Tag Archive | "lobbying"
US Deputy CTO Gets Reprimand for Google Lobbying Contacts
What happens when Google's former public policy director starts working in the White House—but continues to e-mail current Google lobbyists, and to take their e-mails? If you're Consumer Watchdog, the answer is simple: he "should resign his position."
Continue reading...Google Contacts Trigger Reprimand for Obama Aide, Official Says
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The White House released the e-mails following a request by Santa Monica, California-based Consumer Watchdog, which says it works to protect American consumers and taxpayers. “He’s got too many ties to influence-peddling and it’s clear that those ties haven’t been completely cut,” said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the group, in an interview. “What makes it particularly irksome is that Obama made such a big deal about ending the revolving door of lobbyists.”
Continue reading...White House Reprimands Ex-Googler After Consumer Watchdog FOIA Request
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Google’s former top global lobbyist, has been reprimanded for ethics violations that were revealed after a Freedom of Information Act Request from Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Google’s Growth Markets Include Lobbying
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Those numbers might have gone unnoticed if not for a handful of critics who fear Google is becoming too dominant in its markets and is seeking to become too influential in Washington, D.C. Perhaps chief among those critics is John Simpson, a consumer advocate at the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog. Simpson says he would like to see the Justice Department launch a broad antitrust investigation of Google.
Continue reading...New Web Ad Privacy Bill Riles All Sides
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Privacy advocates argue that the bill's exemption for "operational" collection of data--allowing those practices to take place under an "opt-out" rule--gives advertisers far too much leeway. "This bill really adopts an archaic and bankrupt 'notice and consent' regime that we all know doesn't' work," says John Simpson, head of the Google Privacy and Accountability project at Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Privacy Bill Mimics Industry Self-Regulation
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Privacy advocates panned the bill during a conference call this afternoon, suggesting its lack of opt-out requirements maintain the status quo. "This bill really adopts and endorses an archaic, bankrupt notice and consent regimen that we know does not work," said a representative of ConsumerWatchdog.org.
Continue reading...Privacy Groups, Business Firms Firing Warning Shots on New Online Ad Privacy Bill
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
“While the discussion has started on this privacy issue because of this bill, I can’t really say very much good about it,” John Simpson from Consumer Watchdog later said on the call. “This bill really adopts and endorses an archaic, bankrupt notice-and-consent regime that we all know does not work.”
Continue reading...Google Spent $1.3 Million on Lobbying, What Are They Buying?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, revealed today that Google upped its spending on Washington lobbyists by a mammoth 57% from the same period last year. Lobbying disclosure forms filed with the Senate Office of Public Affairs show that the firm handed over $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with $880,000 in 2009.
Continue reading...Google Spent $1.38 Million on Federal Lobbying in Q1
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Google spent $4.03 million lobbying the federal government last year, according to records on the Senate site, compared with Microsoft Corp's $6.72 million and Oracle Corp's $5.10 million. First-quarter figures from those companies were expected to be filed by the end of Tuesday. John Simpson, a consumer advocate with the group Consumer Watchdog, said the latest data shows the extent to which Google is increasing its lobbying efforts. Google has "gone from no presence in Washington, to really now what's one of the biggest lobby shops around," Simpson said.
Continue reading...Google’s Lobbying Spending Soars 57 Percent
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Google increased its lobbying spending in the first quarter by a whopping 57 percent over the previous year as it paid $1.3 million to influence lawmakers and regulators, according to public records filed today. “Google is relatively new to the influence-peddling game, but they’re now one of the highest rollers in Washington,” said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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