Consumers Union is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.
On February 16, the Federal Trade Commission released a report that looked at the effectiveness of privacy disclosures made by mobile apps for children. The results of the report are dismal. The FTC dubbed the privacy disclosures “disappointing” because it would be nearly impossible for an average consumer to figure out what data a mobile app was Continue Reading
Feb
21
FTC Says Privacy Disclosures for Kids’ Mobile Apps are “Disappointing”
Posted by Ioana Rusu in Internet
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Jan
26
Every step you take: DNT must include geolocation and mobile apps
Geolocation is an increasingly popular Internet feature with many benefits. With geolocation, you can let your friends know where you are, locate places like restaurants or gas stations nearby, or find out location-specific information like weather and directions. There are many popular websites and apps that encourage users to share their location, such as Twitter, Continue Reading
Posted by whipme in Internet
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Jan
20
Do Not Track: Set it and forget it
The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Tracking Protection Working Group released the first public working draft of a proposed Do Not Track standard in November 2011. While these standards are still in the very early stages of development, we are eager to see solutions that would allow users to prevent third-party tracking. Current tracking prevention tools Continue Reading
Posted by whipme in Internet
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Jan
17
Do Not Track: The option to refuse tracking by third-party websites
Almost every web site out there tracks user information to some degree. Some forms of tracking can make your online experience more convenient and efficient. For example, certain cookies save your usernames and passwords, so you don’t have to log in every time, while others keep track of items you’ve placed in your shopping cart. Continue Reading
Posted by whipme in Internet
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Jan
17
Google Chrome Gets “Do Not Track” Tool
Google Chrome now has Do Not Track! This tool, developed by privacy expert Jonathan Mayer from Stanford University, allows Chrome users to tell websites that they do not wish to be tracked as they surf the net. Major browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari have already implemented some version of the Do Not Track tool Continue Reading
Posted by whipme in Internet
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Dec
19
How Creepy is Face Scanning Software?
Imagine passing a digital ad board that silently and instantly determines your gender and age, possibly even your current emotional state, and targets you with personalized ads. Or what if you walked into a clothing store and immediately received gender and age-based suggestions, size availability, and instant coupons on a digital display inside the store? Continue Reading
Posted by Ioana Rusu in Internet
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Dec
19
How to Opt Out of Tag Suggestions on Facebook
Facebook recently got in some trouble when it automatically began analyzing users’ photos and suggesting photo “tags” to friends. The company claims this technology was implemented to allow us to quickly identify and tag our friends in our photos all at the same time. But some worry that, in light of Facebook’s 800 million active Continue Reading
Posted by Ioana Rusu in Internet
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Oct
20
Wireless Agreement Could Make Bills Less Shocking
“Bill Shock”—those unexpected and often-quite-large charges that suddenly pop up on cell phone bills – are consistently one of the top complaints from consumers about their wireless carrier. That’s changing, however. Spurred by aggressive lobbying from Consumers Union and other public interest groups – including petitions signed more than 62,000 CU activists – wireless companies Continue Reading
Posted by Bob Williams in Internet, Phone
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5 Comments »
Sep
22
DOJ Lawsuit to Block ATT-T-Mobile Deal is Great, But the Fight is Far from Over
In a major win for consumers, the Department of Justice recently filed an antitrust lawsuit aiming to block the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The complaint points to substantial concerns regarding marketplace competition and the elimination of T-Mobile as a low-cost option. For those reasons and others, Consumers Union strongly opposes AT&T’s $39 billion Continue Reading
Posted by Bob Williams in Internet, Phone
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21 Comments »
Aug
18
Center for Media Justice: AT&T-T-Mobile Deal Not Good for Communities of Color and Poor
The Center for Media Justice has just issued a new report that says AT&T’s proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile will not be good for communities of color or the poor. You can read the report here.
Posted by Bob Williams in Uncategorized
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