Privacy
Google execs lack clarity in closed-door briefing of Congress
February 3, 2012
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY, 3Feb2012, P1B
Google executives faced tough questions Thursday, in a meeting with members of Congress, about changes to the company’s privacy policy scheduled to go into effect March 1.
However, the search giant failed to assuage lawmakers’ privacy concerns stemming from the company’s controversial plans to step up the cross-referencing of data generated by consumers who use its popular online services, says Rep. …More
Google to Congress: deleting profiling data ‘not always practicable’
February 2, 2012
Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., says there wasn’t enough time to set up a full public hearing on the controversial user agreement changes Google announced last week. Those changes take effect March 1 and will enable the search giant to step up the cross-referencing of profiling data collected from users of its popular online services. Google says it is not collecting any data from users of Google …More
Google execs to give closed-door briefing, CEO stays home
January 31, 2012
Google CEO Larry Page won’t be testifying before Congress this week. In response to an invitation last week from Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who asked Page to appear and explain the company’s user policy changes, Page sent two subordinates to handle the matter.
Google deputy general counsel Mike Yang and public policy director Pablo Chavez are preparing to deliver a closed-door briefing on Thursday, says …More
Will Larry Page show up to testify before Congress?
January 30, 2012
Google CEO Larry Page on Friday evening received a strongly-worded letter from Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., challenging the privacy policy changes the search giant announced last week.
Starting March 1, Google will be capable, policy-wise, of cross-referencing Internet user activity data compiled from its most popular services, including search, Google Apps, Gmail and YouTube.
And it will be able, policy-wise, to do this …More
Google, Facebook say privacy rules bad for economy
January 27, 2012
They may be battling each other tooth-and-nail to win over online advertisers. But Google and Facebook are on the same side when it comes to opposing new data-handling privacy laws fast-gelling in Europe and the U.S.
On Wednesday, the European Union formally proposed strict rules that could restrict much of the systematic tracking and profiling Google and Facebook routinely do of Internet users, as part …More
Risks rise as Google, Facebook intensify profiling
January 26, 2012
Google and Facebook might have finally gotten the average consumer riled up about privacy.
For the past two years, each company has experimented with different ways to divine more and more about how people live their lives on the Internet, without sparking a revolt.
But the plans the rivals announced on Tuesday, which critics say could dramatically rev up their respective abilities to gather intelligence on individual Internet …More
Chilling effect of MegaUpload raid takes hold
January 24, 2012
By Byron Acohido and Scott Martin, USA TODAY
Caution is spreading among popular file-sharing services known for letting users circulate pirated Hollywood content.
FileSonic, FileServe and Uploaded.to have abruptly cut off the sharing of movies, games and other software just days after the Justice Department closed down Megaupload, the largest such site.
“It looks like the chilling effect has already started,” says Dennis Fisher, editor in chief of security blog …More
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