News

2010

November

04

• Internet privacy could be priority next Congress. A key Republican lawmaker indicated Wednesday that Internet privacy could be a legislative priority in the next Congress, as a growing number of data breaches draw increased attention from federal regulators. Rep. Joe L. Barton…

03

• Google settles suit over Buzz and privacy. Google informed users of its Gmail service Tuesday evening that it had settled a class action lawsuit brought against it by some users who were upset by the way the company rolled out its Buzz…

02

• Airport screeners more aggressive with pat-downs. The government's aggressive new pat-down searches at airports are raising privacy concerns and dividing frequent fliers. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security screeners last week began more aggressively patting down airline passengers as a matter of…

01

• Consumer Action Insider - November 2010. This issue of Consumer Action INSIDER includes stories about a lawsuit that is challenging class action prohibitions in consumer contracts, legislation to give student loan debtors the right to file bankruptcy, outreach efforts around housing and credit cards, and scams targeting to people looking for love on the Internet.

• Consumer Action Insider - November 2010. This issue of Consumer Action INSIDER includes stories about a lawsuit that is challenging class action prohibitions in consumer contracts, legislation to give student loan debtors the right to file bankruptcy, outreach efforts around housing and credit cards, and scams targeting to people looking for love on the Internet.

• Consumer Action Insider - November 2010. This issue of Consumer Action INSIDER includes stories about a lawsuit that is challenging class action prohibitions in consumer contracts, legislation to give student loan debtors the right to file bankruptcy, outreach efforts around housing and credit cards, and scams targeting to people looking for love on the Internet.

• Consumer Action Insider - November 2010. This issue of Consumer Action INSIDER includes stories about a lawsuit that is challenging class action prohibitions in consumer contracts, legislation to give student loan debtors the right to file bankruptcy, outreach efforts around housing and credit cards, and scams targeting to people looking for love on the Internet.

• Consumer Action Insider - November 2010. This issue of Consumer Action INSIDER includes stories about a lawsuit that is challenging class action prohibitions in consumer contracts, legislation to give student loan debtors the right to file bankruptcy, outreach efforts around housing and credit cards, and scams targeting to people looking for love on the Internet.

October

28

• FTC drops Google privacy-breach probe. The federal government has ended an inquiry into a privacy breach involving Google's Street View service, satisfied with the company's pledge to stop gathering e-mail, passwords and other information from residential WiFi networks as it…

27

• Google CEO Schmidt says he 'misspoke' on Street View privacy concerns. Google on Tuesday released a statement by CEO Eric Schmidt saying he "misspoke" during an interview last week on CNN, when he said users concerned with its Street View mapping service should "just move." "As…

• Judge: Free speech protects Amazon buyers' data. Lists that identify the books, music and movies individual customers bought from online retailer Amazon.com are protected from North Carolina tax collectors, a federal judge has ruled. Amazon said in a lawsuit it filed in…

26

• White House forms committee on Internet privacy policy. The Obama administration has formed a subcommittee drawn from various parts of the federal government to advise the White House on regulatory and legislative issues for the Web. The panel, which will focus on the…

25

• Google's Street View cars scarfed up loads of personal data. It turns out Google’s Street View cars found out more about Internet users than previously acknowledged. Last Friday, the company said the cars, which roam the world taking pictures for its location-based applications, scarfed up…

24

• Google tightening privacy leash on its employees. Google is tightening its privacy leash on employees in an effort to ensure they don't intrude on people while the Internet search leader collects and stores information about its users. Besides promoting longtime employee Alma…

• Scammers target desperate job seekers. A weak labor market is hurting the U.S. recovery, but it's been lucrative for scammers, who are bilking unemployed workers out of millions of dollars in fees to steer clients to jobs that never materialize,…

• Credit checks for screening job applicants. Apply for a job and you'll likely be asked to agree to a credit check. A majority of employers conduct credit checks on all or some of their job candidates. But this screening has become…

22

• El teléfono se convierte en un arma para los ciberpiratas. Una modalidad cada vez más popular ocupa su línea para impedir que usted y su banco se comuniquen e intercepten un fraude Cuando hace poco una red internacional de ciberpiratas fue desmantelada, se conoció una…

19

• U.S. pushes to ease obstacles to wiretapping. Law enforcement and counterterrorism officials, citing lapses in compliance with surveillance orders, are pushing to overhaul a federal law that requires phone and broadband carriers to ensure that their networks can be wiretapped, federal officials…

18

• Facebook in privacy breach. Many of the most popular applications, or "apps," on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information—in effect, providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names—to dozens of advertising…

17

• The many faces of you [online]. The other day, Facebook suggested that I make a new friend: myself. It’s a little odd to see your own photo in the “people you may know” box, but I have two Facebook profiles, for…