If consumers could shop for the best deal on each of these purchases separately, they would get lower prices, improved quality, and greater innovation and variety

This legislation would allow consumers to purchase cable channels individually

Consumers Union says report is good news for consumers after years of complaints about surprise charges on wireless bills

This is an important opportunity to empower consumers with greater choice in how they obtain mobile devices and wireless service

Consumers Union says alerts help wireless customers avoid costly surprises

Wireless carriers pledged to provide free alerts to customers who are approaching their usage limits

CU: It is time to bring competition back to the market, rather than limiting competition

CU expresses concerns about concentration across the wireless, video and broadband markets

Consumers Union continued to call on the FCC to block third-party billing on all phones

Monday, June 18, 2012 Consumer, privacy, health, child groups: Facebook space for preteens must protect privacy, be ad-free and marketing-freeWASHINGTON – In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a coalition of consumer, privacy, health and child advocacy groups called on the company to provide strong privacy and marketing safeguards for children if it proceeds Continue Reading

June 14, 2012 Rockefeller Introduces Anti-Cramming Legislation: Consumers Union Statement WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Jay Rockefeller today introduced new legislation aimed at protecting consumers from “cramming”, or unauthorized third party charges that appear on telephone bills. Rockefeller’s bill would ban third party charges for traditional wireline telephone users and VoIP internet phone services, while directing Continue Reading

Monday, June 4, 2012 Facebook reportedly considers access for pre-teens: Statement by Consumers Union WASHINGTON — The Wall St. Journal today reported that Facebook is developing technology that would allow children younger than 13 years old to use the site under parental supervision. Last year, Consumer Reports released the results of a national survey that Continue Reading

Friday, June 1, 2012 WASHINGTON, DC — Microsoft announced that its upcoming Internet Explorer 10 will feature a default “Do Not Track” privacy setting. The browser, which would allow consumers to say “no” to targeted ads based on personal information and online activity, is the first to make the privacy protection the default mode. Ioana Continue Reading

At Sprint’s annual investor meeting on May 15, shareholders will vote for the first time on a measure that calls on Sprint to uphold net neutrality principles on its wireless networks. These principles support an open and free Internet. AT&T and Verizon shareholders recently brought up similar, first-time measures at their annual meetings, and the Continue Reading

Friday, May 4, 2012 Consumers Union launches “bill shock” web page on ConsumerReports.orgSite provides information from FCC on carriers’ compliance, consumer tips  WASHINGTON – Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, has launched a new web page on ConsumerReports.org about cell phone “bill shock,” the surprise charges that appear on your wireless Continue Reading

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Consumers Union launches petition, ads about Facebook privacy concerns   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, is calling on Facebook and its users to pay more attention to privacy online. CU has launched a petition at hearusnow.org to urge Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Continue Reading

Thursday, April 19, 2012 Consumer, Public Interest Groups Call for Cramming Protections for Wireless, VoIP WASHINGTON, DC – As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prepares to consider new rules on cramming at its upcoming Open Meeting, consumer and public interest groups sent a letter to the Commission urging them to extend unauthorized third party billing Continue Reading

Friday, April 20, 2012 FCC Launches New Consumer Tool to Curb Bill ShockWASHINGTON, DC – Consumers now have a new place to turn when trying to avoid cell phone “bill shock” — the unexpectedly large fees that pop up on your wireless bill, often due to exceeding usage limits. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has Continue Reading

Monday, March 26, 2012 FTC Privacy Report: Statement by Consumers Union  WASHINGTON — Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, today praised the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the release of its final report on a framework for online privacy. The FTC report calls for increased online privacy protections and oversight, including Continue Reading

March 26, 2012 Consumers Union files FCC comments in opposition to Verizon/cable TV deal WASHINGTON — Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, today filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission in opposition to the proposed spectrum deal between Verizon Wireless and the cable TV companies Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House, and Cox. Continue Reading

March 20, 2012 Consumers Union: Verizon-Cable Deal Puts Consumer Pocketbooks, Competition at RiskWASHINGTON, DC – The proposed spectrum deal between Verizon Wireless and several cable companies would jeopardize competition and put consumers at risk of paying higher prices, says Consumers Union. As the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust prepares for a hearing Wednesday on the Continue Reading

News Release Consumers Union Policy and Action from Consumer Reports Thursday, March 1, 2012 As Google’s New Privacy Policy Takes Effect, Consumers Union Raises Concerns, Offers Tips for Users WASHINGTON –  As Google rolls out its new privacy policy today, Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is raising concerns that Google Continue Reading

News Release Consumers Union Thursday, January 26, 2012 WASHINGTON — According to news reports, AT&T today called for Congress to mandate how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would structure and operate its next spectrum auction, a move that would take away the FCC’s ability to set conditions on who can bid on spectrum and how Continue Reading

News Release Consumers Union Monday, December 19, 2011 AT&T and T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom today announced that they have agreed to drop their bid to merge the two wireless companies.   Parul P. Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union¸ the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, said, “It’s an early holiday present for Continue Reading

News Release Consumers Union/Consumer Federation of America December 13, 2011 Washington, D.C. – Consumers Union (CU) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) today applauded the decision of the Council of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to adopt the Communiqué on Principles for Internet Policymaking as a recommendation. This decision gives the Continue Reading