Consumer Watchdog said Google used deceptive and unfair trade practices in marketing its cloud computing services to government entities and asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the issue.

In a letter to FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz, nonprofit public interest group said the Internet giant’s practices may violate the recent consent agreement in the Buzz case.

We urge you to impose the strongest sanctions possible on Google in light of this latest misrepresentation”, wrote Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdog president, and John M. Simpson, director of the group’s Privacy Project. If you do not, Google will have the impression that it may flout the terms of the Buzz agreement before the ink is barely dry”.

Read Consumer Watchdog’s letter here:

Consumer Watchdog said the company has been marketing its Google Apps for Government service with a Website claiming “Secure applications to meet the needs of Government/ Google Apps for Government, now with FISMA certification”.

But despite Google’s claims that Google Apps for Government has been given Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification, it has yet to receive it. In a sworn deposition, David L. McClure, Associate Administrator for the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies of the GSA, stated: It is my understanding that the process is ongoing and that no final determination has been made by GSA regarding FISMA certification for Google Apps for Government”.

In its marketing material, Google clearly claims to have important security certification it does not possess.  While Google may ultimately win FISMA certification, it has not received it yet”,  said Court and Simpson. A company may be optimistic about the ultimate approval of a product, but claiming to have certification when the process has not been completed is unfair and deceptive”.

The letter also noted that the Buzz consent agreement requires Google “in or affecting commerce, shall not misrepresent in any manner, expressly or by implication… the extent to which respondent is a member of, adheres to, complies with, is certified by, endorsed by, or otherwise participates in any privacy, security or any other compliance program sponsored by the government or any other entity”….

By TelecomLead.com Team

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