9 posts and columns on EPIC

News Byte

FTC Said to Be Looking at Google+

in Social on January 13 at 4:04 pm PT

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is expanding its antitrust investigation into Google to include Google+, Bloomberg reports. It’s a timely issue because Google+ was just deeply integrated into Google search this week, causing Twitter, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and others to call foul. The FTC declined to comment.

Sprint Expands $10 Data Surcharge to All Smartphones

in Mobile on January 18, 2011 at 11:32 am PT

Starting Jan. 30, Sprint plans to charge all new Android, BlackBerry, Instinct, Palm and Windows Mobile data customers the extra fee. The charge had previously applied only to the carrier’s 4G phones, such as the Evo and Epic.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse at Dive Into Mobile

in Commerce on December 7, 2010 at 3:45 pm PT

When Sprint CEO Dan Hesse joined the company three years ago, the third-largest carrier was bleeding subscribers from having a poor reputation for customer service and facing stiff competition from the likes of AT&T, which held the exclusive on the iPhone. Since then, Sprint has stemmed the losses, mostly by beefing up its customer service and by investing in the prepaid sector to attract a wider audience during the economic downturn. Going forward, Sprint looks to its 4G strategy for growth through its ownership stake in WiMax-provider Clearwire.

Consumer Reports Slams AT&T (Again)

in Mobile on December 6, 2010 at 8:33 am PT

Consumer Reports has been taking swings at AT&T’s cellphone service for a while now. But the carrier finds itself once again in its crosshairs. The January 2011 issue ranks cellphones and services, and carries this headline on the cover: “Best and worst providers (Sorry AT&T).”

Viral Radio: Facebook Flap

in News on October 21, 2010 at 1:18 am PT

Here’s a radio interview BoomTown did earlier this week on San Francisco’s KQED “Forum” show, hosted by Michael Krasny. The topic was a report in the The Wall Street Journal that certain third-party apps on Facebook were grabbing information about users in ways that violated the social networking site’s privacy guidelines.

EPIC FAIL: Electronic Privacy Information Center Files FTC Complaint Over Google Buzz

in Social on February 16, 2010 at 3:25 pm PT

While well-intentioned, Google’s “sorry, we didn’t get everything quite right” apology hasn’t absolved the company of the bungled launch of Buzz, its new social networking service. On Tuesday afternoon, the Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission claiming Buzz violates federal consumer protection law.

Feds to Facebook Privacy Critics: Let’s Talk

in Media on January 19, 2010 at 1:27 pm PT

“Your most recent complaint raises issues of particular interest for us at this time.”
walken hopper

Next Step in the Facebook Privacy Blowback: The FTC Complaint. The Real Question: Will Advertisers Care?

in Media on December 17, 2009 at 12:03 pm PT

The inevitable filing from privacy groups asks the Feds to force Facebook to roll back its “privacy” settings. No idea if that will work. But if the clamor gets loud enough, it might reach the ears of people who really matter: Marketers who pay to reach the site’s users.
zuckerberg rocks