BMJ report examines financial ties of WHO advisors with pharmaceutical majors - June 7, 2010
A joint investigation by publisher BMJ with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has revealed that key scientists behind the WHO advice on stocking of pandemic flu drugs had financial ties with companies which stood to profit. According to media reports, the inquiry disclosed that WHO guidance… Read More
Google to surrender Street View Data - June 7, 2010
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, will reportedly surrender the data it illegally collected over unsecured wireless networks. Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, has said that the company would share the data with regulators in France, Germany and Spain. The data is thought to… Read More
Consumer Groups call for FTC probe over Google’s acquisition of Invite Media - June 4, 2010
US-based consumer advocacy organisation Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy have called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google's recent acquisition of display advertising company, Invite Media, for around $70 million. According to the organisations, the deal raises substantial competitive and privacy concerns.… Read More
Google criticised for mapping UK’s entire WiFi networks for database - June 1, 2010
Fitted with radio aerials, the street view car of Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, has reportedly mapped the UK's entire wireless network. The database thus collated, media reports indicate, is used for commercial purposes through Google's search engine. Every WiFi wireless router (a device… Read More
Google, Facebook face more scrutiny on privacy policies - May 31, 2010
US lawmakers have reportedly strengthened their enquiry into the privacy practices of two Internet companies - Google, Inc. and Facebook, Inc. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee recently asked Facebook and Google to cooperate with investigations into privacy practices at both companies. Representative John Conyers… Read More
GenomeQuest announces latest version of online IP sequence search product - May 25, 2010
GenomeQuest, a US-based provider of sequence data management (SDM) products, has announced the immediate availability of GenomeQuest 6.3 for IP, the latest version of its online IP sequence search product. Overall GenomeQuest for IP offers researchers a comprehensive, easy-to-use research solution with unmatched content aggregation, search… Read More
Consumer Watchdog critical of Google Street View, calls for FTC probe - May 18, 2010
US-based consumer advocacy organisation Consumer Watchdog has called on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an immediate probe of Google’s prying on private WiFi networks. In a blog post on its Website, Google recently admitted that it had, since 2006, systematically collected private data while compiling… Read More
European privacy regulators angered by Google Street View data collection - May 17, 2010
European privacy regulators and advocates reacted angrily after Internet search services provider Google Inc. recently admitted that it had, since 2006, systematically collected private data while compiling its Street View photo archive. Under pressure from European officials, Google recently acknowledged that it had collected snippets of… Read More
Ethics experts call for scientific and ethical review to ensure integrity of research process - May 14, 2010
US-based journal Science has published a paper in which experts have cautioned that important ethical issues in the testing of new therapies like stem cells may not be receiving the attention they deserve. Carnegie Mellon University's Alex John London joined McGill University's Jonathan Kimmelman and Marina… Read More
Google Books Settlement likely to violate international laws and treaties, says OBA study - May 13, 2010
The Open Book Alliance (OBA) has released an analysis that details how the proposed Google Books Settlement is likely to violate international laws and treaties. Cynthia Arato, a litigator on intellectual property and copyright issues, states that numerous provisions of the proposed… Read More
