Google and privacy???

[Bubba1235]

Just a heads up, if you haven't read how Google is changing their privacy policy (there is no privacy) you owe it to yourself to spend a couple minutes reading it. The days of getting unbiased search results are done...

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Google and privacy???

Youtube is doing the same thing I believe, Doesn't really matter to me something else will come along...

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Google and privacy???

If you don't share info with Google, they aren't sharing your info. Using Google search does not require divulging personal info. Now Google+, Facebook etc. is an entirely different matter.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Google and privacy???

google has be rolling over and opening thier files for several years and it recoreds and stores ever thing.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Google and privacy???

You might as well figure, if you on the net, your expectation of privacy is totally out the window, in this day and age, anyone that expects to remain private in the internet world is simply fooling themselves..

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Google and privacy???

If I track your searches and IP address I can share that with every advertiser in the world though.

So? How does that invade my privacy? And so the IP addy is known, big deal. Ya want privacy - unplug.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Google and privacy???

If I track your searches and IP address I can share that with every advertiser in the world though.

....OK. Then what?

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Google and privacy???

If you want to use THEIR search engine, you are playing by THEIR rules. They aren't a public service, they are a corporation who will seek out any and all legal ways to make more profit. Currently what they are doing is legal under U.S. law.

There are several other search engines out there if you don't like Googles privacy policy. Or you could just wing it, and start typing what you think might be a good web address till you come up with something... : D

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Google and privacy???

http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/

Information you provide:

We may combine the information you submit under your account with information from other Google services or third parties in order to provide you with a better experience and to improve the quality of our services.

Cookies:

When you visit Google, we send one or more cookies to your computer or other device. We use cookies to improve the quality of our service, including for storing user preferences, improving search results and ad selection,



So lets say you have visited XYZ marine store and now you do a search for marine parts. Becaue Google has tracked your using XYZ and XYZ pays Google guess what happens to your search results. No, you won't be sent to iBoats.
.

If you are having a big problem with it, don't let Google set cookies. Not a big deal!

I use a couple browsers. One browser saves nothing so no cookies are ever saved.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Google and privacy???

All depends what you do to minimize your exposure. I use a proxy server outside the US and all comminication between it and me is encrypetd. Worth the $6 a month IMHO.

Personally, I would be far more worried doing that than what Google is doing.

http://www.securityhunk.com/2010/06/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using.html

There is a major security risk using a proxy server, especailly one that is overseas. Interesting you are worried about a fairly benign practice to see what your searching habits are yet allow sensitive data to possibly be sent through an overseas proxy. What am I missing here?

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Google and privacy???

So lets say you have visited XYZ marine store and now you do a search for marine parts. Becaue Google has tracked your using XYZ and XYZ pays Google guess what happens to your search results. No, you won't be sent to iBoats.

That sounds far more like a problem for iBoats than for me....
In fact if XYZ has what I am after, at a price I am prepared to pay, that actually sounds like a total non-issue, and I may be the winner.
(....and I suspect that iBoats probably is clued in to what Google offers and may be on board as well. So they may indeed come up in the search results.)
Before Google (et al.) I'd probably be using the Yellow Pages....and guess what....if XYZ paid the Yellow Pages, they'd have EXACTLY that same competitive advantage.

As for it being in any way a privacy issue, (and you never did answer GA_Boater's question) I suggest that you get out a dictionary and look up that word....P-R-I-V-A-C-Y.

Your posts in these forums reveal more personal information and do far more to compromise your privacy than anything you have described in this thread would do...IMO.

I appreciate your concern for us babes-in-the-woods, but I really don't think that the "sky is falling".