Google’s anti-privacy tyranny: take it or leave

[Kristoferr]

Thanks in no small part to it’s cozy relationship with our corrupt and overbearing government, Google has been able to create a virtual monopoly on internet navigation.

Sure, there’s Yahoo, Bing, and a slew of others, but if you want results you’re going to have to go to Google who is spying on you, collecting your information, creating detailed profiles on you, and selling them.

Google knows that their nearest competitor is a skunk, that’s why their new privacy policy is take it or leave. The only way to opt-out is to not use Google.

What ever happened to “Don’t be evil”…

http://a4cgr.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/07-719/


Time for new search engine, it seems.

[masterg]

im more concerned about facebook

[paulbagz]

Are people really that naive that they think an internet company exists out there that won't do this to you?

-PB

[zanzabar]

google was the 1st and the leader in tagging info per user, indexing it into a nice profile and selling it for ads and severance to credit reporting agencies, background checks and governments

[Vardant]

im more concerned about facebook

You don't need FB though, but Google search engine is just too good at this point.

[labs23]

Well, only one thing comes to mind "GooPA".
Seriously though, its so sad the majority doesn't have a clue about these kind of things or how they can exploit ones' privacy online.

[Darakian]

I'm currently in the process of De-googling my internet usage. I've been using duckduckgo for a search engine and I actually prefer it to google. The Bang syntax is great and they have a pretty good privacy policy as well.
https://duckduckgo.com/
http://ddg.gg/
https://duckduckgo.com/privacy.html

[JaD]

http://a4cgr.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/07-719/


Time for new search engine, it seems.

Exactly!
Also remember to stock up on tin foil, we're gonna need more hats!

[XSAlliN]

I'm currently in the process of De-googling my internet usage. I've been using duckduckgo for a search engine and I actually prefer it to google. The Bang syntax is great and they have a pretty good privacy policy as well.
https://duckduckgo.com/
http://ddg.gg/
https://duckduckgo.com/privacy.html

I've been using this long before google changed their privacy (again) and not cause of that... but because i like it more... ^^ Was looking for an alternative since Google wasn't the browser i got used to... it turned to bloatware ... search results end-up with more spam than usual... overall wasn't satisfied with google anymore - and usually when i get to that point i search for alternatives (either it's related to some software, website, product...and so on). From all search engines i tried - https://duckduckgo.com/ seemed to be the best choice (needs a tweak in settings - as default, comes with family filter On) - maybe there are others better for other people but this is great for me (not working for them or paid to say that - just a satisfied user)... really like the features it has to offer "but" don't expect to like after 1 minute trial... cause it has a different layout - which you get used to after a longer run and personally i find it more appealing - better indexing for pages, spam isn't irritating anymore + the feature it has to offer (and a great privacy).

You can always try it (you either like it or not - just take some time with it) and try others as well - obviously, since it's not the only alternative to google... you might like others more... i liked this one. ^^


====

Oh - and one more thing.... i've been saying this about google for a loooooooong time... but unless this comes as a "news in a more shiny package" nobody believes you as an individual... even tho i wasn't the only one aware of this and the evidence wasn't vague either... yet most (same as then) - don't care about this.... unless Google hurts them directly "which rarely happens" cause that's not in their interest (you don't kill the cow that gives free milk - from which results profit in your favor).

[wez]

I'm currently in the process of De-googling my internet usage. I've been using duckduckgo for a search engine and I actually prefer it to google. The Bang syntax is great and they have a pretty good privacy policy as well.
https://duckduckgo.com/
http://ddg.gg/
https://duckduckgo.com/privacy.html

I try and use duckduckgo as often as possible, and have it set up to be as similar to google as possible, just to make the transition easier As the layout is what scared me at first, being so used to google

[XSAlliN]

I try and use duckduckgo as often as possible, and have it set up to be as similar to google as possible, just to make the transition easier As the layout is what scared me at first, being so used to google

It's the thing that scares most users... especially those that can't handle changes (windows XP is still appreciated for the wrong reasons - like bad understanding of memory management) and don't get me wrong - changes aren't always positive... there are times when an older product can perform better and feel better than the new one - but this is not about old products vs new... but products at their latest version and google search engine has turned in to a bloatware service with more Cons than Pros.

YouTube on the other hand... there's no alternative that can cover all the content from YouTube in terms of amateur content (being so popular).

[Monkeyface]

Sorry, I am a bit less informed.

What kind of info are we talking about here that google is collecting? Your name? Your phone number? What if you dont have anything like that on your computer and you didnt register with your actual name or phone number lol....

I am a firm believer in if you have nothing to hide, then it shouldnt be a problem. Now if they are sending you stuff, then thats a whole nothing problem; but I feel like it can be avoided depending on the answers to my questions above.

Like the gentleman on the video is saying he doesnt want his wife to be able to go on the computer and see what he is searching. You can already do that, I dont understand why its anything new. So google knows what you are searching for and they record all of it, so what...I want someone to tell me why they have a problem with google knowing what your searching for, seriously.

I dont know, why is nothing ever simple, and its funny how almost every problem stems from the simple fact that people want MORE money, they are never satisfied.

[mongoled]

Everything you ever type in Google is recorded and a profile is made up from this.......

[Tao~]

All they can have is XYZ@gmail[dot]com searched "blablabla". I feel its only dangerous if you use a Google account which you cannot do away with / you have a static ip. I have neither, so I don't care.
And yes , issues with privacy in Facebook are an order of magnitude more serious.

[WangChung]

I'm pretty comfortable with what Google is doing.

For the most part.

I know I search some... "questionable"... subjects online, and I know to some extent I'm being monitored (father is a VP for a BIG government contractor, roommate is Navy intel) but I also understand they see to what context I'm searching these items in. What I don't like is my information being sold. And the only service I really don't like is when Google tries to build a voice profile based off my voice search on my phone. I'm sure the NSA already has this at least in part, to which I'm actually OK with; divests me further from being accidentally flagged as a person of interest. But Google's servers have been hacked before, and if someone were to take my voice profile in addition to everything else they've collected and use the audio equivalent of Photoshop, then a whole mess of problems are to be had.