Consumer Watchdog said in its statement that the problem with do-not-track at the browser level is that there's no requirement on the web site to honor the do-not-track request.
Continue reading...Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The measure (SB 761), introduced last month by California Sen. Alan Lowenthal, requires the state attorney general to issue regulations that would require Web companies to notify state residents about online data collection and allow them to opt out. The bill, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, applies not only to so-called personally identifiable information like users' names, but also to unique identifiers, such as customer numbers of IP addresses.
Continue reading...Tuesday, May 3, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Legislation proposed in California that would mandate a means for Web users to easily prevent websites from gathering their personal information is moving forward, despite intensive lobbying and opposition from some of the state’s largest Internet firms — including Facebook Inc. and Google Inc.
Continue reading...Tuesday, May 3, 2011
President of Consumer Watchdog, Jamie Court, said there’s also concern that the information could fall into the wrong hands or be misused. “You search out of curiosity for ‘marijuana’ you don’t want to be followed by cannabis ads,” said Court. “You should have the right to not be tracked doing that search.”
Continue reading...Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"Consumers should have the right to choose if their private information...is collected, analyzed and profiled by companies tracking activities online," John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog said.
Continue reading...Sunday, May 1, 2011
A study by researchers at Intel Labs, Penn State and Duke University last year revealed that 15 of 30 popular Android apps send location data to advertisers — often without notifying users. “People don’t understand what’s going on with their data,” said John Simpson, director of consumer privacy at Consumer Watchdog. “It’s sort of being sucked up without their real knowledge.”
Continue reading...Thursday, April 28, 2011
"They're trying to quell an understandable storm of concern," said John Simpson, director of the privacy project at Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group. But he added, "It sounds like they're going to continue doing a lot of stuff that is potentially problematic."
Continue reading...Thursday, April 28, 2011
"Apple needs to do a lot more to explain what it has been doing and why, and a good start would be for Steve Jobs to appear at the hearing," says John Simpson, spokesman for Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Tuesday, April 26, 2011
“No one has really understood the extent of the data collection going on with these spy phones,” said John M. Simpson, Washington-based director of nonprofit Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project. “Last week, it started to become clear just how much was going on.”
Continue reading...Saturday, April 23, 2011
John M. Simpson, director of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project, said this is the latest sign there should be an online "do not track" list. "These aren't smartphones; they are spy phones," Simpson said. "The mobile world is the Wild West of the Internet where these tech giants seem to think anything goes."
Continue reading...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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