Inside Google

Inside Google’s John M. Simpson to testify to Congress

John M. Simpson

We haven’t yet persuaded the House Energy and Commerce Committee to convene a hearing on Google’s Wi-Spy snooping and its dealings with intelligence agencies, but I’m off to Washington to testify to another committee.

Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson discusses the Google Street View scandal with Channel 11 news team.

John M. Simpson

Google Wi-Spy practices could have collected data about national security

John M. Simpson

Google gets a slap on the wrist for violating Australian privacy law

John M. Simpson

Australia’s Privacy Commissioner Karen Curtis says Google’s Wi-Spy snooping violated the law down under, but instead of punishing the company she asked for an apology and a promise to do the right thing going forward. Apparently that’s the most she could do.

Google WiSpying Hit Congress; National Security Data Could Have Been Gathered

John M. Simpson

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Google’s WiSpy snooping could have sucked up and recorded communications from members of Congress, some of whom are involved in national security issues, an investigation by Consumer Watchdog’s InsideGoogle.com has found.

Thoughts about privacy show Google’s mindset

Margot Williams

When Google executive and search guru Amit Singhal calls the Internet search giant “the biggest kingmaker on this Earth,” he was more egotistical than wrong. He also highlighted why people find the company’s egotism disturbing.

State AGs heed our call for WiSpy probe

John M. Simpson

Attorneys general across the United States are responding to Consumer Watchdog’s call to investigate Google’s WiSpy debacle in which the company used its Street View vehicles to snoop on private WiFi networks for three years.

A graphic display of what Google knows

John M. Simpson

Every wonder how much information Google has gathered? Scott Cleland, publisher of the Website GoogleMonitor.com, has pulled together a snappy one-page graphic, “Google’s ‘Total Information Awareness’ Power,” that answers the question.

Personalized search: Searching in a Bubble?

Margot Williams

My Google search results are looking too familiar. Looking for something new on the web for a topic of continuing interest, I enter some familiar terms. The same old sites keep turning up. OK, so Google is returning the most relevant results, based on the Google algorithm. Why do they seem so stale?

Join the “1 out of 15” opting out for privacy

Margot Williams

Last Tuesday in this space, I opted out of Google’s “interest-based advertising.” Later the same day, Google unveiled an opt-out tool for another personal information collection agent – Google Analytics.

Website owners can use Google Analytics to track visitors on their sites and Google collects the data from all the visits for its own use.