Tag Archive | "acquisitions"
Consumer Watchdog Praises European Action on Google’s New Privacy Policy, Calls For FTC To Determine If Proposed Changes Violate Consent Agreement
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised European data protection authorities for asking Google to delay implementation of its new privacy and data policies and said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission should determine whether the new policies violate the terms of Google’s consent agreement with the commission.
Continue reading...One Privacy Policy To Rule Them All: What Google’s Controversial New Terms of Service Could Mean To You
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson points out that personalized advertisements targeted directly to a specific user, based on user-collected information, can be “a substantial amount” more lucrative than just an anonymous ad. And with all the information Google can collect about your interests from your searches, your Google Docs, and your favorite YouTube videos, they can figure out pretty specifically what ads they should show you. “They are positioning this as streamlining privacy,” Simpson says. “But that’s just PR. It’s all about better targeting for advertisers.”
Continue reading...Privacy Advocates Fiercely Furrow Brows at Google
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The announcement of the changes sparked concern among privacy watchdogs both in the United States and the European Union. "Consumers' online privacy is being eroded," growled John Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Google Tops as ‘Lord of the Lobbying’ with $10 Million in 2011
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
"They've decided to play the corrupt corporate cash and carry Washington (game) like many firms such as Microsoft have long done," John Simpson, a consumer advocate for Consumer Watchdog, told CNET. "What sets them apart, though, is they still hold themselves out to be different from the rest."
Continue reading...Spending Plus Online Clout Put Google In Lobbying Class of Its Own
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Google's spending caught the eye of its critics. The group Consumer Watchdog, which consistently targets Google, accused the company's executives of having "no qualms about spending lots of money to get their way."
Continue reading...Consumers Oppose Google-Motorola Mobile Merger
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
An American consumer advocacy group, Consumer Watchdog, wrote to Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, on 24 January, to ask him to ban Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobile (see separate article). "Google controls 95% of the mobile search market.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Asks Senator Kohl To Recall Google’s Schmidt As Witness
Friday, October 7, 2011
Noting (as I did on Monday) that Schmidt had basically recanted his contrite testimony before Congress in basically calling the government slow and stupid in a Washington Post interview, Consumer Watchdog said in a letter to Senate chairman Herb Kohl that Schmidt should be recalled to testify by the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee...
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Urges Senator Kohl To Recall Google’s Schmidt As Witness After Executive Calls Government Slow And Stupid In Interview
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Washington, DC – Consumer Watchdog today took Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt to task today over remarks made to The Washington Post in which he claimed Google should not be the subject of antitrust review because its services are "free" and made derogatory remarks about government officials being slow, backward and greedy.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Asks Senate Panel To Explore Breakup of Google; Asks FTC to Open Inquiry Into Deceptive Mortgage Advertisements
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Consumer Watchdog today told a Senate committee that Google’s reach is so pervasive on the Internet that consumers cannot avoid its massive data collection apparatus. The public interest group said one possible remedy is breaking up the Internet giant, which exercises monopoly power over search and consumer data. Do Not Track regulations are necessary to protect consumers from the Internet giant’s pervasive data collection.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Channeling Marcel Marceau
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Consumer Watchdog plans to deploy a group of mimes wearing white track suits emblazoned with Google's "Don't Be Evil" motto Wednesday, just as Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The mimes will mercilessly track senators and their staffers as they move through the Dirksen Senate office building..
Continue reading...
Friday, February 3, 2012
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