Tag Archive | "Privacy"
EPIC Files Suit To Block Google’s New Data Policy
Our friends at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) went to court Wednesday to block Google from combining data gathered from its various services without users' consent.
Continue reading...EDITORIAL: It’s Time for Timeline — Facebook Changes Its “Profile” Page — For Everyone
Monday, February 6, 2012
In a Jan. 24 article in USA Today, Consumer Watchdog spokesman John Simpson criticized the way Facebook is handling the switch to Timeline. Including online giant Google in his comments, he said such companies are showing “a complete disregard for their users’ interests and concerns” and taking “an uncommonly arrogant approach not usually seen in business, where the companies believe they can do whatever they want with our data, whenever and however they want to do it.”
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Praises European Action on Google’s New Privacy Policy, Calls For FTC To Determine If Proposed Changes Violate Consent Agreement
Friday, February 3, 2012
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...Measure to Ease Video-Rental Privacy Curbs Catches Flack in Senate
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The law would allow Netflix and other providers to share movie titles not only with social-media outlets such as Facebook, but also with third-party partners. Privacy advocates hate the proposal. "It is a horrible idea," Consumer Watchdog's John M. Simpson told TechNewsWorld.
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...Consumer Watchdog Urges Google Congressional Briefing Be Open To Public, Says Closed-Door Session Demonstrates Internet Giant Executives’ ‘Hypocrisy’
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called for a Congressional briefing about Google’s new privacy and data policies to be open to the public and said a closed door-session with the lawmakers demonstrated Google executive’s “hypocrisy.”
Continue reading...Facebook Critics Hope IPO Forces Some Hard Questions
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
"It's hard to predict exactly what sort of gaffe they’ll do next, but it would not surprise me if there is yet another one," said John Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project, noting some concerns over Facebook’s recent expansion of its Timeline feature, which makes it easier to visualize, share, and view users’ profile history.
Continue reading...Facebook’s IPO May Be the Last Straw for Privacy-Minded Users
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Even as a private company, Facebook had no problem pushing the envelope, Consumer Watchdog spokesperson Carmen Balber told the E-Commerce Times. "Facebook is already treading dangerous waters as far as privacy rights are concerned. The pressure to monetize consumers' user data will be greater when there are shareholders to satisfy."
Continue reading...Privacy Advocates, Businesses Dig In for EU Lobbying Campaign
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Facebook, et al., have descended on the city in the hope of softening some of the restrictions, while privacy advocates such as John M. Simpson, the Privacy Project director at Consumer Watchdog, are there to keep the EU on its intended path.
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...
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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