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PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too late

ForteKitty

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Um.. wow. Relax. Did I say that YOU were freaking out? I'm talking about how so many other people ARE freaking out. If you step out of this little forum, you'd see that this is all over the interwebz. Stop taking it so personal. Sheesh.
 

kenny

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

AGBF|1330372293|3135765 said:
... others who still harbor a desire for privacy when they purchase a bottle of milk or search the Internet looking for the brand of perfume they prefer?

Yeah, I don't have those supermarket member cards that track me.
I tell the cashier I don't want one and "May I use yours?"
They always oblige.

Someone told me free email (yahoo, google, aol etc.) is not really free.
They have to make a profit somehow.
When it seems free you are not actually their customer; YOU become the product they sell to others.

I think I'm going to stop thinking I can get something for nothing.
I'm going to stop being someone's product and start paying to be a customer.
I'm gonna look into getting my own "domain" or whatever they call it buy paying a company like Godaddy $10 a year for my own website which will include 5 email addresses.
People much smarter and Internet-savy than I say that paying your own way the only way to not be tracked.

Nothing in life is free.
They trick you into thinking it's free, while selling your personal info behind your back. :angryfire: :angryfire: :angryfire:
 

ForteKitty

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Kenny, can you fix the quotes? I dont like to be mis-quoted. :bigsmile:
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Opps, sorry. :oops:
Fixed.
 

ForteKitty

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Awesome, thanks.

Those supermarket things dont even have my real phone number, name, or address. They can sell it all they want. I dont care.

I guess I always accepted that the "free" emails aren't free. It's just business, and I think most people are aware of it. I'm too lazy to give a shit, and I dont talk about anything important enough in my emails anyway. If someone wants to read my hundreds of thousands of worthless emails sent while I'm bored at work, have at it!! Most of it is in terribly abbreviated words that probably wont even make any sense to anyone other than the person I'm writing to.

People who say they "had no idea that this is happening" must live in a dreamland. Why get angry? Don't like it, dont use it. Paying for your own domain is a great idea.
 

Rockdiamond

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Thank you Kenny- I am also in the group that does not like this stuff.....
 

Nomsdeplume

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Is there an alternative to Google?
 

0-0-0

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

kenny said:
I'm gonna look into getting my own "domain" or whatever they call it buy paying a company like Godaddy $10 a year for my own website which will include 5 email addresses.
People much smarter and Internet-savy than I say that paying your own way the only way to not be tracked.

FYI paying for domains/emails is still not a guarantee that you'll not be tracked. As long as the data is hosted on computer servers outside of your immediate control there really is very little you can do to prevent companies from using your data for other purposes.

Personally, I rather keep my data with companies like Google who at least
1) have specific privacy policies in place
2) offer the option to choose the amount of tracking
3) have the capabilities and resources to keep data relatively secure
 

kenny

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

thbmok|1330423428|3136242 said:
kenny said:
I'm gonna look into getting my own "domain" or whatever they call it buy paying a company like Godaddy $10 a year for my own website which will include 5 email addresses.
People much smarter and Internet-savy than I say that paying your own way the only way to not be tracked.

FYI paying for domains/emails is still not a guarantee that you'll not be tracked. As long as the data is hosted on computer servers outside of your immediate control there really is very little you can do to prevent companies from using your data for other purposes.

Personally, I rather keep my data with companies like Google who at least
1) have specific privacy policies in place
2) offer the option to choose the amount of tracking
3) have the capabilities and resources to keep data relatively secure

Thanks for that; I didn't know that.
I have one friend who actually goes all the way and owns his own server.
I think that's more than I care to do.

Now I'm thinking of just staying on Google but just leaving the history tracking thingie off.
Thanks all, for all the helpful info in this thread.
 

MichelleCarmen

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Maria D|1330297324|3135176 said:
JewelFreak|1330290736|3135114 said:
Does anybody know if your browsing history -- on, say, Google & YouTube -- are collected if you don't sign in when you use them?

No, searches are not collected unless you are signed in. I just tested it.

My husband and I were talking about this the other day. We try and make sure we're signed out of all our accounts when we're done looking at email and FB...this means we're okay, then, right? Just making sure as one day I was reading an article on one of the news websites and it listed "friends" from FB who also read that article and it creeped me out and Dh thought it was because I hadn't signed out last time I was on FB. I don't want people knowing what I read.

Forte - this stuff does freak me out! I worry that each little thing like this can lead to much worse.

Circe - My 11 year old brought this stuff up the other day. He mentioned something about how privacy notices keep coming up with google. He wanted to know why this reminder was appearing and what it related to!
 

Imdanny

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

So are Google and YouTube the same company and I only have to do this once?

I didn't understand the directions.
 

TristanC

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Your computer is always tracked via IP (broadly) or via cookies stored in your computer. You can install stuff that sweeps for malware (some of those programs are trackers too) which is the worst kind of tracker as some are actually programs that collate and send off sensitive information periodically. Some traces will be left, but it typically isn't important to be shielded.

There will be cookies in your pc that will show history. I THINK the searches and the personalised ads are based off these, not the accounts that you have. Ebay does the same based on your search strings. Amazon.com does the same. Both do it even if you are logged as a guest and not in your account using your PC cookies or temporary IP.

You can deliberately mask your IP, delete all cookies real time, route your information through a randomised 'ghost' server... but I think your internet provider would still have some idea of what you are doing and keeping that data. So beyond google, the corporation that provides internet services to you might be keeping tabs - there are laws that prevent them from revealing that information, but the info is being stored.

In Singapore prostitution is legal, but pornography is illegal. Erm... but you can surf **** online. Which also means the government basically has the right to jail your @ss if they find anything on the computers of the 3 million guys that live here... IF the internet providers were allowed to reveal that information. A law was passed that allowed it, then overturned at the last minute. Heaven forbid that it might change again.

This is the modern world. We can't all be Keanu Reeves (no mobile, no internet, no pc... handwritten mails... obviously no pricescope :-o)

Thanks for the heads up Kenny, I disabled tracking. But somehow, I have this suspicion that [email protected] will still find a way to email me and tell me about this wonderful deal she has for viagra...
 

0-0-0

Brilliant_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

TristanC said:
This is the modern world. We can't all be Keanu Reeves (no mobile, no internet, no pc... handwritten mails... obviously no pricescope :-o)

:lol: Just be aware that even handwritten mails aren't really private unless you deliver the mail yourself. :-o

But on a more serious note, protecting online privacy is really not that much different than protecting privacy in person. Any interaction with the outside world naturally reveals more information about yourself. It's just easier for computers than people to track and remember things. There's always some trade off in terms of privacy vs convenience. Use common sense. If it's not something you would do in person, it's probably not a good idea to do it online.

As far as governments, companies, and others keeping and tracking records, I much rather interact with entities who tell me what they are doing and offer me some choice of how much tracking goes on, vs interacting with entities who don't say anything and just do whatever they like behind my back.
 

movie zombie

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

done.
 

Cehrabehra

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Okay I've tried reading about this thrice now - once a couple works ago, twice in the last couple days. I don't get it. My brain is not accepting anything I read about this. I don't understand. Can someone dumb this WAY down for me?

IF we are concerned about this...

Do we need to get rid of our gmail accounts?
No longer use google to search?
never look on youtube again?

What exactly does this mean?
 

Maria D

Brilliant_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

This is my understanding of it:

Email: Your gmail email account will now be subject to targeted advertisements. For example, I sent my gmail account an email that says "I hope I get a three-stone diamond ring for my anniversary." When I open that email by logging into mail.google.com, there's an ad up at the top for valentinesdiamondcenter.com and 3 ads at the sidebar from simongjewelry, circa jewels and diamondnexus. Google has software that is "reading" my email and responding with targeted ads. There are ways to block certain advertisers or opt out of personalized ads; you can click on the link that says "Why these ads?" to find out how. But just because you don't see ads doesn't mean that software isn't "reading" your email. (Btw, If I read the same email in my mail client, rather than logging into gmail on the web, I don't see the ads.)

Searches: If you are logged into your google and/or youtube account while searching, and do not follow the instructions at the beginning of this thread to turn it off, Google will track and log your search history. If you are not logged in, search history is not tracked.*

If you get rid of your google/youtube accounts, search history cannot be associated to your account since you don't have one. However, you will still pick up cookies at websites you visit and search engines you use. Websites will still see your IP address. Bottom line: because of this, you will still be subject to targeted ads as you surf the web even if you don't have a gmail or youtube account and use search engines other than google to search.

*edited to add that search history may not be tracked and associated with your account, but they can still track and associate it with your IP address.

Here's a good article: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/google-privacy-policy-action-today-affect-article-1.1031168
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Cehrabehra|1330605548|3138190 said:
Okay I've tried reading about this thrice now - once a couple works ago, twice in the last couple days. I don't get it. My brain is not accepting anything I read about this. I don't understand. Can someone dumb this WAY down for me?

IF we are concerned about this...

Do we need to get rid of our gmail accounts?
No longer use google to search?
never look on youtube again?

What exactly does this mean?


If you have a google account, IOW if you have Gmail or a Youtube account, their privacy policy is changing for the worse.

The idea was to go to the link in my opening post and follow directions which would limit what Google can do with your private information, but now it may be too late.
I think Google's new sucky policy of forever saving and selling the records of everything you do while logged into Gmail or Youtube began today.
Besides all of your Google searches, THEY EVEN LOOK IN THE BODY OF YOUR EMAILS AND SELL THAT INFO TO MAKE MONEY OFF YOU. :angryfire: :angryfire: :angryfire:

:knockout: :knockout: :knockout:

I believe the only way to now prevent this is to permanently close and abandon your Youtube and Gmail accounts.
 

Maria D

Brilliant_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

I think the take away here is that we all need to be very careful about what we do online. Whether it's posting, emailing, or searching, it sits on a server somewhere and we have no control over it. On top of that, analysis of what we do online is subject to interpretation -- remember the Casey Anthony web searches for chloroform that an expert claimed happened 83 or so times, but then later said the software they used was faulty and it may have been far fewer times?

If we are ever unfortunate enough to be accused of a serious crime, online activity can and will be used to try to incriminate whether or not we disable our google accounts. Who knows, maybe allowing Google to record searches could be someone's *alibi* someday, as opposed to an "expert" claiming something that wasn't accurate.
 

kenny

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0-0-0

Brilliant_Rock
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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Just to provide a little more context: http://www.infoworld.com/t/internet-privacy/how-does-googles-new-privacy-policy-compare-185113

FYI all email providers (free/paid/employer) scan the body of emails for spam, as well as other content if they choose to. Internet service providers or governments (most notably China) may also scan any incoming/outgoing email. Running your own email server onsite only avoids scanning as long as the email is still on your server. Any incoming/outgoing email is prone to scanning by other parties.

You can make it more difficult for others to scan the body of emails for content by making the message more secure, such as putting the message in a password protected pdf file for example.
 

swimmer

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

ForteKitty|1330371818|3135760 said:
If you're important enough, the govt is probably already keeping tabs on you. I'm not concerned about anyone finding out that i'm searching for jewelry and food, and I think people are freaking out over nothing.

I agree ForeKitty. I don't see what the point is in trying to get "off the grid." Gmail provides me with awesome free services so sure, they can sell targeted advertising my way. Of course I am free to use an adblock so see no ads, including on PS.

But even if gmail wasn't such an awesome platform (I use googledocs for everything) I don't really care if they see that late at night I peruse amazon toys for bargains and Langs jewels for eyecandy. I like that youtube keeps my history, makes finding the toddler's fave Elmo videos easy to find. Shrug, there is no govt conspiracy, I'm totally not on anyone's radar.
 

Imdanny

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

SO told me Google thinks we're "a thirteen year old girl". Hahahahaha! I'm sure that's because I look at jewelry and we both look at pop music.

Google. Grr! :rolleyes: Like whatever!!! ;))

In all seriousness, I don't like this kind of stuff either. They did promise anonymity when the internet began - not this kind of BS. Would people have felt so free to use it? Would it have become what it is? Now they are doing this kind of carp.

Miss Thing, Sara and I need help! The instructions make no sense!
 

Maria D

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

anonymity? If I google my name, my address comes up and if I click on that, a map to my house comes up with a picture of my house to make sure that the googler knows *exactly* where I live. Privacy is long gone.

On the other hand, when I need to go somewhere new, I don't get lost anymore! :loopy:
 

HopeDream

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Re: PSA: Delete your Google/Youtube history before it's too

Thanks for the head's up Kenny! It's always nice to tidy up one's online footprint if one can. :appl:
 
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