Editor’s Note– The internet is more important to the everyday person than the ubiquitous coffee pot. Google has captured the lion’s share of all searches on computers, iPads, and smart phones, and the data captured is immense to say the least. But, just how much do we know of what Google is really doing with all the data they collect through tracking our searches? How do they have the right to sell information about you and your activities? Those are your data, not theirs, and if money is to be made off it, is it not yours?
Google operates in the background whether you know it or not and collects history for data-mining and then both shares and sells that data to anyone that comes asking. What is most disturbing is just how Google has betrayed our trust by passing along internet tracking histories to the government with our knowledge. Your likely reaction may be so what, I dont use the internet for any hidden objectives, but that is not what is at issue here.
Google is effectively watching and cataloging everything we do on the internet and then using that information to target you for internet sales, or who knows what else. The possibilities are endless and bode of a “big brother’ watching you, but to what end? Its a slippery slope, and somewhere in the future, this information may be used against the individual for easily imagined reasons, both monetary and nefarious.
America, stop being sheep and protect yourself and your domain, most of all your freedom. Here are two articles to help you understand what is taking place:
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Google’s new privacy policy: The good, bad, scary
By Larry Dignan
Summary: I’m all for breaking down data silos, but when Google knows more about me than my wife I get a bit worried.
Google has updated its privacy policy in a way that breaks down product silos, but allows the search giant to mine data across all of its services.
In a blog post, Google outlined the changes. These changes are the enterprise Holy Grail in many respects. Companies everywhere want to break down product walls to get a 360 degree view of customers. The difference with Google is reach and it is actually succeeding. In a nutshell, Google is:
- Making its privacy policies easier to read.
- Aggregating data across products for Google and user experience.
- And arguing that it’s easier to take your data and go somewhere else.
- Here’s how this boils down for this Google user between work and personal uses.
The good: Anything that simplifies privacy policies makes sense—even if you may not agree with them. Google has 70 privacy documents today. That will be boiled down to one privacy policy.
The bad: Unified user experience aside, it was kind of nice to have my YouTube personas different from say, Gmail and Google+. Philosophically it makes sense. Emotionally I’m not so sure I’m on board the one for all approach.
The scary: Google will know more about you than your wife does. Everything across your screens will be integrated and tracked. Google noted that it collects information you provide, data from your usage, device information and location. Unique applications are also noted. Sure you can use Google’s dashboard and ad manager to cut things out, but this policy feels Big Brother-ish. Google is watching you as long as you are logged in. It’s also unclear whether this privacy policy move will be considered bundling in some way by regulators. This unified experience hook appears to be at least partially aimed at juicing Google+. Google responded with clarification: Google noted that it already has all that data, but it’s now integrating that information across products. It’s a change in how Google will use the data not what it collects. In other words, Google already knows more about you than your wife.
The bottom line here is that you should start perusing Google’s terms of service and privacy policies pronto.
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Stop BIG Brother From Spying on YOU: Top Three Search Engines That Don’t Track You
By Nelson Doyle
Google is by far the biggest and most popular internet search engine on the internet, but it might not be the safest. Here are the top three search engines which do not track you or save your searches like Google does.
It has been recently reported that Google has entered into a secret partnership deal with the NSA (National Security Agency) to try to prevent cyber-attacks and hackers from accessing their servers. Maybe, that is all it is, but most deals are not just one-way, but could also mean that the NSA now has access to the search entries of Google’s users. How does that settle with you, the users? (Google and the NSA news article)
I believe that if you are not doing anything illegal, then it is your privacy which should be protected by the companies which you do business with and by the government which works for you “The People” or at least here in the United States of America. It is very disturbing that government agencies could spy and collect informational data on my searches and possibly build a profile on me the user. They have no business getting into my business unless they have really good cause for doing so, and then they should inform me that they are doing so.
Thank goodness, Google isn’t the only search engine on the web. There are others that serve up the search results which I need to have when researching data for writing a new article. These search engines do not collect information about their users or install cookies on the hard drive and best of all, most do not save the search queries of their users. This helps protect the users’ privacy while conducting searches online.
Stop Big Brother from spying on you by changing the way which you search online. Currently Big Brother has easy access to the majority of searches conducted across the internet, because Google and the main stream media has done a fantastic job making Google the most popular internet search engine on the web, but now, Google is teaming up with the National Security Agency in a closed door and closed lipped deal, which could potentially make it easier for the government to spy on you without you even knowing it every time you use Google for your internet searches.
Ixquick
Ixquick earns the top spot on this Top 3 List, because it has really gone far and beyond any security measures to protect the online community’s privacy while conducting internet searches online. It is the first fully certified search engine to stop using ID cookies and software; it does not store search data that users use in their searches; it does not collect your IP Address; it does not share or sell user’s information to third parties; and only 2 cookies which this search does use are both anonymous thus meaning it cannot be traced back to a particular user. Read here for more details.
Gibiru
One of the very first things that searchers will see on this site is the company’s motto “The Unofficial Search Engine Proxy For Humans Who Don’t Want to Be Tracked By Big Brother” and this is great information to know before using this search engine. Gibiru has put their stated goal in plain and simply terms which anyone can understand “Gibiru don’t Track You”. So search on and keep your privacy in your control – if you allow someone in, then you have no privacy to protect.
HideMyAss
Hidemyass is a search engine proxy which allows users to conduct searches of their choice and serves up the top 100 Google results which have been stripped down to disallow any Google cookies from being placed on the user’s hard drive. This search engine does not use tracking cookies or spyware and does not store searches for more than 48 hours.
