Corporate Responsibility

Google spends tens of millions on think tanks that back its policies

"A report seen by The Times examined the financial backing of five institutions in Britain and Europe. The academic groups also stage events that allow Google lobbyists to rub shoulders with ministers and policymakers who might not attend those run under the technology company’s branding. The report, compiled by a US watchdog, said that Europe was crucial to Google because the European Commission was the only regulator outside America with sufficient clout to cause the company to change its conduct."

New Mexico A.G. files fraud, racketeering suit against Vivint Solar

"In an interview Friday, Stevens said his organization has gathered solar company consumer complaint data from multiple states and has previously requested investigations, based on evidence of 'false and misleading actions,' by the attorneys general of California, Florida, Oregon and Texas. Stevens said he was 'not surprised' by the allegations leveled against Vivint Solar in Balderas' filing."

Americans were duped by bad actors in rooftop solar industry

"As Congress debates tax reform, which may include provisions to hobble investment in wind and solar power generation, it is critical that when discussing renewable energy, American consumers are not forgotten. Specifically, bad actors in the rooftop solar industry must not be allowed to continue to abuse and mislead customers who are considering spending as much as $20,000 to install solar panels on their homes," writes CfA Executive Director Daniel Stevens in The Hill.

Report: Google Makes Millions from Fake News

On October 30, 2017, Campaign for Accountability released a report revealing Google continues to place ads on websites that promote false information despite promises to alter its practices. CfA analyzed a sample of 1,255 news publishers and found that Google continues to place ads on hyper-partisan and misleading websites, resulting in millions of dollars in revenue for the company.

The Guardian view on Google: overweening power

"Similarly, Google doesn’t have to ask the researchers whom it funds to write about public policy to turn in favourable articles. But it has funded, directly or indirectly, 329 such papers since 2005, according to the US-based Campaign for Accountability. More than a quarter of those funded directly by Google didn’t disclose the source of their money, according to the report."

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