Consumer WatchDog: “Google spent a record $5.47 million on lobbying during the first quarter of 2015, an increase of 43 percent from $3.82 million in the comparable 2014 period, according to disclosures just filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Comcast, which is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Commerce
EU Antitrust Case Against Google Moves Forward
Follow up to previous posting – Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Google on comparison shopping service” via Mark Bergen – ReCode: “Google’s antitrust standoff with the European Union, a tumultuous legal tug-of-war begun in February 2010, reached a climax this morning with the EU laying the foundation for a formal complaint against Google for… Continue Reading
Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Google on comparison shopping service
“The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Google outlining the Commission’s preliminary view that the company is abusing a dominant position, in breach of EU antitrust rules, by systematically favouring its own comparison shopping product in its general search results pages in the European Economic Area (EEA). The Commission is concerned that… Continue Reading
Consensus-as-a-service: a brief report on the emergence of permissioned, distributed ledger systems
Via Great Wall of Numbers this Report by Tim Sanson, April 6, 2015 – Highlights: •”Distributed ledgers and cryptocurrency systems are fundamentally different. •The key difference involves how transactions are validated: Bitcoin uses pseudonymous and anonymous nodes to validate transactions whereas distributed ledgers require legal identities – permissioned nodes to validate transactions. •Consequently, distributed ledgers… Continue Reading
A critical analysis of Facebook’s Revised Policies and Terms
From social media service to advertising network – A critical analysis of Facebook’s Revised Policies and Terms DRAFT 31 March 2015. The authors are part of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Law and ICT/Centre for Intellectual Property Rights(ICRI/CIR) of KU Leuven (www.icri.be), the department of Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication (SMIT) of the Vrije Universiteit… Continue Reading
Heathcare Internet of Things
Heathcare Internet of Things – Jason Healey, Neal Pollard, and Beau Woods. “The Internet of Things (IoT) of digital, networked technology is quickly moving to the forefront of society, the global economy, and the human experience. The IoT sometimes refers to colossal, impersonal concepts like connecting electricity grids to the Internet for economic or environmental… Continue Reading
Financial Analysis of United States Postal Service
Financial Analysis of United States Postal Service Financial Results and 10 – K Statement Fiscal Year 2014, April 1, 2015 – “In FY 2014, the Postal Service recorded its eighth consecutive financial loss, bringing the total net deficit since FY 2007 to $51.7 billion. This growing net deficit has negatively affected liquidity, depleted available borrowing… Continue Reading
Consumer Watchdog Welcomes Senate Probe of FTC’s Google Antitrust Investigation
News release: “Consumer Watchdog today welcomed plans by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to examine the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google that was closed in 2013 without a lawsuit. After the Wall Street Journal earlier this month published portions of a 2012 FTC report recommending the Commission prosecute Google, Consumer Watchdog urged Chairman Lee… Continue Reading
Facebook tracks all users in breach of EU law
theguardian, Samuel Gibbs: “Facebook tracks the web browsing of everyone who visits a page on its site even if the user does not have an account or has explicitly opted out of tracking in the EU, extensive research commissioned by the Belgian data protection agency has revealed. The report, from researchers at the Centre of… Continue Reading
Detekt – free tool that scans your Windows computer for traces of commercial surveillance spyware
Via FastCoExit: “Spyware like FinFisher contributes to a multi-billion dollar business. But until last week, activists had few ways to defend themselves, aside from the well-placed bit of duct tape over the computer camera and rigorous digital hygiene practices. That’s why Amnesty International, Privacy International, Digitale Gesellschaft, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation rolled out a… Continue Reading
Wall Street Journal Reveals FTC Ignored Google’s Anticompetitive Practices
EPIC – “According to an internal document obtained by the WSJ, in 2012 the Federal Trade Commission ignored recommendations to reform Google’s anticompetitive practices. The FTC staff report concluded that Google’s “conduct has resulted-and will result-in real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets.” The internal FTC report said… Continue Reading
Consumer Goods Industry Commits to New Guidelines on Consumer Engagement and Data Privacy
“In order to help build trust with consumers and shape the way companies, retailers and manufacturers use consumer information that is collected digitally, The Consumer Goods Forum today announced that its Board of Directors has agreed on a new set of ‘Consumer Engagement Principles’ (the “Principles”). The industry-wide Principles will act as a framework for… Continue Reading
