Jamie Court, chief spokesman John Simpson, Washington coordinator Carmen Balber, and social-media strategist Josh Nuni are planning the Future of Online Consumer Protections conference, which was taking place Wednesday amid the Federal Trade Commission's release of a report that threw the government's weight behind a "Do Not Track" list for the Internet: a controversial sentiment among companies that make their money advertising on the Web. They've been handed an early Christmas present courtesy of the European Commission, which chose to announce its decision to formally investigate Google on the eve of Consumer Watchdog's conference as Simpson almost gleefully fields calls from reporters asking for reaction to the investigation.
Continue reading...Thursday, November 11, 2010
Ardent Google critic Consumer Watchdog has called on Congress to hold hearings on a major privacy breach by the Internet search engine giant, and insists that CEO Eric Schmidt should come to Washington to testify.
Continue reading...Thursday, November 11, 2010
Consumer Watchdog, one of Google's most persistent critics called on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday to hold a hearing into the firm's Wi-Fi data collection controversy, citing a discrepancy in a Google official's testimony on the matter during a Senate hearing in June.
Continue reading...Thursday, November 11, 2010
Two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation of online search giant Google's Street View mapping project without taking action, another government agency is picking up where the FTC left off. Meanwhile, Consumer Watchdog on Thursday requested a congressional investigation and testimony under oath from Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Alma Whitten, the company's director of privacy for engineering and product management.
Continue reading...Thursday, November 11, 2010
CEO Schmidt Should Go To Washington Under Oath SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today asked the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold hearings into Google’s Wi-Spying because a ranking employee of the Internet giant gave testimony that contradicted known facts about the company’s massive privacy invasion.
Continue reading...Wednesday, November 3, 2010
People who worry about online privacy and the intrusive practices of Internet companies like Google and Facebook are trying to figure out the impact of the election. One victim of the Republican juggernaut was a key Internet policy player, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va. I don't think his fall will slow the mounting drive to protect privacy. It will, however, mean one less pair of friendly ears on the Hill where Google lobbyists can whisper their policy goals.
Continue reading...Thursday, October 28, 2010
"The White House deputy chief technology officer, Andrew McLaughlin, was formerly Google's head of government affairs, and [Google CEO] Eric Schmidt was on a panel of economic advisors for President Obama's transition team," John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Inside Google project, told the E-Commerce Times. "If you asked me if I was surprised that that type of clout and influence could pay off for Google in this case, I would say 'no,'" Simpson continued. "Do I have proof that it did? Again, I would have to say 'no.'"
Continue reading...Thursday, October 28, 2010
Leading the call for Congressional oversight is John M. Simpson, managing director of the non-profit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Simpson calls this two-page letter the FTC sent to Google on Wednesday "premature and wrong. "
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saying they are satisfied with privacy reforms Google announced last week, U.S. regulators have closed their inquiry into Google's collection of data from unsecured private Wi-Fi networks through its Street View cars, a decision that was blasted Wednesday by online privacy advocates.
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 27, 2010
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is scolding Google Inc. without punishing the Internet search leader for collecting e-mails, passwords and other personal information transmitted over unsecured wireless networks. Consumer Watchdog, a group that has been among the most strident critics of Google's so-called "Wi-Spy" incident, called FTC's resolution "premature and wrong." It also suggested that Google's lobbyists may have swayed the outcome of the inquiry. The company has spent $3.9 million on lobbying activities so far this year and has met with the FTC on variety of topics, according to company disclosures.
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Friday, December 3, 2010
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