Hate Google, Is there an alternative that repects privacy ?

Knarf44

Anybody tried or use SRWare's Iron browser?

http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_chrome_vs_iron.php

supposedly an optimised for privacy and security version of chrome.

Gillor

bubblesbonbon wrote: »

Ixquick boasts it's privacy credentials but I don't know if they use data for their own uses

StartPage is the new name for Ixquick - see post #3.

rufydoofyM

Thanks for the suggestions everyone:)

bluesnake you lost me a bit in your first reply. I'm not very technical minded.

bubblesbonbon wrote: »

Ixquick boasts it's privacy credentials but I don't know if they use data for their own uses.

https://www.ixquick.com/uk/

https://www.ixquick.com/eng/prism-program-revealed.html

Your second link is precisely the reason for my concern. Google have been underhand and sneaky over the years and are far too powerful IMO.

I don't feel that I am being paranoid. We live in a world that is obsessed with social media, cctv and surveillance where we are expected and encouraged to share every detail of our lives willingly or not. Perhaps I am old fashioned or just a total cynic, but I prefer some control on my privacy and personality with out being profiled by google and the like.

I don't understand proxy.

Tiexen

Another vote for ixquick - but it still uses Google its just your details are hidden - ixquick Googles for you (and that's a proxy)

buglawton

Its quite obvious that if you are researching some shopping, the cookies will follow you around for ages after, you will see pop up ads for similar product and these ads cross to completely different sites, proving they are sharing cookies. You can do a cookie cleardown but any logging into Google or Facebook can 'rejoin' the broken cookie trail very easily. :eek:

Plus I have no doubt at all that there are [strike]snooping[/strike] marketing tools to track your whole household by linking cookies between different devices connected to the same WiFi. :think:

On occasion I have actually found some highly targeted advertising resulted in me getting an online bargain or two. What really annoys me though is after I bought an item, I'm being chased for weeks to buy the same again! I'd love there to be a 'already bought one, ta' button!

bubblesbonbon

Gillor wrote: »

StartPage is the new name for Ixquick - see post #3.

StartPage only uses Google whereas Ixquick is a metasearch engine which uses five independent engines.

Useitorloseit_2

buglawton wrote: »

Its quite obvious that if you are researching some shopping, the cookies will follow you around for ages after, you will see pop up ads for similar product and these ads cross to completely different sites, proving they are sharing cookies. You can do a cookie cleardown but any logging into Google or Facebook can 'rejoin' the broken cookie trail very easily. :eek:

Plus I have no doubt at all that there are [strike]snooping[/strike] marketing tools to track your whole household by linking cookies between different devices connected to the same WiFi. :think:

On occasion I have actually found some highly targeted advertising resulted in me getting an online bargain or two. What really annoys me though is after I bought an item, I'm being chased for weeks to buy the same again! I'd love there to be a 'already bought one, ta' button!

Yeah this really annoys me, especially when you have done insurance quotes ...or looked at shopping sites, and I am using hidemyass , have been for a while , but looking at alternatives such as tor etc

bluesnake

Useitorloseit wrote: »

...I am using hidemyass , have been for a while , but looking at alternatives such as tor etc

Tor is very good, but if you need bandwith or speed then I would look at http://schoolofprivacy.eu/vpn for another option

Actually the whole site http://schoolofprivacy.eu is quite good.

If you do not use the VPNs dns, then encrypt yours by using dnscrypt and tick the 'DNSCrypt over TCP/443' box too

paddyrg

If the annoying adverts chasing you freak you out (they freak me out for sure) then ghostery browser plug in might help, as it blocks all those taking cookies and beacons and Web bugs. 4od player page has 14 or so, they are like confetti.

paddyrg

As you'll see by the fact that whistleblowers and 'hackers' (abuse of the term, I'm using it in the Hollywood sense) are frequently caught and prosecuted, even the fairly savvy ones, it's probably important to know there is no such thing as total privacy online - you always leave footprints. Sometimes they might be smaller, sometimes they may take a circuitous route, but they will always be there.