How To: Escape From Google’s Clutches, Once and For All

Wayne02 · #1 02/16/12, 10:00 PM

I thought we had a thread around here about Googles upcoming policy change, privacy or lack there of, not being able to 'opt out', etc but I can't seem to find it. Came across this article which talks about some options to get off the google train should you desire.

The policy takes effect March 1st and can be found prominently displayed on most every google platform (youtube, search, picasa, etc). I'm wondering what your take is on the new policy. If I understand it correctly your information will be shared across all google services - search, picasa, youtube, gmail, and probably some I'm missing. While I understand that google makes its money on ads, and being able to target ads to peoples profile and behavior patterns is a key element, not being able to opt out is problematic. Bottom line though is it's their business and they will do what they feel necessary.

So it seems that as soon as you sign into your google account then whatever information they have will be shared across all platforms in an effort to personalize and enhance your google experience.

I'm not as tied into the google machine as some folks but I do have a gmail account. Typically I don't need to sign into the web account because I receive them to my outlook program on the desktop. However, when I'm traveling a dozen or so times per year I do access the email via the gmail website which of course requires me to sign in.

I'm wondering what other email services are available out there to use instead. The article recommend yahoo. Does yahoo allow you to access the email from the web when needed?

Also came across this outfit that claims to include encryption. Anybody familiar with this?
http://www.hushmail.com/services/hushmail/

As far as search engines goes, the article recommends bing, and there is also this one that claims to be a bit more private. Anybody use this search engine?
https://www.ixquick.com/

How To: Escape From Google’s Clutches, Once and For All
http://gizmodo.com/5879015/how-to-es...ce-and-for-all

cmcon=7 · #2 02/16/12, 10:35 PM

I can't delete my sent mail, but I have deleted most of my received mail, I have quit using the account ( I assume the previous eula is in force for all pre 3/1 activity).
It will be hard to not use google search tho.
It might be best to retire this computer and start fresh with a new AG (after google)
unit.

ps: short google ,they will loose 15% of users over this.

Bearfootfarm · #3 02/16/12, 10:39 PM

Quote:

as soon as you sign into your google account

No account, no problems

whodunit · #4 02/16/12, 10:52 PM

It seems I remember a search engine being advertised on Coast to Coast (among others). It uses some sort of technology that hides your location, etc. Something like starting on one engine then being transferred to another somehow, so nothing could be tracked or not easily so. I'll do some Googling to find it (ironic, huh?).

JuliaAnn · #5 02/16/12, 10:52 PM

So if I understand correctly, you can use google as a search engine as long as you don't sign into your account, and it won't keep a record of your searches? I find that hard to believe.

Google has Scroogle choked down to the point it can't be used 99% of the time now, so I'll try th IXQuick. Thanks for the link. I'm always looking for a proxy that is fast and isn't crammed with ads.

whodunit · #6 02/16/12, 10:52 PM

That was easy...

www.startpage.com

JuliaAnn · #7 02/16/12, 11:01 PM

THAT'S the one I was asking about a few weeks ago! I had used a proxy a while back when Scroogle was unavailable, and then I forgot the name of it. I asked around here somewhere if anyone knew the name of it, and didn't get any replies. So glad I found it. Seems that Ixquick and Startpage are the same.

Sawmill Jim · #8 02/16/12, 11:23 PM

But why does Start Page say enhanced by Google

I been using DuckDuckGo

kasilofhome · #9 02/17/12, 12:09 PM

Yes, how can one get rid of Google. I do not want Big Brother!!!! Look I have netflix and due the the crazy thing such as a family with different likes we now have netflix tell us what movies "people like me" would like. Issue I like cooking shows husband and son like icky scary movies thus Netflix "suggestions" for people like me is stuff like cannibal movies UCK. Dh and DS do not just like icky movies but when selection are limited to what they believe you "like" it is more of a challenge to enjoy movies. I fear that google will start selecting what I can view in regaurds to searches. Yea--I stocked up on tin foil.

logbuilder · #10 02/17/12, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

But why does Start Page say enhanced by Google

I been using DuckDuckGo

Here is what they say about google.

--------------------------

Startpage offers you Web search results from Google in complete privacy!

When you search with Startpage, we remove all identifying information from your query and submit it anonymously to Google ourselves. We get the results and return them to you in total privacy.

Your IP address is never recorded, your visit is not logged, and no tracking cookies are placed on your browser. When it comes to protecting your privacy, Startpage runs the tightest ship on the Internet. Our outstanding privacy policy and thoughtful engineering give you great search results in total anonymity. Here are some of our key features:

Free proxy surfing available.
Praised by privacy experts worldwide.
Twelve-year company track record.
Third-party certified.

No IP address recorded.
No record is made of your searches.
No identifying or tracking cookies used.
Powerful SSL encryption available.

To learn more, check out our privacy page and read our privacy policy. We're confident you'll like what you see.

sidepasser · #11 02/17/12, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whodunit

It seems I remember a search engine being advertised on Coast to Coast (among others). It uses some sort of technology that hides your location, etc. Something like starting on one engine then being transferred to another somehow, so nothing could be tracked or not easily so. I'll do some Googling to find it (ironic, huh?).

You can use Tor which I use, but be careful as it can take you places that ordinary search engines do not go.

see here: https://www.torproject.org/

Tor is great at protecting your privacy.

Harry Chickpea · #12 02/17/12, 01:43 PM

Looks like a lot of folks here never heard of proxy servers. I'm not seeing it as a particular issue anymore than before.

sidepasser · #13 02/17/12, 02:15 PM

Most people are not that computer savvy and don't know how to use a proxy server.

My son taught me about proxies years ago as he grew up with computers. Another proxy that works off the TOR .onion concept is the I2P proxy which is a slightly more enhanced version of the TOR proxy concept.

The key is finding the type of proxy for the reason you need the proxy. If you want to be anon on the web then pick one like TOR. There are proixies for filtering, web proxies, anon proxies, etc.

lonelyfarmgirl · #14 02/17/12, 05:03 PM

My Android phone is a google program and you are required to have gmail to use the data plan. How do you get around that?

tab · #15 02/17/12, 07:28 PM

SidePasser, thanks for that link. One of my goals this week was to find and start using to r. The tracking for advertising is getting out of hand! I see they have an app for Droid users.

Can someone explain how proxies work, in simple English? I know that droids have root programs that track so I don't get how that can be circumvented.

Good thread, thanks.

Sawmill Jim · #16 02/17/12, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logbuilder

Here is what they say about google.

--------------------------

Startpage offers you Web search results from Google in complete privacy!

When you search with Startpage, we remove all identifying information from your query and submit it anonymously to Google ourselves. We get the results and return them to you in total privacy.

Your IP address is never recorded, your visit is not logged, and no tracking cookies are placed on your browser. When it comes to protecting your privacy, Startpage runs the tightest ship on the Internet. Our outstanding privacy policy and thoughtful engineering give you great search results in total anonymity. Here are some of our key features:

Free proxy surfing available.
Praised by privacy experts worldwide.
Twelve-year company track record.
Third-party certified.

No IP address recorded.
No record is made of your searches.
No identifying or tracking cookies used.
Powerful SSL encryption available.

To learn more, check out our privacy page and read our privacy policy. We're confident you'll like what you see.

Thanks i'v been off my feed lately feeling like death sucking on a lifesaver and getting closer to the hole

texican · #17 02/17/12, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

My Android phone is a google program and you are required to have gmail to use the data plan. How do you get around that?

As far as I know, we're screwed with Android and Iphones.... both send basically every action you do on the phones, back to a centralized server, that records this information *anonymously* ... right!

I consider my actions on the smartphone like a postcard... any snoop can see everything....

wingnut64 · #18 02/17/12, 09:29 PM

Yep.
It's not going to be as simple or easy as Google or others say.
You have to read the whole privacy policy very carefully, all the way to the end to understand what they've done.
Just because YOU don't use anything Google does not mean your privacy won't be violated.
The only way to avoid it would be to unplug right now and never get back on.
If others have read the policy and can show me otherwise I'd welcome that.
You may be able to prevent your searches from being known, but consider a few examples.

You order something online with company XYZ. They are hooked to Google. According to the policy Google can look, store and distribute any and all of their customer's data.
That would include you and what you ordered.

You do some banking online or pay bills.
That financial institution has a Google ad.
They are a Google customer and whatever data they have, Google has.

Most of the good legal stuff is at the bottom in the last paragraph. The first 3/4 is all about how it's all for your own good and convenience. We're just here to help.
I guess they figure most people won't read to the bottom and fall for it.

sidepasser · #19 02/17/12, 09:30 PM

The way a proxy works is you connect to a server and send a message, say you want to visit a survival site, so your request goes through the proxy which strips out your identifying info and forwards the request on, sometimes through multiple proxies which in turn anonomize your request until it reaches the destination. You are still connected to the site you requested but a snoop cannot backtrace your IP as that info has been cleaned. It can be done by encryption or by use of the proxy Ip addy as a replacement for your ip. This is about as basic as I can explain it. Proxy servers can be standalone or in the case of tor, linked together in a network. You can bypass your service provider restrictions using a proxy if they did not want you to go to a certain site.
I will caution those new to proxies that there are some sites located on proxy servers that are illegal and morally bankrupt and beyond anything most average people would ever want to see or know about. There are also legions of viruses and other bad things that can kill a computer. Just don't go to those types of sites and keep your requests to sites you know. Proxies are used by the government, military, colleges, regular people as well. But unlike the normal net that you use everyday where service providers keep things relatively clean, proxy service providers tend to attract the unsavory as sites and forums can be put up anon and since visitors to those sites are anon, well there is a lack of policing in the deep web. Just a caution that proxies can take you to either side. Don't let my caution scare you away from using a proxy as they are quite useful and provide a good service and I have never had any trouble with one. Just don't google proxy service and take the first thing that pops up. Some are not as good as others. Be aware too that proxies change pretty regularly and new ones spring up all the time.
Others could give you more in depth info or you can read about how they work on the net.
As far as droids go, I don't know as I use a crackberry and rim encrypts everything which is why businesses prefer them. I imagine there is a tor app for droid, you could visit the site to find out

Wayne02 · #20 02/18/12, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texican

As far as I know, we're screwed with Android and Iphones.... both send basically every action you do on the phones, back to a centralized server, that records this information *anonymously* ... right!

I consider my actions on the smartphone like a postcard... any snoop can see everything....

Do you know if rooting the phone helps in this regard? My understanding is rooting can stop the advertisements and free you from the google bloatware programs, but I'm unclear what it does in terms of information gathering.

I use my phone without signing into the gmail account and everything seems to work (except the google programs of course). I finally found the instructions for rooting my phone. The good news is the phone is one that can be rooted, the bad news is it's a somewhat involved process that's a bit intimidating.