Snuffing fire fee might not mean refunds
by Michael Gardner, San Diego Union Tribune
Nearly 800,000 rural homeowners may not receive refunds if the state’s disputed $150 annual fire prevention fee is eventually declared illegal. That’s because those homeowners failed to immediately file an important form along with sending their checks to the state last year. Read More ›
California seeks documents from Bridgepoint Education in false advertising probe
by Robert Jablon, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle
California asked a court to order Bridgepoint Education to turn over hundreds of thousands of records as the state investigates complaints of false advertising at for-profit colleges. Read More ›
California’s “Made in USA” label stays strong
Businesses providing 100% American-made products rely on accurate labeling when they undertake campaigns to encourage consumers to buy their products. Without such standards, companies could mislead consumers without fear of liability. AB 890 was rejected by the Senate and SB 661 was held by the author, but the battle isn’t over yet. Read More ›
Progress on toxic flame retardant protections
For nearly four decades, an outdated California furniture flammability standard has led to the widespread use of toxic flame retardant chemicals, without the promised benefits of reducing fire deaths. Read More ›
Apple: Enemy of consumer privacy
CFC sponsored a bill to restore privacy protections, permitting online businesses to collect only a customer’s zip code and other limited information necessary to combat fraud or identity theft. Apple is leading the opposition. Read More ›
Mobile health and fitness apps: What are the privacy risks?
by Editor, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Consumers should not assume any of their data is private in the mobile app environment—even health data that they consider sensitive. Users must weigh the benefits of the service with the realistic possibility that they are revealing information about their health not only to the app developer or publisher but also to third parties. Read More ›
Google starts placing ads directly in Gmail inboxes
by Stephen Shankland, CNET
Trying a new method of making money off its free e-mail service, the Internet giant has begun putting ads in Gmail’s “promotions” category. Google has begun showing advertisements in the space reserved for e-mail messages in Gmail users’ inboxes, a new step in the company’s effort to turn its free services into revenue sources. Read More ›
State Auditor vindicates CPUC Intervenor Compensation Program
The California State Auditor released a favorable report – surely to the dismay of AT&T, Verizon and PG&E – that reviewed intervenor compensation awarded to advocacy groups participating. The program provides consumers an effective voice before state regulators when utilities seek unwarranted rate hikes or rules that harm ratepayers. Read More ›
National healthcare reform sparks concern about scams
by Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times
The national health reform law is expected to open the door for identity theft and insurance scams when millions of uninsured Americans begin enrolling in coverage this fall, officials and advocates warn. The Federal Trade Commission said dozens of consumers have reported fraud since last summer’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, and officials predict widespread abuse when enrollment begins in October. Read More ›
Infographic: Who’s checking your credit score?
by Juan Rodriguez and Kristie Aronow, creditcards.com
While 94 percent of consumers said they know that making credit card payments on time will help raise their credit score, the study found most consumers don’t realize who may be evaluating their credit score to measure their creditworthiness. Read More ›
How to protect your privacy from Facebook Graph Search
by Elizabeth Palermo, TechNewsDaily
After keeping it in beta for six months, the social networking site has finally unveiled its much-hyped new feature, which mines the data found in millions of Facebook profiles — and it could reveal more about you than you’d like. Read More ›
Senator Elizabeth Warren: It’s obscene that the government profits off of student loans
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
Proponents of the idea say the profit will be used to pay down the national debt, but Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts believes it’s wrong to saddle young borrowers with higher interest just because the government hasn’t been able to maintain its books properly. Read More ›
Millions of US license plates tracked and stored
by Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
A new report from the ACLU has found an alarming proliferation of databases across the US storing details of Americans’ locations. The technology is not confined to government agencies – private companies are also getting in on the act, with one firm National Vehicle Location Service holding more than 800m records of scanned license plates. Read More ›