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From ZDNet: “The California state Senate on Thursday approved a bill that takes aim at Google’s new Gmail service, placing strict limits on e-mail providers seeking to scan customer messages for advertising and other purposes.” See SB 1822. See also Google Responds To Email Privacy Concerns
On May 25, California State Senator Liz Figueroa offered an amended version of SB 1822 which struck language that would have presented substantial obstacles to Gmail’s operation in the state.
Public Workshop: Radio Frequency Identification – Applications and Implications for Consumers, to be held June 21, 2004. “The workshop will address both current and anticipated uses of RFID tags and their impact on the marketplace.” Federal Register notice: extension of public comment period on RFID issues.
Single-use credit cards fight fraud. A number of companies are offering disposable credit card numbers for online purchase transactions.
From the June 2004 issue of Reason magazine, take the time to read this article (10 pages, pdf), Database Nation, The upside of “zero” privacy, by Declan McCullagh: “Focusing on government power would keep intact the advantages of databasifcation – such as lower prices and cheaper mortgages – while limiting possible abuses by law enforcement. …
An online survey conducted in April indicates “that 75% of accountholders are less likely to respond to email from their banks, and over 65% said they were less likely to sign-up or continue to use their banks online services.” These results reflect growing consumer concern with phishing and email fraud, occurrences of which are increasingly …
Google may be heading deep into Microsoft’s territory“…Google intends to extend information-searching in many directions: Mobile applications for wireless gadgets, more effective online shopping and social networking are all obvious applications of its technology.”
Consumer Reports has published a review of six national mortgage loan websites that includes caveats about privacy issues and evaluations of respective service levels and value as compared to local bank rates.
Digging Up Low Web Fares: Useful tips on how to locate competitive air fares online, with some work, persistence and flexibility in your choice of travel dates.
As reported today by the WSJ, as well as via AP, privacy concerns raised in the U.S. and abroad about Google’s new Gmail, still in beta, have resulted in the company considering alowing users to opt-in/opt-out of being served targeted ads, currently a component of the free email service. Update on this issue from April …
From the World Privacy forum, this press release and letter (pdf) on behalf of a coalition of over two dozen privacy and advocacy groups, addressing Google’s new webmail service, Gmail, specific to the retention and repurposing of user data for e-commerce and law enforcement applications. Screenshots of Gmail from a beta tester, here and here.
Want to compare prices and find deals for online merchandise? We tell you which Web sites do the job–and which don’t. “Two sites won top marks: BizRate.com and Shopping.com.”
