Privacy and search engines

[m1gunner]

Every time you use a regular search engine, your search data are recorded.
Your search terms, the time of your visit, the links you choose, your IP address and your User ID cookies all get stored in a database.

The identity profiles that can be constructed from this cloud of information represent modern day gold for marketers.
But government officials, hackers and even criminals also have an interest in getting their hands on your personal search data.


I haven't been keeping up with google and the others lately. I do not have a static IP address, but the logging is rather worrisome to me.

This info is from a site called ixquick.com. I tried them and will probably make it my main search tool after some more research.

Anyone else use these folks?

 

[ingmansinc]

m1,

Are you saying that if you use ixquick.com as a search engine none of your info gets stored anywhere?

 

[m1gunner]

Originally posted by ingmansinc:
m1,

Are you saying that if you use ixquick.com as a search engine none of your info gets stored anywhere?

They do not log anything according to their web site.

As political as Google, Paypal/ebay, and Yahoo are, I just don't trust them. Plus, I do get some push advertising if I am on long enough, and the only way for that to happen is a search triggering the ad.

They also offer a secure (https) connection for searching if you prefer. Evidently there are groups that snoop on search engines looking for key words. Right now, it is mainly to stop kiddie porn (which should be stopped), but tomorrow, it may be used to spot those with certain political view points.

 

[ingmansinc]

I'll take a look at it and perhaps give it a try. What do I have to lose except all my data?

 

[Tom M]

Even though your search engine may not record your internet wanderings, you can bet your last nickel that your ISP does.

 

[clipper1]

ck out Scroogle,com

 

[Folterung]

Recording what people have been searching for has been happening long before it was made public. Its a web site for public use, there are no laws or inherit rights to protect your privacy.

My question to you(all) is:

As long as you are not researching the formula for anthrax or searching for pictures of children, why do you care if someone knows what you are searching for?