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Critics Call For Probe Into Google Government Ties

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the begin-the-probing dept.

bonch writes "The National Legal and Policy Center has written to the House Oversight Committee to investigate alleged ties between Google and the Obama administration, specifically with regards to the closure of an FTC probe into Google's Wi-Fi privacy breach, when the company admitted to having collected users' unencrypted information over the course of three years. The NLPC compares Google's relationship with the administration to that of Halliburton and cites the timing of a $30,000-a-head Democratic fundraiser at Google CEO Marissa Meyer's home less than a week before the FTC ended its inquiry, where Obama made a personal appearance, as well as the fact that US deputy chief technology officer Andrew McLaughlin is a former Google employee. The NLPC further alleges that the FTC is tougher on other companies, issuing fines to Twitter and Sears for their privacy violations while letting Google off the hook after the company promised to improve its privacy practices."

3 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Same Obama administration by Enderandrew · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this the same Obama administration that threatened Google with an anti-trust trial and breaking Google up if they landed a search deal with Yahoo, but said they'd allow Microsoft to buy-out Yahoo?

    I wouldn't say the administration has been particularly pro-Google.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  2. "Only an idiot fights a war on two fronts." by Tekfactory · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Only the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts."

    So lets count them

    Google vs. Microsoft (in search) - I'm going to f***ing bury Google
    Google vs. Apple (smartphones)
    Google vs. Facebook (social networking/open-ness)
    Google vs. MPAA (YouTube)
    Google vs. ATT/Verizon (FCC Spectrum Auction)
    Google vs. Oracle (Java)
    Google vs. Patent Office (Patent Reform)
    Google vs. Author's Guild (copyright on orphan works)

    The shame of it all is most if not all of those fights are worth fighting and very few others are stepping up to the plate.

  3. Re:This is just propaganda by bonch · · Score: 4, Interesting

    On Slashdot, only right-wingers are evil puppetmasters. Left-wingers are enlightened, oppressed victims just trying to get the word out.

    Just look at all the people who immediately rushed to Google's defense by attacking the NLPC while completely ignoring the points they raised in their letter about the timing of the FTC inquiry's dismissal, the inconsistent punishments handed out to companies other than Google, or the Google employees serving in the administration. To them, none of the accusations have any merit because of the NLPC's political leanings, even though they're refuting none of the accusations.

    You cannot criticize Google on Slashdot. The posters have become fanatical about this company no matter how many privacy breaches there are or how many boneheaded statements Eric Schmidt makes. If it was any other company, people would be all over their asses. If Steve Jobs said only people who have something to hide care about privacy, it would be a months-long controversy.