Google’s self-driving cars are coming under fire again as the Associated Press reported that four out of forty-eight of the cars Google has driving around California have gotten into accidents since September. As has been the case with previously reported…
Consumer Watchdog Complains About Google Again
Frequent Google critic Consumer Watchdog (the ones behind the legendary Eric Schmidt evil ice cream man video) has filed a new formal complaint against Google with the Federal Trade Commission. This time it’s about Google Shopping results. The organization calls…
Google Continues To Defend Its Decade-Long Gmail Privacy Stance In Court
Remember that decade when people were using Gmail, and not caring about Google algorithmically scanning messages and delivering ads based on them? It recently ended when Microsoft launched a campaign to promote its competing webmail product and trying to scare…
Consumer Watchdog Inevitably Weighs In On The Google FTC Decision
The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has closed its investigation into Google, and Google opponents are not thrilled. We looked at FairSearch’s response here. Consumer Watchdog, the consumer rights group, which also challenged Google’s FTC settlement over “Safari-gate,”…
Judge: FTC’s Fine Of Google Was Adequate
In August, Google was handed a $22.5 million penalty by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in relation to the tracking of Safari users in the incident that came to be known as “Safari-gate.” It was the largest fine in FTC…
Consumer Watchdog Challenges Google’s FTC Settlement Over “Safari-gate”
Consumer Watchdog announced today that it has won the right to oppose the recently announced $22.5 million Google settlement with the FTC. Despite the fact that this was the largest fine the FTC has ever given a single company, and…
Consumer Watchdog Says We Are Google’s Product
California’s Consumer Watchdog met with the city’s Assembly’s Transportation Committee today, to discuss opposition to SB 1298, Google driverless car legislation. They say, strong privacy for those who use the highways is a must if Google’s Driverless car legislation is…
FTC Backs ‘Do Not Track’ Feature In Final Privacy Report
The Federal Trade Commission today issued its final report for how companies need to handle consumer privacy, including the much-discussed ‘Do Not Track’ feature that was brought up after the White House introduced the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights earlier…
Consumer Watchdog Calls On European Commission To Block Google Motorola Deal
Consumer Watchdog is pushing to get the European Commission to block Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility and to issue a formal complaint against Google’s business practices. The group’s Privacy Project Director John M. Simpson wrote a letter to Competition Commissioner…
Mortgage Scammers From Google Ads Get Shut Down
The Office of the Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) has shut down 85 online mortgage modification scams, and says it is cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation regarding Google suspending ad relationships with 500 advertisers. “The…
Google Challenged By Consumer Watchdog Over Privacy
Consumer Watchdog, a group known for being critical of Google, is sponsoring legislation in California that would give people a an online “Do Not Track Me” option. In addition, Consumer Watchdog sent a letter to new Google CEO Larry Page…
Watchdog Argues Against Schmidt For Commerce Secretary
Last week, rumors indicated that Google CEO Eric Schmidt might be in the running for the position of U.S. Commerce Secretary. Now, the organization called Consumer Watchdog – which is perhaps Google’s most outspoken critic – has come out strongly…
Consumer Watchdog Targets Google Over Doodle Contest
Consumer Watchdog, an organization known for being critical of Google, has asked Rep. Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-TX, for hearings on why Google collected children’s social security numbers on entry forms for its Doodle 4 Google contest.
In a letter to the Congressmen, who are co-chairmen of the Bipartisan House Privacy Caucus, the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group said, "The Doodle 4 Google incident is not a one-time event, but part of a consistent pattern of disregarding privacy rights."
Another “Evil” Eric Schmidt Video From Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Watchdog is at it again. The group has been criticizing Google for years, and gained a lot of exposure for some videos it created last year, including one depicting Google CEO Eric Schmidt as a creepy Ice Cream truck driver.
Consumer Watchdog Calls Google Chicken In Second Vid
Consumer Watchdog’s video production department is at it again. The group, which received all sorts of coverage after portraying Eric Schmidt as an ice cream man with a disturbing leer, has now released a second clip calling Google chicken.
Consumer Watchdog Calls on Google To Answer 4 Privacy Questions
Consumer Watchdog, the group behind the much-publicized Eric Schmidt ice cream man video, has issued a press release blasting Google yet again. This is no surprise, considering recent news of an ex-Google engineer violating the personal data of of minors.
Is Google Really As Evil As This Video Suggests?
Consumer Watchdog has created a new anti-Google video portraying Google CEO Eric Schmidt has some kind of evil ice cream man. The video is a commentary on what the group perceives to be Google’s lack of regard for consumer privacy.
Google Wi-Fi Scandal Concerns Most Americans
A majority of Americans are concerned about Google’s Street View cars that collected private information from their Wi-Fi networks and want better privacy protections put in place, according to a new poll from Consumer Watchdog.
Overall, 74 percent of Americans view Google favorably, but 65 percent say the Wi-Fi scandal is one of the things that "worries them most" or a "great deal" with another 20 percent saying it "raises some concern" when considering online issues.
Google Could Have Collected WiFi Data From Members Of Congress
Google’s Street View cars could have recorded communications from some members of Congress, involved in national security issues, via unencrypted WiFi connections, according to an investigation by Consumer Watchdog’s InsideGoogle.
Rep. Jane Harman, D-CA, chair of the Intelligence Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee and former member of the Intelligence Committee has at least one wireless network in her Washington, D.C., home that could have been breached by Google.