tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post736929100656947562..comments2024-03-09T15:11:29.350-08:00Comments on Exotic and irrational entertainment: The KnowPrivacy Project: Google and Yahoo (and many others) are watching youPessimisissimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-43714793175028128282009-06-17T09:58:59.275-07:002009-06-17T09:58:59.275-07:00Great suggestion, Memsaab. The anonymouse.org home...Great suggestion, Memsaab. The <a href="http://anonymouse.org" rel="nofollow">anonymouse.org</a> homepage shows an example of the data that is gathered automatically by the websites you visit, and how it looks when you use their anonymizer. I can't vouch for anonymouse.org personally, but it's worth investigating.<br /><br />Interestingly, the day I visited the homepage of Anonymouse, it carried an ad for the Google Chrome web browser--and as the KnowPrivacy report shows, web bugs can be embedded in ads. So Google might well be tracking visitors to Anonymouse!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-27516326056664999022009-06-17T07:19:55.114-07:002009-06-17T07:19:55.114-07:00You can also hide your ip address if you want by s...You can also hide your ip address if you want by surfing through a site like anonymouse.org. It may not be perfect (or maybe it is) but it's something (and it's easy and free)...memsaabhttp://memsaabstory.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-24850937594281741662009-06-16T20:46:37.293-07:002009-06-16T20:46:37.293-07:00Bollyviewer, you're absolutely right that tech...Bollyviewer, you're absolutely right that technologies such as e-mail have become essential for conducting modern life. And while it's obviously impossible to completely protect your privacy, you can do a few things that may help to some extent:<br /><br />1. Block cookies from all sites except those that you trust, and if you can block all third-party cookies. Clear your browser cache of stored cookies at the end of every session.<br /><br />2. It's not possible to read the privacy policies of all sites you visit, but you should read the policies of sites that you buy things from, log in to, or otherwise explicitly share personal information with. <br /><br />3. Try to use sites that protect your privacy. <a href="www.yauba.com" rel="nofollow">Yauba (www.yauba.com)</a> is a search engine that claims not to use cookies or store your personal information (including searches), and says that if you access third-party websites through their "anonymiser privacy filter" those sites will also be unable to collect your personal information. I haven't yet seen these claims assessed independently, but they're certainly worth looking into.<br /><br />4. Support organizations (like the Electronic Frontier Foundation) that are trying to raise awareness about these issues and that are active in trying to represent the privacy interests of internet users.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />P.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-2265808926923463342009-06-16T14:14:39.069-07:002009-06-16T14:14:39.069-07:00The more I hear about internet applications, cell ...The more I hear about internet applications, cell phones, digital cable, etc., the more I feel like shutting myself up in a stone-age mansion and never using any modern gadgets! Since that is not possible, I wonder what we can do to fight against such invasion of privacy. It just isnt possible to exist without email and search engines (funny, a decade ago I didnt thinks so!) and its impractical to think I can read (and understand!) the privacy agreements of any and every web-page I visit.bollyviewerhttp://bollyviewer-oldisgold.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-67520903344466907212009-06-16T08:21:32.651-07:002009-06-16T08:21:32.651-07:00Your brother's comment is hilarious, Memsaab. ...Your brother's comment is hilarious, Memsaab. But I think the concern is not that there is someone out there in an office monitoring how many times you're watching Dharmendra videos on YouTube--though if you're doing it at work, there is someone doing just that. And as the RIAA music downloading lawsuits show, sometimes copyright owners do care about your computer use--a lot--and a subpoena can enable them to find out about it in detail. <br /><br />My concern is more that data about sites you visit and products you purchase are being aggregated automatically to create a profile of you (and users like you) which can have real-world consequences. Medical information is an example that's often used; insurance companies would certainly be interested in knowing who has visited breast cancer sites, for example. As more and more of our lives are conducted online, this information is potentially very detailed and valuable. It can also be highly misleading (what if you've visited that breast cancer site to find information for a friend?), but you have no way of correcting any misinformation or unwarranted assumptions.<br /><br />There are also the issues of knowledge, consent and control. Web bugs collect information about you without your knowledge or consent, and it is impossible for an ordinary user to discover what happens to this information after it has been gathered. <br /><br />If you share my concerns about these technologies, the <a href="http://www.eff.org" rel="nofollow">Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.eff.org)</a> monitors important developments in internet privacy, as well as other issues like free speech, innovation, government transparency, and intellectual property. <br /><br />And they have an excellent <a href="http://www.eff.org/policy" rel="nofollow">privacy policy</a>. The one worrisome aspect of that policy is that the EFF site's search capability is provided by Yahoo. Although EFF states that no personally identifiable information such as IP address is transmitted to Yahoo when you search EFF's site, it also says that "Information submitted to the search function is...subject to the search engine provider's privacy policy." Be forewarned.<br /><br />(I'm going to post the information about EFF on the main entry for the benefit of visitors who don't read the comments.)Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-69348659143981231222009-06-16T07:18:27.433-07:002009-06-16T07:18:27.433-07:00As my brother often says: the best protection agai...As my brother often says: the best protection against privacy invasion and identity theft is the total and utter insignificance of our lives.<br /><br />:-)memsaabhttp://memsaabstory.comnoreply@blogger.com