently launched at Capitol Hill in an effort to re-spin itself.

Press Release

Google Presentation On “Google, Competition and Openness” Shared With Justice Department And Myths Debunked By Consumer Watchdog

CONTACT: John M. Simpson 310 392-0522 ext 317 or Jamie Court ext 327

Washington, DC — Consumer Watchdog has sent to the U.S. Justice
Department a Google document presenting the best corporate arguments
for why Google should not be viewed as monopolistic, along with a
duplicate of the presentation marked up with comments from an expert
countering the claims.  The nonprofit consumer group received both
documents from an anonymous industry insider.

Press Release

ConsumerWatchdog.org: Leaked Google Presentation Meant To Counter Fed Inquiries On Competition

CONTACT: Ian Lamont

Is Google a monopoly? That question, which is increasingly gaining the
attention of regulators in Washington, D.C., is also the subject of an
intense public relations war between Google and detractors. Today, a new front was opened up, after a consumer advocacy group
released a copy of a Google presentation on Google’s business
practices, along with critical commentary that casts doubt on Google’s
claims that it supports competition. The group, ConsumerWatchdog.org,
said that the Google presentation is part of a campaign to counter
federal inquiries into potentially anticompetitive practices.

Press Release

Library Groups Voice Concerns About Google Books

CONTACT: Wendy Davis

Google has said the settlement will benefit authors, publishers and readers, because it will result in expanded access to books. Nonetheless, the deal is drawing increasingly vocal critics. Among
others, advocacy group Public Citizen opposes a portion of the
settlement, as does Consumer Watchdog. Additionally, New York Law
School intends to file a brief asking for antitrust oversight of the
deal. Last week, it also came to light that the Justice Department was
making inquiries about the settlement.