News

2010

July

04

• Parents can hire a hall monitor for the Web. Fear can be good for business. Just ask the multibillion-dollar insurance industry, for example. Or companies like LifeLock and TrustedID, which monitor people’s credit reports for fraudulent transactions to protect against identity theft. So it…

• Easy to hack into a smartphone. Security researchers Nick DePetrillo and Don Bailey have discovered a seven-digit numerical code that can unlock all kinds of secrets about you. It's your phone number. Using relatively simple techniques, this duo can use your…

03

• Taking the mystery out of web anonymity. The Obama Administration is trying to fix the Internet’s dog problem. The Internet affords anonymity to its users — a boon to privacy and freedom of speech.

02

• Government creates more smartphone apps. Smartphone addicts, rejoice: Are you counting calories? Concerned about unsafe toys? Worried about tan lines or airport security lines? There's a (government) app for that. The Obama administration unveiled four new apps for mobile phones…

June

28

• Broadband availability to expand. The Obama administration is seeking to nearly double the wireless communications spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, an effort that could greatly enhance the ability of consumers to send and receive…

• Online bullies pull schools into the fray. The girl’s parents, wild with outrage and fear, showed the principal the text messages: a dozen shocking, sexually explicit threats, sent to their daughter the previous Saturday night from the cellphone of a 12-year-old boy.…

27

• Mobile coupons help retailers track customers. Last month, Tara Kuczykowski walked into a Target store in Columbus, Ohio, pulled out her mobile phone and handed it to the cashier. The cashier scanned the digital coupon on the phone's tiny screen, and…

• Caring for seniors' financial health. When we talk about the aging population in the United States, the conversation is often focused on who will take care of the physical needs of millions of seniors. But there's a growing threat we…

• Are dating websites past their prime?. How many marriages a day do Internet dating sites generate? Last year, the Wall Street Journal tried to cut through the hype and found that the claims put forth by major players such as eHarmony,…

26

• Wave of new rules to protect consumers. The financial overhaul bill that has taken final shape would give the government a larger role in guarding the wallets of consumers — many of whom, it became clear in the financial crisis, did not…

• Overhaul adds consumer help. The massive financial overhaul approved by key lawmakers early Friday was hailed by many reform advocates as offering landmark protections for consumers, even as others expressed disappointment at key omissions and wondered whether big business…

25

• Financial Reform spells a win for consumers. The U.S. House and Senate conference committee passed a final bill today that includes a bureau devoted exclusively to consumer financial protection. “Consumer Action has long supported a consumer financial watchdog that has both the…

• Petition signers should not expect their names to be kept secret. Those who sign referendum petitions should generally not expect to keep their names secret, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting the argument of an anti-gay-rights group that disclosure would violate their First Amendment protection of…

21

• Wanted: Young cyberexperts to defend against cybercrooks. Nationwide campaigns to steer youthful techies into careers defending the Internet are gaining steam. The federal government, education officials and giant military contractors are collaborating to recruit a new class of tech professional specifically trained…

20

• Look for signs of fraud against the elderly. When we talk about the aging population in the United States, the conversation is often focused on who will take care of the physical needs of millions of seniors. But there's a growing threat we…

19

• Debt relief peddlers put consumers in bigger hole. For the companies that promise relief to Americans confronting swelling credit card balances, these are days of lucrative opportunity. So lucrative, that an industry trade association, the United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives, recently convened…

• Reverse mortgage holders could lose homes if taxes aren't paid. Here's a sobering message for anyone who has a federally insured reverse mortgage or plans to apply for one: If you don't pay your local property taxes or hazard-insurance premiums, the risk of losing your…

18

• Microsoft opens center for reports of stolen identities, data. In a major step to slow cybercrime, Microsoft on Thursday launched a coalition that will serve as a clearinghouse for reports about caches of stolen data stashed all across the Internet. Malicious programs crafted to…

17

• Consumer Action Anniversary and Awards. To mark its 39th year of education and advocacy, Consumer Action celebrates today with a party and awards ceremony in San Francisco.

• Facebook urged to strengthen privacy protections. Facebook continues to face criticism over privacy protections at its social networking website. Privacy and civil liberties groups on Wednesday urged Facebook to address issues they say violate the privacy of the site's more than…