Question about tracking on the internet

[Chiefcrowe]

I heard that this GMX email service is good and is based in europe.

https://www.gmx.com

Another question can you guys recommend me some good email services apart from gmail or ymail?

 

[John Connor]

What's wrong with Yahoo? I can see Google.

 

[Mushkins]

Jesus christ, i just searched using start page and the results were radically different from what google gave me.. Its confimed then. google IS watching me.

Anyone knows how i can remove what info they have about me?

Of course Google is watching and tracking your web activity, you agreed to it when you signed up for their services. And no, you can't "remove" yourself from the internet, sorry. Most people say it in jest when they exclaim that once something is on the internet, it's there forever, but it's also very true.

Rule #1 of privacy is if you don't want anyone to hear it, don't say it. If you dont want anyone to read it, don't write it down. Once a secret becomes known, you can't make it a secret again.

We may not all agree on where to draw the line between privacy and convenience/services in the modern internet age, but I think we can all agree on the concept of "dont use it if you dont agree with what they do with your information." There's a certain amount of assumed traceability in the very technology that makes the internet work, a request for data needs to know *where* to send that data back to. There's no such thing as truly 100% untraceable, private internet access any more than you can have the post office deliver your mail without actually knowing what address to deliver it to outside of *not getting mail*

 

[Ketchup]

copy and paste the following into the box that appears ---> https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=
[*]click "OK"
[/LIST]
now you can search from your URL address bar without sacrificing your right to privacy and anonymity (not as good as Tor but still pretty good)
you can also replace the content of step 6 with an alternative search provider with some tweaking, although I'm not sure which provider you'd want to use because very few don't spy.

I'm still leery of that search engine. Here is one example as to why:
http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-the-startpage-com-redirection-virus-start-page-hijacker/

Startpage.com is the sister website of Ixquick.com. These websites are used as an anonymous (through proxies) and/or safe search, but searches and clicks are earning Startpage.com websites revenue through use of Google CPC platforms such as Google’s AdSense search or standard Google Searches. In other words, using these websites will not keep you safe since they show the same results as Google, but they will allow you to visit websites using a simple proxy text link on their SERPs. Startpage.com And Ixquick.com though state otherwise are capable of collecting and using your personal information against you, but most likely will never do so.

 

[inf1nity]

just signed up for yandex

 

[colonelciller]

You could get hosed by a hostile exit node if you login to an unsecured site. Your AT account getting compromised may not be a big deal, but it can still be a PITA, and if you've reused the password somewhere else(you're not supposed to, but many people do), it could cause more trouble.

that's a good point... I'd never do anything with passwords on TOR

edit: unless trying to set up a truly anonymous alias :sneaky: (which I haven't seen the need to do as of yet)

 

[colonelciller]

I already mentioned several of the addons you gave links to and I do use Betterprivacy. My keyword.url is set to openDNS since I use keyword shortcuts.

I just included the links to those you mentioned for the sake of being thorough

what are your thoughts on openDNS with regards to privacy? seems like it might be a juicy target for surveillance

 

[colonelciller]

I'm still leery of that search engine. Here is one example as to why:
http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-the-startpage-com-redirection-virus-start-page-hijacker/

lol... nice propaganda page. is that some kind of scare tactic to keep people using the google's tracking & spying search engine??

 

[inf1nity]

What the hell? i just searched google for those people using tor and results were identical. Whats going on?

And yes whatismyipaddress.com was able to detect i'm on a tor exit relay, do you think google can detect exit relays too?

 

[sphere nothing]

how did google know which person i was searching for?

privacy rape as the business model

i use google for searching almost all the time.

So does this mean that google is watching my activity, even if i search without logging into my email?

yes.

Also, how do i avoid this from happening?

Ignoring that you've answered your own question?

Step 2:
track me not

Step 3:
stop using "free" sites whose "mere" cost is your privacy- or dignity. Stop using malware (the adware flavor or worse). Privacy is NOT a commodity; privacy is a right. Defend it.

Take a moment or three to reflect upon the various services you use, what they cost you, and how they profit in the Billions of dollars.

Step 4:
adblocking


there are more steps... check back in once you've applied 1-4.

 

[John Connor]

what are your thoughts on openDNS with regards to privacy? seems like it might be a juicy target for surveillance

Well, many schools and institutions use it. Better than Google DNS, although the search page uses Google. I think the security provided by OpenDNS out weighs the bad, if any...

 

[Mushkins]

lol... nice propaganda page. is that some kind of scare tactic to keep people using the google's tracking & spying search engine??

So Google with it's "do no evil" mantra can be a big and sinister tracking organization out to harvest your personal information, but some sketchy proxy website can't *possibly* be taking advantage of the clickthroughs for their own benefit?

Bit of a double standard there my friend, i'd *expect* a website providing this "service" to be benefiting somehow in the background. Nothing in this world is free.

 

[colonelciller]

So Google with it's "do no evil" mantra can be a big and sinister tracking organization out to harvest your personal information, but some sketchy proxy website can't *possibly* be taking advantage of the clickthroughs for their own benefit?

Bit of a double standard there my friend, i'd *expect* a website providing this "service" to be benefiting somehow in the background. Nothing in this world is free.

they do benefit from ADS relevant to the searches

the difference is that they state that they keep no logs whatsoever.
this isn't difficult to understand

 

[MrColin]

okay guys i just searched for three of my friends. First from my own IP, then from a Russian proxy and then an Indonesian one. Each time the results were same.

To check whether Google was able to detect the proxy, i looked up "What is my IP" but Google did not give me the "proxy detected" message, it just gave me the IP of the proxy.

What does this mean. Are all my fears just the product of my imagination?

You might try wiping your browser cookies in between these tests.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Use this Add-on to opt out from Analytics gathering

Google creates an addon to block Google Analytics?

 

[inf1nity]

okay guys another update, i just searched these people from another city, 1400 kms away from my own. I've never been to this city in my life, and the internet cafe i'm posting from, i've never-ever been to before this day.

And guess what- The results were exactly the same.

I'm feeling kinda silly now.. knowing i was worried so much about nothing.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm feeling kinda silly now.. knowing i was worried so much about nothing.

Nothing silly about it. Regardless of this particular instance, you're getting tracked. Now you're aware, and can take steps to prevent it if you choose to.

 

[inf1nity]

^ Indeed.


By the way guys, out of Ghostery and DNT+, which one's better?

 

[lxskllr]

By the way guys, out of Ghostery and DNT+, which one's better?

I've tried both, but use neither. Ghostery noticeably slowed down browsing, but I liked the interface better than DNT. Try them both, and see which you prefer. There's also Disconnect, which is libre software...

https://disconnect.me/

 

[Mushkins]

they do benefit from ADS relevant to the searches

the difference is that they state that they keep no logs whatsoever.
this isn't difficult to understand

"They state"

Why should I trust what they state? I certainly don't have direct access to their network to confirm. The government states that its not doing surveillance on citizens all the time

 

[colonelciller]

"They state"

Why should I trust what they state? I certainly don't have direct access to their network to confirm. The government states that its not doing surveillance on citizens all the time

who said anything about trust.
what alternative would you suggest then, search engines that openly state that they log track and datamine you, sell your info to the highest bidder, store it for easy access by the NSA?

 

[Mushkins]

who said anything about trust.
what alternative would you suggest then, search engines that openly state that they log track and datamine you, sell your info to the highest bidder, store it for easy access by the NSA?

Uh... don't make a google account? Don't sign into a google account you may have? Search while connected through various VPN or anonymous proxy services? Don't search for anything you're uncomfortable potentially being tracked back to you?

How about don't search at all?

Using a search engine isn't some god given right, the company running the website is providing a service. You either agree to the terms of the service and accept that they may be keeping track of your searches on their service regardless of what they claim, or you... don't, and don't use their service. The bottom line is that you are using their search engine, it's not your search engine. You can't see what they do or do not track, and you have no say in what they do or do not track. The fundamental question here is whether or not you trust them and their service to not be tracking you.

 

[Ketchup]

Uh... don't make a google account? Don't sign into a google account you may have? Search while connected through various VPN or anonymous proxy services? Don't search for anything you're uncomfortable potentially being tracked back to you?

That's the key isn't it.. how far do you want to go? Internet was in some ways better before we knew about all the trackers out there, selling my data, NSA spying. Now it is a question of how far can I go comfortably, and still feel somewhat safe. The amount of things blocked with DNTM and ABE was a good start for me. I also spent a while a few weeks ago going through Facebook and Google (Gmail) to limit the amount of information available to them and others. I have also gotten into the habit of signing out of every site I have to sign into before leaving, yet I still don't want to log out of the forums every time I leave.

But not using Google at all? I don't know. I've tried the others. Nothing else comes close. I am so used to the speedy searches, nothing else is able to put exactly what I want on the first page, every time. No matter what I am searching for (computer, home, car, etc).

So I suppose a system that works on the Internet for me is worth a little (lack of) privacy in the end. I think it's better driving myself crazy with the illusion that "complete privacy" and "Internet" are obtainable together.

 

[lxskllr]

But not using Google at all? I don't know. I've tried the others. Nothing else comes close. I am so used to the speedy searches, nothing else is able to put exactly what I want on the first page, every time. No matter what I am searching for (computer, home, car, etc).

That's a convenience. If using a different search means a couple more clicks, so what? How much is your privacy worth; a couple clicks? I hope so. I have no issues with DuckDuckGo. The couple times I had trouble finding what I wanted, Google didn't do any better. It was just a difficult search.

I think it's better driving myself crazy with the illusion that "complete privacy" and "Internet" are obtainable together.

There's a huge gap between complete(impossible) privacy/security, and none. Using "password" as your login for every site is certainly convenient, but no one with a clue does that. If a decent password is worth some effort, isn't diversifying services, and choosing what services you use worth it?

 

[Ketchup]

There's a huge gap between complete(impossible) privacy/security, and none. Using "password" as your login for every site is certainly convenient, but no one with a clue does that. If a decent password is worth some effort, isn't diversifying services, and choosing what services you use worth it?

So, you are comparing using Google to having the worst password ever? Ok. Someone may have an idea what site I visited yesterday, but at least they don't have may bank records and account numbers. Big difference in my book.