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Personalized Search From Google Now Opt-Out

Posted by Soulskill on from the escort-on-the-road-to-enlightenment dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNet reports that 'Google now intends to deliver customized search results even to those searching its site without having signed into a Google account.' This may be what finally drives me to seriously experiment with cookie-free browsing. I consider non-personalized search results to be of value. They quasi-subconsciously give me a better perspective of the full range of information and ideas on the net. That, and I'm also a bit paranoid about a coming world with push-button infrastructure for personalized mis/disinformation."

10 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. TrackMeNot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd wonder how it'll affect users of this nice Firefox extension...

    1. Re:TrackMeNot by krou · · Score: 5, Informative

      I prefer using Optimize Google (which is based on Customize Google, but that one is no longer maintained). Optimize Google enhances Google search results, but also allows you to make Google cookie UID anonymous, plus allows you to stop all cookies being sent to Google Analytics. You can also remove Google Ads, and Google click tracking. There are other options available for most other Google tools, too e.g. GMail, Calendar, Maps, Docs etc.

      --
      'If Christ had tweeted the sermon on the mount, it might have lasted until nightfall.' - John Perry Barlow
    2. Re:TrackMeNot by sakti · · Score: 2, Informative

      I like this relatively new cookie control mechanism. It is simple but effective.

      selectivecookiedelete; https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11044

      --
      "It is better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees." - Albert Camus
  2. Scraped Google by gzipped_tar · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd suggest Scroogle (https://ssl.scroogle.org/ -- Google sans the crap), but it seems down at the moment. Cue the conspiracy theories in 3, 2, 1 ...

    --
    Colorless green Cthulhu waits dreaming furiously.
  3. proxy search services by drDugan · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use a proxy as my default search service, like this:

    http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi?q=google+is+collecting+your+data

    There may also be others, but this one has worked for me.

    Downsides: no cached or similar pages, no searchable search history, no cute math results, none of the value-add search links or maps at the top of the results - just the plain search results.

    Upside: no data collection on my searches. (if I believe that the proxy is not also collecting data), you can also set it to give 100 search results as the default.

  4. Re:You're not that interesting. by NoPantsJim · · Score: 2, Informative

    I dunno, I've found Google's targeting to be pretty spot-on, with the exception of Gmail (which is still pretty accurate). I find if I search for something, I'll get ads related to that search, not previous searches.

    --
    Name...That...Autocomplete!
  5. Re:oh c'mon by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 2, Informative

    > ...the courts already declared that email stored on a third party server is
    > not covered by the 4th amendment.

    They have done no such thing.

    c.f. Email Privacy Rights

    Stored Communications Act

    but also http://cyb3rcrim3.blogspot.com/2009/11/cioffi-email-search-warrant-residual.html

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  6. Re:It took THIS to get you to drop cookies? by Disfnord · · Score: 2, Informative

    Allow temporarily will allow cookies for that site until you close your browser. Next time you open the browser and go to that site, cookies will be blocked again. Allow for session will always allow cookies for that site, but will delete them every time the browser is closed.

  7. Re:oh c'mon by Mr_eX9 · · Score: 2, Informative

    1. Install NoScript.

    2. Blacklist google-analytics.com.

    3. Stop whining.

  8. Privacy and Security in the Internet Age by MarkWatson · · Score: 2, Informative

    Just some advice that I give friends and family:

            * Delete all cookies in your browser every week - it is easy enough to sign in again to web sites that require authentication. People who do not delete their cookies never see what sites are tracking them. It is easiest to do a 'delete all cookies' operation and not to try to save the 5 or 10 cookies out of thousands that are stored in your local browser data.
            * Keep a text file with all passwords in encrypted form - and, do not use the same password for different purposes.
            * Every time you use your super market's discount card (or possibly pay with a credit card), your purchases are permanently associated with you - do you care? maybe or maybe not.

    I do use a lot of web services that track what I do (GMail, for example) but I make the decision to give up privacy vs. benefits on a service by service basis.