Category Archives: Press Releases and Editorials
AB 439 Would Weaken Medical Privacy Law
by By Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
AB 439 (Skinner) is before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a vote on Tuesday July 3. The bill would create loopholes in the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), placing patients at risk of repeated unauthorized release of confidential health information on a massive scale. Read More ›
Consumer Groups: Stop McKesson’s Attack on Medical Privacy
Consumer and privacy advocates are urging State Senators to defeat legislation sponsored by McKesson Corporation that would take the teeth out of California’s medical privacy law. Read More ›
CFC applauds Governor Brown’s call to revise toxic flammability standards
We applaud Governor Brown’s call for state regulators to revise an antiquated furniture fire safety standard that has exposed millions to dangerous levels of toxic flame retardant chemicals. Read More ›
CFC: Did chemical lobbyists violate the law?
by Ricahrd Holober, Market Watch
The Consumer Federation of California is calling on California regulators to investigate a chemical industry front group named Citizens for Fire Safety for possible violations of California law when it paid an expert witness who provided false testimony to legislators. California Government Code Section 86205 states “no … Read More ›
Carrier IQ Revelations and Smart Phone Privacy
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt/Consumer Federation of California
Since this Carrier IQ story broke last week, we’ve learned that the company’s spying technology is present on 141 million phones, including Androids and iPhones and possibly models made by BlackBerry, Nokia and other manufacturers. Read More ›
Consumers Get a Breath of Fresh Air from Jerry Brown
by Richard Holober, CFC Executive Director, California Progress Report
On issues ranging from household toxics to food safety to elder abuse to personal privacy, Governor Jerry Brown has demonstrated much greater empathy with consumer protection than his predecessor. Read More ›
SB 147 Fact Sheet – The Consumer Choice Fire Protection Act
Halogenated fire retardants have been linked to endocrine disruption, neurological and developmental impairments, cancer, reduced IQ, learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, infertility, and a host of other health disorders. Read More ›
CFC’s Zack Kaldveer Provides Comments to the PUC on Privacy and the Smart Grid
by Zack Kaldveer, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
Personal privacy issues routinely arise when data collected is harmless in isolation, but becomes a threat when combined with other data, or examined by a third party for patterns. In other words, what are the potential “unintended consequences” of such an electrical system? And more importantly, what must we do to ensure that those unintended consequences are never realized? Read More ›
CFC’s June 2010 Election Recap: Endorsed Candidates Win Big, Ballot Measures Mixed
Consumers Beat Back Big Business on Props 16 and 17′ The taste of victory is sweet, especially when it overcomes $62 million of the worst kind of deceitful campaigning. Two arrogant corporations received the humiliations they richly deserved when voters turned down Proposition 16 and 17 yesterday. … Read More ›
PG&E Customers Killed Prop 16
by Richard Holober, CFC Executive Director, California Progress Report
PG&E spent $46 million of its ratepayer dollars on Prop 16 to make sure our electric rates remain high, without asking the consent of its ratepayers. Read More ›