# Lifestyles & Discussion > Privacy & Data Security >  Things That Google Knows About You

## freeSpeach

*Things That Google Knows About You*
Obviously if you use are a user of Google services you are sharing a lot of your search behavior among other things with Google as well. The E-Justice blog has published an interesting post on 25 Surprising Things That Google Knows About You. Below is a sample from the complete list of 25.

    *
      The web pages you visit: Google AdSense is used by many web pages for online advertising, and Googles cookies record your visits to web pages with their ad program on them.
    *
      The blogs you read: If you use Google Reader, Google knows the blogs you subscribe to. Even if youre not on Google Reader, Google knows all of the Blogger pages you visit.
    *
      Who and what youre emailing: GMail users, and those who send mail to GMail users share a variety of personal and business information with Google.
    *
      Whats on your PC: If youre using Google Desktop, Google knows everything that you keep on your computer.
    *
      Your schedule: Google Calendar opens your personal and business schedule up to the prying eyes of Google.
    *
      Your social network and interests: Google indexes sites like Orkut, Facebook, and Digg, and as such, has access to information about what youre interested in online.
    *
      Where you and your friends are: Using Google Latitude, cell phone users can share their location with others. Even if youre not using Latitude, Google Maps for mobile can approximate your location.
    *
      Your medical issues: Do you use Google Health? If so, youre sharing your entire medical history with Google.
    *
      Mobile number: On SMS, Google Mobile, and Gmail, you can reveal your mobile number to Google.
    *
      What you, your friends and family look like and do: With the photo editor Picasa, youre revealing your photographs, friends, and moments to Google.
http://seotricksguide.info/2009/03/t...ows-about-you/

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## smartguy911

If you are worried about Google finding too much about you, just do the following -

1. Download Firefox on your computer
2. Install noscript plugin - http://noscript.net/
3. Block google-analytics.com and google.com

Javascript is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.

Also, use ultrasurf for surfing the web - http://www.ultrareach.com/

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## axiomata

> If you are worried about Google finding too much about you, just do the following -
> 
> 1. Download Firefox on your computer
> 2. Install noscript plugin - http://noscript.net/
> 3. Block google-analytics.com and google.com
> 
> Javascript is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.
> 
> Also, use ultrasurf for surfing the web - http://www.ultrareach.com/


Is there a way to block google.com and still use gmail?

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## Kludge

And yet I still get irrelevant adsense ads.

Human Scale Liberty ChairNow 15% Off. Limited Time Offer Free Shipping & Handling Ends 3/14www.Sit4Less.com/Liberty-Chair
Anyway, not truly deleting your own computer's data is probably going to be the culprit in case the government were to prosecute you.

File Shredder is freeware and does a decent-enough job making your data unrecoverable.

But, I mean... There's really only so much security you need. There's no reason to think you need to do anything to "protect yourself" unless you're doing stupid $#@! on the Internet like plotting the assassination of Obama via email or downloading the Anarchist's Cookbook.

Same goes with viruses/malware/spyware. Just think before you do (click) something and you'll be fine. I haven't had AV software for years, have most of my ports open, and occasionally pirate software without any incidents since I built this computer a couple Christmases ago.

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## reagle

> If you are worried about Google finding too much about you, just do the following -
> 
> 1. Download Firefox on your computer
> 2. Install noscript plugin - http://noscript.net/
> 3. Block google-analytics.com and google.com
> 
> Javascript is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.
> 
> Also, use ultrasurf for surfing the web - http://www.ultrareach.com/


Noscript is good.

Here are a few more which are also good 

Adblock 
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865

Flashblock
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433

Cookie Button (block cookies)
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1328

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## freeSpeach

Just google search engine tracks alot. Now they have a new TOS for adsense thats more targeted.

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## Dripping Rain

> *Things That Google Knows About You*
> Obviously if you use are a user of Google services you are sharing a lot of your search behavior among other things with Google as well. The E-Justice blog has published an interesting post on 25 Surprising Things That Google Knows About You. Below is a sample from the complete list of 25.
> 
>     *
>       The web pages you visit: Google AdSense is used by many web pages for online advertising, and Googles cookies record your visits to web pages with their ad program on them.
>     *
>       The blogs you read: If you use Google Reader, Google knows the blogs you subscribe to. Even if youre not on Google Reader, Google knows all of the Blogger pages you visit.
>     *
>       Who and what youre emailing: GMail users, and those who send mail to GMail users share a variety of personal and business information with Google.
> ...


thanks freespeach
thats why i rarely use google

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## Dripping Rain

> If you are worried about Google finding too much about you, just do the following -
> 
> 1. Download Firefox on your computer
> 2. Install noscript plugin - http://noscript.net/
> 3. Block google-analytics.com and google.com
> 
> Javascript is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.
> 
> Also, use ultrasurf for surfing the web - http://www.ultrareach.com/


thanks smartguy ill do that

btw google added a tool bar to my firefox eventhough I never approved. how can i remove this? and/or block it?
will noscript be enough? thanks

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## Paulitical Correctness

Yes, google, I like porn & liberty.

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## ShowMeLiberty

http://www.ixquick.com

Ixquick Protects Your Privacy
The only search engine that does not record your IP address.

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## Austin

> thanks smartguy ill do that
> 
> btw google added a tool bar to my firefox eventhough I never approved. how can i remove this? and/or block it?
> will noscript be enough? thanks


Are you talking about the search box in the top right of the browser? That's there by default because they paid Mozilla to have it, just like the default home page.

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## Dripping Rain

> Are you talking about the search box in the top right of the browser? That's there by default because they paid Mozilla to have it, just like the default home page.


but i read somewhere those things have spy-ware
the browser bars
i never approved google to have a bar on my firefox which is unacceptable
this really sucks

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## specsaregood

> is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.


There are a few more worth blocking....
127.0.0.1 adwords.google.com
127.0.0.1 pagead.googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 adservices.google.com
127.0.0.1 ssl.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 imageads.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads1.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads2.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads3.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads4.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads5.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads6.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads7.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads8.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 imageads9.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 www.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 show.googleadsenseagent.com
127.0.0.1 www.googlecaches.com
127.0.0.1 partner.googleadservices.com
127.0.0.1 0.afs.googleadservices.com

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## Kludge

Bah, many websites can remain free due to Adsense.


Why was FS banned?

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## reagle

Google has also information on all YouTube videos.

YouTube Insight, a free tool that enables anyone with a YouTube account to view detailed statistics about the videos that they upload to the site. For example, uploaders can see how often their videos are viewed in different geographic regions, as well as how popular they are relative to all videos in that market over a given period of time. You can also delve deeper into the lifecycle of your videos, like how long it takes for a video to become popular, and what happens to video views as popularity peaks. 

How does this help you? Well, using these metrics, you can increase your videos' view counts and improve your popularity on the site. For instance, you might learn that your videos are most popular on Wednesdays, that you have a huge following in Spain, or that new videos that play off previous content become more popular more quickly.

We'll be making new features and additional information available fairly quickly -- like a specific breakdown of how viewers discovered the video --

http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=IRJjhiDz6RU

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## brandon

I really don't care. Google provides me an excellent service for free. If they want to store my searches in a database so they can target ads to me, then so be it.

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## InThaBackGround

> If you are worried about Google finding too much about you, just do the following -
> 
> 1. Download Firefox on your computer
> 2. Install noscript plugin - http://noscript.net/
> 3. Block google-analytics.com and google.com
> 
> Javascript is the main tool that most sites utilize for tracking and collecting information.  If you can block google.com and google-analytics.com, you should be good.
> 
> Also, use ultrasurf for surfing the web - http://www.ultrareach.com/


I am confused. I looked at Ultrasearch and it states GOOGLE 2009 right on the bottom and the advanced search even shows as a Google search engine. How does that work to protect you from Google data collection?

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## Gaius1981

> http://www.ixquick.com
> 
> Ixquick Protects Your Privacy
> The only search engine that does not record your IP address.


Thank you.

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## DAFTEK

> http://www.ixquick.com
> 
> Ixquick Protects Your Privacy
> The only search engine that does not record your IP address.


U the man.... or woman...  But thanks

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## amy31416

> Bah, many websites can remain free due to Adsense.
> 
> 
> Why was FS banned?


I'm curious about why FS was banned as well.

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## acptulsa

> I'm curious about why FS was banned as well.


Got a little too, shall we say, specific in this thread:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=183673

I think that was the thread.  Don't see the particular post any more.

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## LittleLightShining

> but i read somewhere those things have spy-ware
> the browser bars
> i never approved google to have a bar on my firefox which is unacceptable
> this really sucks


You can add search engines to it. I have 9 there. If there's a down arrow next to the Google icon you should be able to scroll down to "manage search engines".

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