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12 Aug, 2015

Google’s Restructuring Changes Nothing About Its Impact On Consumers’ Privacy, Consumer Watchdog Says

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Google’s announcement today that it is creating a new holding company called “Alphabet” changes nothing about the company’s impact and challenges it poses for consumers, the nonprofit public interest group Consumer Watchdog said.

“A rose by any other name is still a rose and Google by any other name is still the Internet giant,” said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project director.

“Alphabet through what will now be called its subsidiary will continue to track us around the web and build digital dossiers about us. It makes little difference to Google’s users.”

Consumer Watchdog said the move was undoubtedly prompted by criticism from investors that Google focused too much attention on speculative research projects that CEO Larry Page calls “moonshots.”

“This structure allows Page and co-founder Sergey Brin to keep investors happy and continue to have their toys like Google Glass and robot cars,” said Simpson. “We don’t know where in the new corporate structure the robot car project will end up, but you can be sure Alphabet will push the vehicles at us before the cars are ready.”