Car insurance discount act could give break in prices
by Nannette Miranda, ABC 7, News Channel 10 - Sacramento
“This is not about discounts, this is about surcharge,” said Richard Holober from the Consumer Federation of California…”Simply the fact that you had a break in coverage in the last couple of years will be held against you and you will face massive surcharges of 40, 50 percent or more,” said Holober. Read More ›
California implements anti-slavery law
by Natalia Real, FIS World News
The law was sponsored by California State Senator Darrell Steinberg and co-sponsored by the Coalition to Abolish Slavery (CAST), the Consumer Federation of California, the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET). Read More ›
Hidden Hazards in the Nursery
“It’s time for California to eliminate a misguided regulation that loads our furniture with toxic chemicals, and that provides no safety benefit to consumers,” said Richard Holober, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›
Bill package targets gas pipeline safety
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
A state lawmaker who represents the San Bruno neighborhood devastated by a natural-gas explosion in 2010 introduced a package of bills Monday designed to prevent a repeat of the disaster, including one that would tie Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s rates to its safety performance. Read More ›
Congress and FBI Seeking to Expand Use of Biometric Identifiers
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt
So let’s be real clear, creating a database with millions of facial scans and thumbprints raises a host of surveillance, tracking and security question – never mind the cost. Read More ›
CFC Supports AB 318 (Skinner) – Corporate Tax Transparency
AB 318 (Skinner) would create a database of publicly traded corporations and the amount they claim in tax expenditures on the existing Reporting Transparency in Government website. Read More ›
Assembly again favors lenders over consumers
by editorial, Sacramento Bee
Auto title loans are a last resort. Borrowers, some of them illegal immigrants, give the titles to their cars in exchange for loans for the value of their cars, less the potential cost of repossession and profit for a lender. Read More ›
Her case shows why healthcare privacy laws exist
by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
Of all the personal information that you might want to keep private, your medical records are the most important. That’s why federal and state laws carry stiff penalties, up to and including jail time, for healthcare providers who let such data loose into the wild. Read More ›
Consumer Protection Bills Going into Effect on January 1, 2012
“Governor Brown’s signature on these measures is a demonstration of his appreciation for common sense consumer legislation. It’s a welcome change,” said Richard Holober, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›
Electronic Health Record Data Breaches Surge
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt
When it comes to the issue of e-health records certainly one question the consumers should ponder is “Where is my data and who has access to it and for what purposes?” Or perhaps even more importantly, “can my private data be traced back to me personally and sold to others?” Read More ›
Dedication to disability access earns Corbett advocacy award
by Staff, San Jose Mercury News
Corbett has been honored by the Consumer Federation of California, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, Consumer Attorneys of California, California Public Interest Research Group, Community Resources for Independence, Alameda Justice Center, Consumer Action and California Congress of Seniors.
Read More ›
Consumer group says insurance company rolled campaign spending into rate request
by Torey Van Oot, Sacramento Bee
In a sign the 2012 insurance wars have begun, a consumer group that routinely seeks to block rate increases has accused auto insurance giant Mercury General of illegally passing onto consumers the cost of its 2010 ballot measure campaign. Read More ›
Federal Probe Of Carrier IQ Launched
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt
…a lot of this comes down to data ownership and control – as in its OUR data and it should be in OUR control. Clearly, in the case of Carrier IQ and increasing numbers of telecom companies, third party marketers, and many more, we are seeing the invasion of individual privacy on a mass scale… Read More ›