Consumer Watchdog Uses Play on Google Car Unit Name Change as Call to Action

Consumer Watchdog used Google’s name change for its self-driving car unit -- Waymo -- to promote the need for more disclosure to the public about the way “robot car systems” work. Consumers should be made aware of the ethical choices programmed into autonomous vehicles’ “secret algorithms,” Consumer Watchdog Privacy Project Director John Simpson said in a statement Tuesday. “Admitting that robot cars aren't really ready to be put on our roads without steering wheels and the capability for a human driver to take control is an important acknowledgment of reality," said Simpson. Google said Waymo is short for "way forward in mobility."