Google announces privacy changes across products; users can’t opt out

Washington Post ^ | 1/24/2012 | Cecilia Kang

[Freedom56v2]

Google said Tuesday it will require users to allow the company to follow their activities across e-mail, search, YouTube and other services, a radical shift in strategy that is expected to invite greater scrutiny of its privacy and competitive practices.

The information will enable Google to develop a fuller picture of how people use its growing empire of Web sites. Consumers will have no choice but to accept the changes.

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The policy will take effect March 1 and will also impact Android mobile phone users, who are required to log in to Google accounts when they activate their phones.

FAQ: What kind of data can Google collect and integrate? How will this affect me?

The changes comes as Google is facing stiff competition and recently disappointed investors for the first time in several quarters, failing last week to meet earnings expectations. Apple, perhaps its primary rival, is expected to announce strong earnings Tuesday.

Google’s changes are appeared squarely aimed at Apple and Facebook, which have been successful in keeping people in their ecosystem of products. Google, which makes money by selling ads tailored to its users, is hoping to do the same by offering a Web experience tailored to personal tastes.

“If you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services,” Alma Whitten, Google’s director of privacy, product and engineering wrote in a blog post.

“In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience,” she said.

[djf]

The LMHOSTS file is a file used by most implementations of TCP/IP protocol in the Windows and Linux and Unix world.

It overrides the standard DNS (Domain Name Service) resolution protocol and re-directs a named domain query to the address specified. 127.0.0.1 is YOUR computer.

That line added to your LMHOSTS file would prevent your computer from ever being able to get to Google again.

[steve86]

Google owns huge numbers of sites — you would have to block them all. For example, here is just a subset of the “doubleclick” sites:

# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][64.233.160.0 - 64.233.191.255]
127.0.0.1 m1.2mdn.net #[a509.cd.akamai.net]
127.0.0.1 rmcdn.2mdn.net
127.0.0.1 rmcdn.f.2mdn.net
127.0.0.1 n339.asp-cc.com
127.0.0.1 ads.cc-dt.com
127.0.0.1 clickserve.cc-dt.com
127.0.0.1 creative.cc-dt.com
127.0.0.1 clickserve.dartsearch.net
127.0.0.1 clickserve.eu.dartsearch.net
127.0.0.1 clickserve.uk.dartsearch.net
127.0.0.1 doubleclick.net #[McAfee.Cookie-Doubleclick]
127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net #[MVPS.Criteria]
127.0.0.1 ad-g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad2.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ae.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ar.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.at.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.au.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.be.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.br.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ca.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ch.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.cl.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.cn.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.de.doubleclick.net #[Tracking.Cookie]
127.0.0.1 ad.dk.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.es.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.fi.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.fr.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.gr.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.hk.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.hr.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.hu.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ie.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.in.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.jp.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.kr.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.it.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.nl.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.no.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.nz.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.pl.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.pt.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ro.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ru.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.se.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.sg.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.si.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.terra.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.th.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.tw.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.uk.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.us.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.za.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.n2434.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad-emea.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 creatives.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 dfp.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 feedads.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 fls.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 fls.uk.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 googleads.g.doubleclick.net #[pagead-dclk.l.google.com]
127.0.0.1 ir.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 iv.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 m.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 motifcdn.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 motifcdn2.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 n4052ad.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 n4403ad.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 n479ad.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 optout.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 paypalssl.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 pubads.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 s2.video.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 doubleclick.ne.jp
127.0.0.1 www3.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 www.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 doubleclick.com
127.0.0.1 www2.doubleclick.com
127.0.0.1 www3.doubleclick.com
127.0.0.1 www.doubleclick.com
127.0.0.1 tpc.googlesyndication.com
# 127.0.0.1 www.youtube-nocookie.com #[affects various videos]
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][66.249.64.0 - 66.249.95.255]
127.0.0.1 ad.rs.doubleclick.net
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][72.14.192.0 - 72.14.255.255]
127.0.0.1 code.adtlgc.com
127.0.0.1 keywords.adtlgc.com
127.0.0.1 svd2.adtlgc.com
127.0.0.1 affiliate.2mdn.net
127.0.0.1 s0.2mdn.net
# 127.0.0.1 static.2mdn.net #[affects Youtube]
127.0.0.1 clickserve.us2.dartsearch.net #[www3.l.google.com]
127.0.0.1 ad-apac.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.mo.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 adclick.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 gan.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 gdfp.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 googleads2.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 n4061ad.hk.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 securepubads.g.doubleclick.net
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS15169][74.125.0.0 - 74.125.255.255]
127.0.0.1 ad.bg.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 cm.g.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 log2.quintelligence.com
# [Google / DoubleClick][AS6432][216.73.80.0 - 216.73.95.255]
127.0.0.1 www.destinationurl.com
127.0.0.1 doubleclick.shockwave.com
127.0.0.1 www3.webhostingtalk.com #[ad.3ad.doubleclick.net]

[taildragger]

The question begs does “Ghostery” ( firefox add on) get these ?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Many people log into gmail/Google Voice and stay there for the sake of not just the email but being able to use the free phone chat machine which needs both to work.

This is a caution or notice to them that if they also want to do a Google search, since they are logged in Google will look at what went on in their Google mail. I’m surprised there isn’t a setting to control that behavior, however even if you just use gmail, Google already has copies of it (that’s how they can look and how they can furnish it to you). There’s the same danger/opportunity with any email hoster. But now it seems Big Brother would be able to serve warrants for more easily available Google search behavior. Now Google is a decent search machine, and I don’t begrudge them the money they get by showing me ads (and the rare ad I may click to). But whoa, I am not sure I like having to bop out of gmail/Google Voice just in order to do a Google search that Google will not be able to associate with me in the future. Firefox, as far as I know, won’t let you start completely independent private mode browsers — every browser you bring up since the first on your desktop is connected, cookie-wise.

[djf]

I know. They have tons of aliases.

Even if you got all their aliases covered, you are still vulnerable because they probably already have YOUR IP address.
And possibly have embedded code or Javascript already on your machine.

I scrub mine pretty regular with AVG and Malwarebytes so I think I’m covered...

[HiTech RedNeck]

I think you mean begs to be asked.

[longtermmemmory]

here is a question, is there a way to use android phone WITHOUT using any gmail? or google?

it would seem this is what caused microsoft to be sued by the gov.

[longtermmemmory]

here is a question, is there a way to use android phone WITHOUT using any gmail? or google?

it would seem this is what caused microsoft to be sued by the gov.

[bgill]

Android mobile phone users, who are required to log in to Google accounts when they activate their phones

Too bad I wasn't in the market for an Android so I could not buy one. I'll be avoiding google like the plague from now on.

[HiTech RedNeck]

There’s nothing about being in a You Tube window of Firefox that will connect with Microsoft’s Bing if you bring Bing up in a different window. This may end up a boost to Bing for Gmail users.

[howlinhound]

“Thots on this? Anyone have a good email provider?”

Lycos.com has free email with advertisements or for $20/year without advertisements.

[bgill]

I wouldn’t have FB if you paid me and just went into the computer to delete everything googlish.

[Freedom56v2]

But whoa, I am not sure I like having to bop out of gmail/Google Voice just in order to do a Google search that Google will not be able to associate with me in the future. Firefox, as far as I know, won’t let you start completely independent private mode browsers — every browser you bring up since the first on your desktop is connected, cookie-wise.

---

Exactly, so if want even a minimal amount of privacy, I need to log out of gmail. I guess I am going to have to become a lot more computer savvy to protect my privacy.

So you say every browser is connected cookiewise? Can you explain exactly what you mean?

[Freedom56v2]

But whoa, I am not sure I like having to bop out of gmail/Google Voice just in order to do a Google search that Google will not be able to associate with me in the future. Firefox, as far as I know, won’t let you start completely independent private mode browsers — every browser you bring up since the first on your desktop is connected, cookie-wise.

---

Exactly, so if want even a minimal amount of privacy, I need to log out of gmail. I guess I am going to have to become a lot more computer savvy to protect my privacy.

So you say every browser is connected cookie-wise? Can you explain exactly what you mean?

[Freedom56v2]

The policy will take effect March 1 and will also impact Android mobile phone users, who are required to log in to Google accounts when they activate their phones.

---

So do I have to stayed logged into my cell phone? Or can I log out? Ironically, if someone asked what sites I visited today, I would gladly tell them....I just really value privacy and don’t like someone tracking me. If this is how they have to fund their enterprizs, I would rather pay for searches and email!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Facebook shows me ads for the most outlandish things at times. Why would I want a kitchen makeover? Oh yeah, probably because I posted a food recipe to Facebook at one time. Maybe the Ford ads are random because I don’t recall ever having said anything about Fords (the last one I owned was over two years ago).

[Texas Fossil]

My local ISP recently forced us to move our e-mail to Google apps and the Cloud. (can still use e-mail client through the system via the local server.

I am looking for other e-mail options also. Was very please with the local coop telco’s in house email system. I knew the techs and they were competent, courteous and honest.

So far I have come up with nothing that I really like.

I am very happy with my phone company, but not happy with a decision that probably made a lot of sense financially for them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

So you say every browser is connected cookie-wise? Can you explain exactly what you mean?

Each co-extant window of Firefox in particular (and the same is true for Internet Explorer on Windows) knows about the cookies of the other. Google's own Chrome browser may be a limited exception (you might have to launch off separate private sessions from two non-private sessions to do it) but I'd have to check.

One way to get around it might be for example to use Firefox for your Google searches, while using Chrome to be in Gmail. Heterogeneous browsers do not share cookies unless you ask or grant permission to one browser to import from the other (the imports are typically batch affairs at the time of request or permission, not a continual looking into other browsers).

[FightforFreedomCA]

Anyone have a good email provider?

I like zoho.com - they have a nice suite of products.

[Timocrat]

ping