Google is changing their terms, you will not be able to opt out anymore so your online activities will be tracked and decide what ads and sites you are shown.
A user signing up for Gmail, for instance, might never have imagined that the content of his or her messages could affect the experience on seemingly unrelated Web sites such as YouTube.
This is bad. I know companies rely on ads, but when ads become mandatory, how many people will use the service?
Yes, I saw this too. It's getting a little much for me.. I use the HOSTS file and an adblocker mixed with Ghostery so I don't see those things, but I know google still has the information.
"Don't be evil."
The day is approaching now, just over a week away when google's new policy comes into effect. I guess people will have seen all those little messages from google when using gmail etc asking you to read about the new changes.
To be honest I'm a bit uncomfortable with things I put in a gmail email being used by google to decide what ads I should see when I do a google search or use other google products. Most people will be surprised to learn this.....
Q: How can Google install a Google cookie in my browser when I never use Google? This has nothing to do with Startpage. A Google cookie called 'PREF' can be set when you use Firefox or Chrome as your browser, regardless of whether you visit google.com or any other site. There is a technical reason why this happens. More information can be found here. One way to prevent this is to disable or limit the use of cookies. This is something Startpage recommends from a privacy perspective. For Firefox, go to 'Preferences' -> 'Privacy', for Chrome, go to 'Options' -> 'Under the Hood', and disable the cookies.
As well as using duckduckgo I am also trying startpage.com (where the above quote was taken from)
I wonder if they'll parse content from my @rit.edu email account for adverts. We use gmail for our school emails, so those would be horribly boring advertizements.
I wonder how they'll be able to do it and get away with it, however to me they're a data mining company. I'd really like to know how they'd get away with that after the Online Privacy Bill of Rights is "passed", but it getting "passed" is on a government time frame which could be years or never. When it was announced on some TV channel it gave me a laugh, especially after all the so called "pirate" download host sites being blocked to U.S. IP's. I can forsee a lawsuit in the future where someone counter sues for being illegally tracked whilst illegally downloading a bunch of pirated movies/music, etc. That link above also details about Google violating Safari's privacy settings.
The Online Privacy Bill of Rights purposes a feature to have software technology built into web browsers (again something that made me laugh thinking of Google Chrome) to make tracking difficult if a user enables the feature. Firefox not long ago introduced such a do not track feature in the Privacy settings but it's up to the sites/servers to actually respect it when the browser tells them "do not track."
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As well as using duckduckgo I am also trying startpage.com (where the above quote was taken from)
Hazel, there is also ixquick, which I think you pointed out a while back.
https://www.ixquick.com/
Also, will this snooping apply to Blackhawk browser? Its faster, good browser, but isn't it a variation on Chrome?
I wonder how they'll be able to do it and get away with it, however to me they're a data mining company. ...
Andavari, I agree with you, how is this different from a big giant keylogger/trojan/spyware app, like we all spend so much time trying to defeat?
Only thing I wonder about is how much US government complicity is involved? Don't think Google could make this happen without that. Its positively Orwellian.
For what it's worth, every time old Hal the Haunted Computer starts, it is free of cookies, evercookies, BHOs, and anything else that sneaked on. I do it with a batch file and Powershadow, but after win 7 will have to depend on CCleaner, and maybe a batch file. So I bought a help subscription. After all, CCleaner and you guys here on the forum have helped me so much over the years, the purchase price is money well spent. >>Shameless plug<<
Hi Everyone,
Just decided to hop on for a little while. Been immersed in issues and know I've missed quite a lot from you good folks. Ran across the posts about Google ("GIGGLE") to me. Don't mean to step on any toes but I avoid it at all costs. Use Bing or anything else rather than the aforementioned. They have been in and out of trouble for too long and storing every search since its inception? Why did they feel the need to do that? You can believe your last buck they have been, are and will remain in bed with the government. You folks are probably way ahead of me on this but thought I would try to make a little contribution. I subscribe to two excellent sources--EFF.org and EPIC.org They stay on top of cyber shenanigans and are not afraid to go to court. Just my two cents worth. Computers in my book are the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. Privacy is Dead. Well, better see what else is cooking so take care and best to all of my good friends on this great Forum.
Hi Warlock. Good sites. Thanks.
Privacy is Dead.
Living in a world with governments I don't believe it ever existed to begin with.
Privacy Policy:
It's our business to know everything about you, and you being able to do nothing about it!
To My Good Friends Login and Andavari-Came back to check something in my post. Hope you don't mind consolidating. Good to hear from both of you. Login, you're welcome. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Andavari, you're absolutely right on both. Information is power and it can work both ways. They want us to give up and ride off into the sunset. Don't. Been a little while so both of you drop me a PM; door's always open. Take care and you two keep up the great work on the forum.
...Take care and you two keep up the great work on the forum.
Well, that would be Andavari...I'm not in his league even close, but thanks for the compliment. In all the time I've been fortunate enough to visit here, I can't remember a single instance of "unnecessary roughness" by any of the moderators. Good crew, they are. << Another shameless plug.
Now Login, don't be too modest. I agree about our Moderators. They are tops in my book. Always ready to be so patient and helpful. We're lucky to have them; they are un-excelled. Let's put several gold stars next to their names. Take care and have a good one.
Some EU regulators say Google may be violating EU data protection laws with this new change.
Someone should initiate an online petition!
If you follow someone around in person taking pictures and making notes all day, it might qualify as stalking, or worse. It's a crime in many jurisdictions. And quite rude.
If you follow someone around in person taking pictures and making notes all day, it might qualify as stalking, or worse. It's a crime in many jurisdictions. And quite rude.
Quite.
Except, in this case, it would be Google doing the cyber-stalking.
Which might be considered irrelevant, considering the amount of $$$ to be made off your personal info.
When it comes to privacy or $$$, guess who wins?
Very scary!
Because so many people think Google is their friend