Tag Archive | "FTC"
Consumer Watchdog Praises Department Of Justice Action In Google Books Case, Warns Major Issues Including Lack Of Privacy Guarantees Remain Problematic
SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog praised the U.S. Justice Department for objecting to the proposed Google Books settlement in a brief the department filed in U.S. District Court tonight. The nonpartisan, nonprofit consumer group had asked the Justice Department to intervene in the case on antitrust grounds last April. Justice announced it was investigating in July. Justice’s objections tonight went beyond antitrust concerns.
Continue reading...Official: Book Settlement Makes ‘Mockery’ Of Copyright Law
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Google's proposed book settlement with book authors and publishers, allowing the company to digitize and sell millions of books, makes a "mockery" of copyright protections in the U.S. Constitution, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office said Thursday. The settlement would give Google an "unlawful and inappropriate" monopoly and strips away the rights of copyright holders worldwide, added John Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog. "The deal simply furthers the relatively narrow agenda of Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers," he said.
Continue reading...Flurry Of Last-Minute Objections to Google Book Project
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog warned that "if the settlement were approved, it would give Google a default monopoly to books for which the rightsholders cannot be located, resulting in unfair competitive advantages to Google in the search engine, electronic book sales, and other markets."
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Urges Court To Reject Google Books Deal, Calls New Privacy Policy Inadequate
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Brief Argues Books Settlement Violates Both U.S. And International Copyright Law, Is Anticompetitive WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumer Watchdog today filed a brief urging a federal court to reject the proposed Google Books settlement because it is anticompetitive and violates both U.S. and international law. Separately, the consumer group called a Books privacy policy Google offered late last week inadequate.
Continue reading...Consumer Groups Slam Behavioral Tracking
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
A group of ten consumer groups on Tuesday called on Congress to enact meaningful privacy legislation, and slammed industry efforts as totally inadequate. The groups are most concerned about behavioral tracking, a technique used by Internet companies to serve up more targeted ads or results based on your Web browsing activities. Are you searching for information on Paris? You might see ads on the right-hand bar for travel deals or hotels, or links to blog posts about the French city.
Continue reading...Consumer Advocates Ask For FTC’s Help in Curbing Behavioral Targeting Tactics
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft employ behavioral targeting, in which cookies collect information on users' Web browsing habits, to better tailor online ad campaigns for Web surfing consumers. This practice doesn't sit well with consumer and privacy advocates, which urged Congress to crack down on behavioral targeting and asked the Federal Trade Commission to set up a registry to help users opt out of such practices.
Continue reading...Privacy Groups Send E-Commerce Recommendations To Capitol
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Privacy advocates are gearing up to push for broad electronic privacy legislation this fall, hoping to convince lawmakers that businesses' self-regulation techniques are inadequate. The groups also say Internet companies' efforts don't go far enough. "Self regulation does not work. We've seen it in capital markets. We've seen it online," said Consumer Watchdog's John Simpson.
Continue reading...Consumer Advocates To Corner Congress With Behavioral Targeting
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog and several other advocates are hosting a conference call Sept. 1 to make recommendations about how Congress may better regulate behavioral targeting. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all use behavioral targeting to better serve ads to Web surfers. The groups want to be heard by Congress, which is working on legislature to better protect consumer privacy online.
Continue reading...FTC to Apple, Google Boards: We’re Watching
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Federal Trade Commission says it will keep investigating the board memberships of Apple and Google despite Google CEO Eric Schmidt's withdrawal from Apple's board. Another boardroom interlock remains for the two companies: Genentech Chairman Arthur Levinson is on the board in both Mountain View and Cupertino. An E-Commerce Times request for response from Genentech regarding Consumer Watchdog's call for Levinson to step down from either Google's or Apple's board was not received by press time. One point mentioned by Consumer Watchdog's Simpson was Genetech's investment in 23andMe, the genetic-testing-for-consumers company founded by Anne Wojcicki, wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin.
Continue reading...Arthur Levinson To Follow Eric Schmidt’s Lead?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Calls for Genentech Inc.chairman Arthur Levinson to quit either the board of Apple Inc. or the board of Google Inc. are increasing, following on the heels of Monday's news that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stepped down from Apple's board. Consumer Watchdog is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that is also pushing the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to insist on guarantees of user privacy before agreeing to the 10-year deal between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! Inc.
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Friday, September 18, 2009
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