The Web of Web Lobbying
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on April 6, 2013 The Wall Street Journal reported on a battle developing between privacy advocates and internet companies concerning AB 1291, a transparency measure that is in part based upon some of my privacy research: The industry backlash is against the “Right to Know Act,” a bill introduced in February by Bonnie Lowenthal, a Democratic assemblywoman from Long…
Lead Industry & the Deck of Cards
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on March 7, 2013 Helen Epstein has an interesting review of Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America’s Children by Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner, in the current New York Review of Books. The review is worth reading to better understand the public policy problem of lead in products and the environment. But I cannot…
The Good, Not So Good, and Long View on Bmail
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on March 6, 2013 Denialism blog readers, especially those at academic institutions that have/are considering outsourcing email, may be interested in my essay on UC Berkeley’s migration to Gmail. This is cross-posted from the Berkeley Blog. Many campuses have decided to outsource email and other services to “cloud” providers. Berkeley has joined in by migrating student and faculty to…
Katie Couric Picking Up Where Oprah Left Off
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on September 12, 2012 Gawker reports that on the first day of Katie Couric’s new show, Sheryl Crow discusses her theory that cell phone use caused her to have a brain tumor. Update: The Chronicle reports that the show is just a celebrity infomercial, with softball questions, and no critical discussion: You would be forgiven for mistakenly thinking you’d…
$15 To Turn off “Special Offers” Bravo Amazon.com!
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on September 10, 2012 With the announcement of the Kindle Fire HD, some users were upset to learn that Amazon was going to stuff “special offers” on the device. But the company quickly retreated, and now is offering the option to turn of the ads for a mere $15. This is a good development for consumers. We should have…
How Did You Get My Facebook?
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on September 1, 2012 Facebook watchers are reporting that the service is about to launch a new feature for merchants that will allow merchants to target ads to users based upon users’ email and phone numbers. That’s a little confusing. Let me explain with a hypo– As I understand it, it might work like this: ABC Corp. has an…
Is Lynda Resnick’s Admiration Good or Bad for Fareed Zakaria?
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on August 20, 2012 Earnest reporting or catty criticism? Fareed Zakaria, according to the Times, is on the short list of Lynda Resnick’s dinner parties, along with “Queen Noor of Jordan, George Soros, the financier, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California.” Is the Times’ Christine Haughney critiquing Zakaria or not? Resnick is well known for being a marketing…
App.net and the Free Problem
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on August 17, 2012 Have you heard of App.net? If not, check it out. The basic premise is to create a social media platform that is aligned with users’ interest. And so, gasp, it costs money! The CEO, Dalton Caldwell, has a neat video explaining the inception of the project and the philosophy of the venture. Critics have said…
The Privacy Competition Myth
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on August 16, 2012 In his non-book-review of Garret Keizer’s new book, Privacy, “Reason” Magazine correspondent includes this ill-informed quip on privacy: With regard to modern commerce, Mr. Keizer grumps: “We would do well to ask if the capitalist economy and its obsessions with smart marketing and technological innovation cannot become as intrusive as any authoritarian state.” Actually, no.…
Hark! A New Trade Group is Born
Posted by Chris Hoofnagle on August 4, 2012 BNA reports on the formation of the Internet Association, a new trade group that will represent Google, Facebook, eBay, and Amazon. The group introduces itself as, “the unified voice of the Internet economy, representing the interests of America’s leading Internet companies and their global community of users. The Internet Association is dedicated to advancing public…
