Google to change privacy policy, how do we opt out, any links to use?

Fortyfoot

Policy change HERE on c/net. I heard on the news this morning that google users can opt out of this information sharing. I have tried to find the page but been unsuccessful so far. Any one found it yet?

Thanks,

Fortyfoot

Andrew1472

As I understand it, signing out of your Google account effectively opts you out.
While you stay signed in you are opted in and can do nothing much about it.
If you are signed out or don't have an account you become an anonymous user from Googles viewpoint.
If you need your Google account for Gmail etc. then you are effectively stuck with it for want of a better expression.

Before you sign out you might want to go to "Google dashboard" to see what information they have about you and edit/delete some if you can or need to.
I'll let you google that

The information here http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/29/tech/web/protect-privacy-google/?hpt=hp_bn6 might help.

Blocking third party cookies in your browser also helps a bit with privacy in general by blocking hundreds of tracking cookies out there, and, for me at least, doesn't affect day to day browsing at all.

WhiteChristmas

Sign into your Google account and go to https://www.google.com/history to freeze search history collection and delete anything existing.

Then, yes, to https://www.google.com/dashboard to delete any oither stuff you might not want available to the public.

mr_fishbulb

WhiteChristmas wrote: »

Then, yes, to https://www.google.com/dashboard to delete any oither stuff you might not want available to the public.

What of this stuff do you reckon is available to the public?

Iconic

Has anyone used this?

https://startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html

propertyman

If you are a gmail user, then use it as IMAP, and run it on any number of free email clients, eg Mozilla as in snychs between any devices you access the email.


That way you need not log in while browsing

Use a different browser for email.

propertyman

ItsJuicy wrote: »

as it stands, the results on Google search are poor at the moment and seem to be getting worse with each update.

Thank you so much I thought that it was just me. I had even resorted to bing :eek:

Andrew1472

Iconic wrote: »

Has anyone used this?

https://startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html

Yes and http://duckduckgo.com/

I haven't used either for long enough yet to come to any conclusions though.

Pound

I don't really see what the big deal is. Google will still store the same information that it did before, still won't give it to anyone you don't want them to.

[Deleted User]

Pound wrote: »

I don't really see what the big deal is. Google will still store the same information that it did before, still won't give it to anyone you don't want them to.

People are being provided with free services by Google, a point that seems to elude a lot of the criticism. A single policy should make it a lot easier for people to make the choice whether they are comfortable in using the benefit of these services in exchange for how Google are delivering advertisements in order to support these.

Skymist

Iconic wrote: »

Has anyone used this?

https://startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html

I am!


I've been using this since I received the google email about their privacy changes, probably about three weeks now, and the layout is pretty similar to what I'm used to with google. I tried DuckDuckGo, but didn't like the layout. I then tried Ixquick (https://www.ixquick.com/ ), which is the sister site of Startpage.com, who say of Startpage "NEW! Ixquick now offers anonymous Google results on its sister websiteStartpage.com.Try your search now!"

I must admit, I panicked when I received the email and promptly closed my gmail account, before coming across the information that Andrew1472 has posted about in his post here (post 2), and obviously cannot do anything about it now as I no longer have an account to get into to delete/edit....silly me!!! I can only hope that when I closed my account, that all my info was removed from google's servers...though I doubt it!!! I use AdBlockPlus, Ghostery and Cookie Monster on FF, and CCleaner when I shut up shop, so hopefully I'm retaining some sort of privacy.

S