Tag Archive | "FTC"
Justice Is Probing Google’s Book Deal
The Justice Department on Thursday said it had launched a formal antitrust investigation into the proposed settlement over the Google Inc. project to scan millions of books into a digital format. In recent months, a number of parties have objected to the settlement, including Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica, the American Library Assn. and the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization that seeks to digitize public domain books and make them freely available online. Many of the objections involve concerns that Google would create a monopoly on digital books.
Continue reading...Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big
Monday, June 29, 2009
Eyes are rolling, especially in reaction to the idea that Google is a relatively small player in a giant market. “They describe where they are in a market under a kind of a fairy-tale spun gloss that doesn’t reflect their dominance of key sectors,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Google search is an absolute must-have for every marketer in the world.”
Continue reading...Obama Urged To Halt Google Government Takeover – Stop The Revolving Door
Friday, June 5, 2009
Two consumer watchdogs - including the aptly-named Consumer Watchdog - have urged US President Barack Obama to avoid appointing Google's director of global public policy as the country's deputy chief technology officer.
Continue reading...Growing White House Ties To Google Draw Protest
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Consumer Groups Object To Expected Selection Of Google Exec To Deputy CTO Post Andrew McLaughlin, Google's director of global public policy, is expected to be appointed U.S. deputy chief technology officer, reporting to federal CTO Aneesh Chopra. Both are new White House positions. Two groups, the Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog, yesterday urged Obama not to appoint McLaughlin to the post. In a letter signed by Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy and and John Simpson, consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog, the groups said that McLaughlin "has been a lobbyist for the biggest digital marketing company in the world, and we believe no special-interest connected person should assume a position of vital importance to the country's future."
Continue reading...Google’s Former Policy Exec Faces Objections To Appointment As Deputy CTO
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Two consumer groups object to Andrew McLaughlin's potential appointment, saying it would violate President Obama's ethics guidelines. Andrew McLaughlin is slated to become the new deputy CTO, under federal CTO Aneesh Chopra, according to a New York Times report citing two unnamed sources. Google has acknowledged McLaughlin's departure, but not his destination. The White House has not yet announced plans to appoint McLaughlin. Nonetheless, the Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog on Wednesday asked President Obama in a letter not to complete the rumored pending appointment because doing so would violate the President's ethics guidelines.
Continue reading...Google’s New Scourge Strikes A Nerve
Friday, May 15, 2009
In-your-face watchdog gets advice from Microsoft 'people,' interest from Verizon SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Google Inc. has attracted a number of critics over the years, but the Internet search giant hasn't yet had to deal with any as jarringly adversarial as Consumer Watchdog. "Their tactics tend to be more confrontational than others'," said Tim Little, executive director of the Rose Foundation, an Oakland, Calif.-based organization that funds Consumer Watchdog. "But sometimes there's a place for folks being confrontational."
Continue reading...U.S. Opens Inquiry Into Google Books Deal
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google's settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service, two people briefed on the matter said Tuesday. Lawyers for the Justice Department have been in conversations in recent weeks with various groups opposed to the settlement, including the Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Resistance Grows As Google Deadline Nears
Monday, April 20, 2009
Earlier this month, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog called for the Justice Department to delay the settlement. The group argued that no one is representing the public interest in the agreement, a deal it contends will "transform" publishing.
Continue reading...Academics, Citing Public Interest, Plan To Intervene in Google Book Search Settlement
Monday, April 6, 2009
While much mainstream news coverage of the pending Google Book Search settlement has focused on the potential boon to researchers, concerns raised by librarians and consumers have begun to hit critical mass. One sign was a front-page article in the April 4 New York Times, headlined Google’s Plan for Out-of-Print Books Is Challenged, which noted that two sets of academics plan to intervene in the settlement. Consumer Watchdog, a public interest group in Southern California, also has asked the Justice Department to intervene in the case to “serve the public interest,” Helft noted.
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Friday, July 3, 2009
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