Google Will Now Access And Use All Your Personal Data And Browsing History

[webfact]

'Google will now access and use all your personal data and browsing history'

Google has just announced a privacy policy change, it will take effect from March 1st, 2012. This seems to be the end of Google sticking to it's long-standing promise of "don't be evil". The policy change was announced on the Google blog and the policy change basically means that if you are signed into your Google account using any service, Google can use the information on all their other services as well. Here's how Google phrases it:

Full story: http://www.nettechbl...owsing-history/

-- nettechblog.com 2012-01-25

[pcgeekz05]

before the SOPA came and now google will try to access your data... everybody is playing GOD.... <deleted>

[MisterMan]

So I dont like BIng or Yahoo.. what is a good alternative to evil google?

[rwhoov]

I just changed my search engine on my Firefox toolbar from Google to Yahoo. Will also drop my gmail account. Google - I don't need you anymore!

[bombis]

so what. as long as it allows them to provide me with a better more customized service, fine with me.

[jpinx]

you really think Yahoo is better???

[pepi2005]

Actually that makes lots of sense, what was the point of keeping everything separated in the first place? It was merely a consequence of different services developed at different times, and now with the growing importance and integration by the new Google Plus service, they want to integrate as much as they can into one individual account.

The most important thing for me is the option to turn off personalization if I need to - but in most situations I found out that I get more efficient search results with personalization turned on.

[beedee]

So I dont like BIng or Yahoo.. what is a good alternative to evil google?

</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>https:{slash}{slash}www{dot}duckduckgo{dot}com</p>

Make sure to always use SSL(https) otherwise your provider and whoever is between you and the search engine can see what you are searching for, from where, with what browser, the works...

Also website owners, including thaivisa: why do you keep using ajax{dot}googleapis{dot}com???

That's another way for evil google (they're not the only evil ones, mind you) to track you!

Use firefox, install ghostery.

Sawat dee krap

So I dont like BIng or Yahoo.. what is a good alternative to evil google?

[lukasl]

Across Google Services only, why is that evil, I think it adds to convenience, doesn't it?

"Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience."

[phuketrichard]

u can use google but just don't sign in :-)

[mochafan]

so what. as long as it allows them to provide me with a better more customized service, fine with me.

PALEEASE!...you sound like a typical Thai....Mai pen rai....mai pen rai.

[mochafan]

Across Google Services only, why is that evil, I think it adds to convenience, doesn't it?

"Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience."

It's fine the way it is. If it isn't broken...don't fix it.

[jpinx]

So I dont like BIng or Yahoo.. what is a good alternative to evil google?

</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>https:{slash}{slash}www{dot}duckduckgo{dot}com</p>

Make sure to always use SSL(https) otherwise your provider and whoever is between you and the search engine can see what you are searching for, from where, with what browser, the works...

Also website owners, including thaivisa: why do you keep using ajax{dot}googleapis{dot}com???

That's another way for evil google (they're not the only evil ones, mind you) to track you!

Use firefox, install ghostery.

Sawat dee krap

Looking at what my NoScript is blocking on this site I suggest that google is the least of our problems

Thanks for the ghostery tip

[brianb1944]

I cant see the problem, article gives the worst case scenario, (bombarded with ads) but if the ads are targetted to my interests, so what? more of an enhanced service than an imposition. if I was worried about my privacy, I would opt out of society and go live in a cave somewhere, and still not be safe.

[brianb1944]

so what. as long as it allows them to provide me with a better more customized service, fine with me.

PALEEASE!...you sound like a typical Thai....Mai pen rai....mai pen rai.

and you sound like the worst kind of arrogant Westerner.

[AyG]

So I dont like BIng or Yahoo.. what is a good alternative to evil google?

http://www.duckduckgo.com

They don't track you at all, and you can even turn off the ads!

[Katipo]

Duckduckgo is my default now. Google today is not the Google I used to love. "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Searches are a very private thing, no matter what the content. Storing their contents is tantamount to someone standing over your shoulder and noting down every book, letter, brochure, video, etc etc that you look at. Rather discomforting.

[JohnPolo]

A few days ago I accidently discovered that Google had a record of the download sites I had visited - as well as records of what I downloaded. So, before I suffered the same fate as the guy from Megaupload, I've reformatted and will remain without any trace of Google anywhere.

[pepi2005]

DuckDuckgo looks nice but is a terrible search engine in terms of relevance of the sites it lists as results.

It reminds on the times when there was nothing else than Yahoo search.

Sorry MrPeach, JohnPolo etc., but you don't even seem to fully understand the change in privacy policy and/or

how computers work in general ("I reformatted" [to get rid of Google], "Searches are a private thing") ;-)

Google will no share what you're searching for with any other company let alone any government agencies,

it basically just 'fusions' the various different 'cookies' you had under the various GOOGLE (!) services

into one 'cookie' and will share the information you have used under each of THEIR services so that these

can be calculated in for search results, displayed advertisements etc.

All in all, for the average user, this will result in even better and interesting search results because the

company can understand better what you are interested in. No need to panic here.

Believe me, what the NSA, EUROPOL or programs like TIA, ADVISE or even Thailand's MICT are

doing to our privacy is MUCH MUCH more threatening than Google's internal (!) streamlining of their products.

If you guys are that easily scared (or concerned), I would recommend you not to turn your computer

or your mobile phone (beware of a smartphone!) ever on again.

Edited January 25, 2012 by pepi2005

[bobl]

A few days ago I accidently discovered that Google had a record of the download sites I had visited - as well as records of what I downloaded. So, before I suffered the same fate as the guy from Megaupload, I've reformatted and will remain without any trace of Google anywhere.

???

If GOOGLE had a record of the download sites you've visited, you could do a military grade wipe, what difference does reformatting make on YOUR end.

Are you sure you didn't "accidentally discover" your browser's cache/history, which is nothing whatsoever to do with Google.

[Dave9000]

This is nothing short of a media beat-up. Google is no different to any other large corporation and, at least, it broadly advertises its policies. If you do change your association with Google, look carefully at your choice of replacement.

It must be a poor news day in America.

[connda]

Just make sure you stay signed out of Google before using it. They can't track you if you're not signed in. An delete the Google cookies set in your browser.

Edited January 25, 2012 by connda

[w11guy]

I just changed my search engine on my Firefox toolbar from Google to Yahoo. Will also drop my gmail account. Google - I don't need you anymore!

You might need to get that paranoia treated.

[w11guy]

Across Google Services only, why is that evil, I think it adds to convenience, doesn't it?

"Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience."

It's fine the way it is. If it isn't broken...don't fix it.

There's no fixing it, they're enhancing it. If people like you were in charge we'd still be living in the stone age. If you don't like it then sign out of your account.

[PaulHamon]

so what. as long as it allows them to provide me with a better more customized service, fine with me.

fine with me, I use the fill google APP range all for free, who cares if they harvest some information. NOT ME

[w11guy]

A few days ago I accidently discovered that Google had a record of the download sites I had visited - as well as records of what I downloaded. So, before I suffered the same fate as the guy from Megaupload, I've reformatted and will remain without any trace of Google anywhere.

LOL. Did you reformat all of Google's servers to get rid of your records? I assume you mean you reformatted you hard drive. So how does that get rid of the records on Google's server. You and many others on here are way too paranoid. Please get help.

[blackthorn2005]

Actually that makes lots of sense, what was the point of keeping everything separated in the first place? It was merely a consequence of different services developed at different times, and now with the growing importance and integration by the new Google Plus service, they want to integrate as much as they can into one individual account.

The most important thing for me is the option to turn off personalization if I need to - but in most situations I found out that I get more efficient search results with personalization turned on.

How do you turn it off?

[bobo42]

This is a misleading headline. Google isn't saying its going to gather any more data than it already does, all they are saying is that there own different pieces of software will now use that data together - the same data they always used separately. If you are changing your stance on Google because of this announcement, then clearly you did not understand that they have always been gathering your data and using it to market to you. I don't think this qualifies as 'evil' at all.

[Chua]

First of all, what Google is doing here is nothing new. It has always been tracking usage of its services. The only difference now is that they will combine that tracking information between their different services into one database. So if you used Picasa and Gmail, google was already tracking that usage before, but separately for each site. Now that info will be combined, that's all. Hardly even worth mentioning really, though because Google strongly supports user's privacy and is NOT evil, they are very publicly announcing it. If one is worried about this, simply log out of your google account, and you're usage will remain as anonymous as it always was with the tracking data not being combined.

In any case, this combined data tracking is hardly new to the web: Facebook has been doing this for years, yet in a far more insipid and undocumented way. Facebook tracks its users not just on Facebook, but on thousands of other websites too -- so long as you do not specifically "log out" of facebook (closing the window does NOT log you out), Facebook can track you across any other website which features a Facebook "Like" or "Comment" or "Share" button. You may have noticed, or will now start to notice, at the bottom of some blogs or news stories or other content page, your facebook profile photo appears next to a comment box with those buttons. Well, if you can see your facebook profile photo on another website, that is proof that Facebook knows its you and is tracking your usage on that other website! Guess what happens if you share a computer with another person (or worse yet, at any Internet cafe) and forget to log out of your Facebook account? That's right, not only does the next person have full access to your Facebook account, but even if they are not malicious, their usage of that computer will be recorded and tracked under YOUR account.

What's worse, is that some sites allow you to login to there services using your Facebook account info, and when you do that, you are also then sharing all of your web usage with that site as well as Facebook.

See this for more info: http://www.theonion....ncys-cos,19753/

Moral of the story, always log out of Facebook (or Google) when you're done. Better yet, just close your Facebook account and communicate with your friends directly.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Chua

[Darrel]

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