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

Lifeforms

anewhope wrote: »

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.

It might make it a lot easier, but yet again people wont care after a few weeks, wont bother to check privacy settings, will just float along in the sea of ignorance until one company or another will post a little thing about theirs that will be mis-read, and virally blogged as the day the world will end etc. PANIC MODE ENGAGED!!

They changed nothing. They grouped it together. They announced it weeks ago, and only just now that it's been implemented finally are people thinking "oh. maybe i should do something?" "What does the web say to do?"

Long, but about covers it:

Andrew1472

Skymist wrote: »

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

I doubt if your info was removed too, but I can't see how they can link it to you anymore, though I could be wrong, but I wouldn't worry too much.
I'm sure your set-up is fine, but rather than use Ghostery, I've added fanboys tracking list to Adblockplus http://www.fanboy.co.nz/

An interesting add-on to install temporarily is https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/collusion/?src=api
It's written by a Mozilla employee, so should be OK.
It shows my set-up as blocking virtually everything that wants to track me. It would be interesting to know how well Ghostery does.

Skymist

Many thanks for that Andrew....I've just added the fanboys tracking list to Adblockplus, and I hope that it doesn't cause any conflict with Ghostery, as I'm keeping that too!

"Collusion" looks interesting, but, does it slow down FF, as someone posted?

Someone else posted "Works fine but Collusion doesn't work if Adblock Plus is on (you coudn't see the icon on the bar)." As I use this, I was wondering about any conflict there.

I have to be careful NOT to become too paranoid :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

S

Andrew1472

Skymist wrote: »

Many thanks for that Andrew....I've just added the fanboys tracking list to Adblockplus, and I hope that it doesn't cause any conflict with Ghostery, as I'm keeping that too!

"Collusion" looks interesting, but, does it slow down FF, as someone posted?

Someone else posted "Works fine but Collusion doesn't work if Adblock Plus is on (you coudn't see the icon on the bar)." As I use this, I was wondering about any conflict there.

I have to be careful NOT to become too paranoid :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


S

Collusion works fine with ABP here. The icon appears in the add-on bar at the bottom, maybe they missed it??
I don't know whether it slows Firefox because I didn't have it installed long enough.
I opened most of my bookmarks once, looked at what Collusion said, was happy and uninstalled it. I can't think of a reason to have it installed long term to be honest.

You and me both with the paranoia. :rotfl:

EDIT I should add that if you successfully block everything Collusion will show no results, so it could appear to be not working.

Skymist

Thanks again Andrew.....glad to see I'm not the only one on Paranoia Road!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Has anyone tried/used/is using "Do Not Track Plus" (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/donottrackplus/)? Is it better than Ghostery? Can one use both together, or is this not advisable? I've read the reviews on Mozilla's addon site, and at the moment, as I've said, I'm using Ghostery, but cannot work out if one is better than the other. Can anyone advise please. TIA

S

Andrew1472

Skymist wrote: »

Thanks again Andrew.....glad to see I'm not the only one on Paranoia Road!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Has anyone tried/used/is using "Do Not Track Plus" (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/donottrackplus/)? Is it better than Ghostery? Can one use both together, or is this not advisable? I've read the reviews on Mozilla's addon site, and at the moment, as I've said, I'm using Ghostery, but cannot work out if one is better than the other. Can anyone advise please. TIA

S

You gave me another one to look at:eek:

Don't know the answer to your question, but apparently donottrack plus sets a load of opt out cookies to do it's job.
I'm sure it works well enough, but I don't want my cookie list cluttered with "good" cookies. It stops me easily seeing the ones I'm happy to keep or, more importantly, the ones that I want to delete.
http://www.donottrackplus.com/faqs2.php
The Keep my opt outs extension does the same thing in Chrome. I got rid of that very quickly.