The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and several other advocates are hosting a conference call Sept. 1 to make recommendations about how Congress may better regulate behavioral targeting. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all use behavioral targeting to better serve ads to Web surfers. The groups want to be heard by Congress, which is working on legislature to better protect consumer privacy online.
Continue reading...Friday, July 31, 2009
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.
Continue reading...Thursday, July 23, 2009
What do you do if you're a gargantuan Internet company that's come under increased scrutiny, despite your "Don't-be-evil" mantra? Send in the...
Continue reading...Friday, June 19, 2009
Consumer groups want rules requiring a standard disclosure and opt-in form, a ban on tracking information on a consumer's health, sexual orientation and financial condition and a "do-not-track" registry that would enable people to declare they don't want to be tracked, according to a written statement from the Consumer Federation of America. That group, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have agreed on the principles and are urging policymakers to adopt them. Allowing industry to self-regulate won't work, they say, because most companies rely on "opt-out" mechanisms that are hidden from consumers. And the FTC's principles for behavioral advertising "don't provide a basis for action to stop abuses," the statement said.
Continue reading...Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Santa Monica, CA -- Google should be praised for agreeing to offer improved security for users of its online services like Gmail, Consumer Watchdog said today, but the non-partisan, non-profit consumer group asked why the the company waited so long to act.
Continue reading...Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Consumer Watchdog praised Google on Tuesday for agreeing to offer improved security for users of its online e-mail services like Gmail.
Continue reading...Friday, March 13, 2009
One of the editors of Adbusters magazine has a populist strategy to create an online revolt against Google's latest forray into targeted online advertising, a tactic that Congress Quarterly reports, from behind its subscription wall, caught the eye of federal lawmakers Wednesday.
Continue reading...Friday, February 27, 2009
Click here to listen to the podcast. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 26 that, from now on, the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input. CBS News and CNET Technology analyst Larry Magid discuss the move with Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Friday, February 27, 2009
Facebook has taken the unusual step of allowing 30% of its members to decide privacy policies. CBS News and CNET's Larry Magid and I talked the change over in this interview late last night.
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Monday, August 31, 2009
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