What’s Google know about me? How?
September 19, 2015 1:21 AM Subscribe
I’ve got questions about Google searches and results.
I’ve been reading a few accounts of people being arrested and a few graphs in there’s the phrase “their Google history showed they searched for” something incriminating.
Where can I find out what Google keeps on file? I’m only mildly paranoid, so I have my browser (Firefox) set to erase the cache when I close it, I run CCleaner regularly, I don’t use a gmail account, and I’ve started using DuckDuckGo as my search engine. Does Google attach searches and results to an account, or to my IP address, or to my MAC address?
Or should I just “don’t worry, be happy?”
I’ve been reading a few accounts of people being arrested and a few graphs in there’s the phrase “their Google history showed they searched for” something incriminating.
Where can I find out what Google keeps on file? I’m only mildly paranoid, so I have my browser (Firefox) set to erase the cache when I close it, I run CCleaner regularly, I don’t use a gmail account, and I’ve started using DuckDuckGo as my search engine. Does Google attach searches and results to an account, or to my IP address, or to my MAC address?
Or should I just “don’t worry, be happy?”
I don't think it's possible to know ALL that Google keeps on file. I don't trust them to tell you all of it. I do believe that it attaches searches to an IP.
I'm only slightly more paranoid than you (I prefer to call it sensible). You may like Startpage. Read their privacy statement, linked from the top of that page; it's relevant to your interests.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:38 AM on September 19, 2015
I'm only slightly more paranoid than you (I prefer to call it sensible). You may like Startpage. Read their privacy statement, linked from the top of that page; it's relevant to your interests.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:38 AM on September 19, 2015
i don't know anything specific about google, but from a technical point of view, they are very unlikely to have your MAC address - the protocols just don't work that way.
it would be normal practice to associate searches with both IP and username (if logged in). they may also make some attempt to associate usernames with IP addresses even when people are not logged in, but i doubt that information would be used when supplying information for a routine request from law enforcement (it might be used if they were cooperating in an attempt to find a high profile target like a "terrorist").
duck-duck go should be sufficient to anonymize you.
posted by andrewcooke at 5:39 AM on September 19, 2015
it would be normal practice to associate searches with both IP and username (if logged in). they may also make some attempt to associate usernames with IP addresses even when people are not logged in, but i doubt that information would be used when supplying information for a routine request from law enforcement (it might be used if they were cooperating in an attempt to find a high profile target like a "terrorist").
duck-duck go should be sufficient to anonymize you.
posted by andrewcooke at 5:39 AM on September 19, 2015
MAC addresses are not visible outside the immediate network. Google doesn't state exactly what they do, but they almost certainly track searches by both the IP address and cookies that they set.
Or should I just “don’t worry, be happy?”
It depends on how obsessive about privacy you are. In all likelihood, you are not interesting enough for anyone to care about your search history other than as a blip to try to sell advertising to you. If you really care about not being tracked by any one, you need to use something like Tor. If you moderately care about not having your searches tracked, you can stick to using something like Duck Duck Go.
However, if you carry a cell phone and use credit cards (and haven't done everything you can to opt out of their data collection and sale), you're giving out a ton of data about yourself too. It's very hard to operate in the style of the modern world without losing a lot of privacy.
posted by Candleman at 6:06 AM on September 19, 2015
Or should I just “don’t worry, be happy?”
It depends on how obsessive about privacy you are. In all likelihood, you are not interesting enough for anyone to care about your search history other than as a blip to try to sell advertising to you. If you really care about not being tracked by any one, you need to use something like Tor. If you moderately care about not having your searches tracked, you can stick to using something like Duck Duck Go.
However, if you carry a cell phone and use credit cards (and haven't done everything you can to opt out of their data collection and sale), you're giving out a ton of data about yourself too. It's very hard to operate in the style of the modern world without losing a lot of privacy.
posted by Candleman at 6:06 AM on September 19, 2015
Google must remember your IP address at least as long as it takes to send a response back. If a site says it does not record and store your IP address and other data generated by your visit, you get to decide if you believe that. Everyone needs to pay the bills.
posted by justcorbly at 8:41 AM on September 19, 2015
posted by justcorbly at 8:41 AM on September 19, 2015
Mostly, the search history indicated is the one for your browser on your own computer. One of the Boston bomber's friends was sent to jail because he cleared his browser history in order to frustrate the police. Now, if his attorney could argue that he knew the police could get the info directly from Google, he might have beat the rap. If you always clear your browser history and run CCCleaner, the its harder for the state to make the case that you did it in one particular time to destroy evidence, but they might try.
I've never seen a case that stated clearly that the police got a browser history directly from Google. Google does save the searches, but they may not save them with ID info attached. Or maybe they do.
Also, although it's common for police to recover files from "unused" disk space, I've never seen an ordinary civilian case where files were recovered after being overwritten despite claims that the technology is available to do so.
The biggest threat to your privacy these days is likely that the police intercept your info in real time via Stingrays or other intrusive hacks.
IANAL.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:03 AM on September 19, 2015
I've never seen a case that stated clearly that the police got a browser history directly from Google. Google does save the searches, but they may not save them with ID info attached. Or maybe they do.
Also, although it's common for police to recover files from "unused" disk space, I've never seen an ordinary civilian case where files were recovered after being overwritten despite claims that the technology is available to do so.
The biggest threat to your privacy these days is likely that the police intercept your info in real time via Stingrays or other intrusive hacks.
IANAL.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:03 AM on September 19, 2015
Beyond searching, every site that you go to that has Google Analytics enabled (a significant percentage) will associate your behavior with your IP address / browser fingerprint, even if you are logged out of your Google Account. I believe this data is anonymized / aggregated and thus not really targeting *you*, but it is being stored, if temporarily, in a Google database somewhere and for a lot of non-Google sites.
Browser plugins like Ghostery should prevent this data from being sent to Google in the first place.
posted by meowzilla at 2:26 PM on September 19, 2015
Browser plugins like Ghostery should prevent this data from being sent to Google in the first place.
posted by meowzilla at 2:26 PM on September 19, 2015
Essentially anything coming from your IP address is fair game in court if an interested party decides to subpoena your ISP. The rule of thumb online is that anything you do can be traced back to you and potentially, under an extreme circumstance, be exposed. The only way to truly confidentially search for anything or surf the web is to do so on a computer you purchased with cash, and on public WiFi (having a coffee-shop only laptop for example). If at any point you use said laptop at home, or sign into any personal email accounts or utility/pay-for-service accounts with it, it will connect to your home WiFi or be logged in your login history in said accounts and be linked to you forever. So basically buy a new laptop with cash, never turn it on at home, and only use it at a coffee shop and never login to anything you login to at home with it. That's the only way to really have privacy online. Tablets and such typically require a contract if you're purchasing a data package for them, but I suppose you could have a 'coffee shop only' tablet and just use WiFi with it. But again, you could never use it at home and let it link up with your home network. I don't like the idea of people searching for ailments and then somehow magically their medical underwriter denies them a policy for example, but I'm sure it will happen someday. The 'ordering a pizza in the future' video on YT is chilling.
posted by Avosunspin at 4:53 PM on September 19, 2015
posted by Avosunspin at 4:53 PM on September 19, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by gregjones at 2:11 AM on September 19, 2015