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Ex-Googlers Raise Funding To Stop Google, Facebook & More

27 points by hjw3001 15y ago

jxi 15y ago
Sometimes, I feel like these websites should probably just have a "do not track" setting. That should appease all these pitchforks. In the end, I'm pretty convinced that tracking is really to make your life better since Google offers to delete all your data if you wanted anyway. Heck, now people are making a profit out of this whole misunderstood privacy fiasco.
- byoogle 15y ago
  Google stores your search history for 18 months (http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/faq/ http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/faq/) and your browsing history indefinitely (using ad cookies). They do not offer to delete either (though they do give you some controls, which is way more than most other tracking services). Prove me wrong.
  - freehunter 15y ago
    Google does allow you to delete some stored data. They don't offer easy options to delete everything (though they do give advice on how to remove information from third-party sites), but it's better than nothing. https://www.google.com/dashboard https://www.google.com/dashboard They also tell you what cannot be removed through the dashboard, and give a list of things that are not deletable (but also not tied to your account). https://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=162743 https://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&...
    - byoogle 15y ago
      Again, Google doesn’t let you delete your search or browsing history. I’d argue this is, by far, the most personal info they collect about you. Google doesn’t even mention either in the two links you gave.
  - jxi 15y ago
    Just delete your cookies after each browsing session?
- Radzell 15y ago
  I think the bigger misunderstanding is people screaming that it's better for Google customer if they delete the data. People forget with all google does it's still a business. Forgetting that businesses aren't good nor are they evil. Businesses are greedy which they should be. Google being the worlds largest advertiser uses your data to make the money that their businesses is built on. So why would they delete the core functionality.
kiloaper 15y ago
This seems similar to Ghostery [1] for Firefox. It currently blocks 852 3rd part elements (371 advertising and 207 analytics) and 434 specific cookies. It also allows you to delete flash and silverlight cookies on exit. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/
- jstalin 15y ago
  I use Ghostery as well for both FF and chromium. For instance, it blocked 14 tracking scripts from that techcrunch article. I love it. Edit: Also see http://www.ghostery.com/ http://www.ghostery.com/
  - kiloaper 15y ago
    I always use the FF site so I was completely unaware they have an extension for Opera and IE as well as FF and Chrome.
- webwanderings 15y ago
  Well, using ghostery, I just learned that there is such a thing called Microsoft Atlas (whatever that is).
webwanderings 15y ago
I can't figure out what disconnect.me does in the background. I installed it and that's about it (doesn't show me any activity after a restart).
- byoogle 15y ago
  On Firefox? We’ve been working on more obvious UI for Firefox, which isn’t in Disconnect yet but you can get in our newer add-ons (Facebook Disconnect, Google Disconnect, and Twitter Disconnect) now: https://disconnect.me/tools
  - webwanderings 15y ago
    Yes, I'm on Firefox. I have installed the all-inclusive add-on. I now see Disconnect drop down icon next to my address bar, but when I login to Faccebook, it doesn't show me anything that is blocked. When I login to Gmail, the dropdown doesn't even work (I keep on clicking and it doesn't drop).
    - byoogle 15y ago
      When you’re on first-party sites like Facebook and Google, the add-on isn’t meant to block anything. The blocking kicks in when you’re on third-party sites that otherwise send your browsing history to Facebook, Google, et al. Give our new Firefox add-ons a try <https://disconnect.me/tools&#62 https://disconnect.me/tools> — I think they have our best extension UI, but I’d love to know what you think.
webwanderings 15y ago
So I have now added Ghostry and disconnect.me to my single must have add-on (Adblock). I'd still prefer one add-on over three, but going to give this a try (disconnect.me has no options whatsoever and I can't tell what's it doing in the background).
- byoogle 15y ago
  See my other reply to you.
garyjob 15y ago
What to do man, what to do? Bomz... Opah!

27 points by hjw3001 15y ago

jxi 15y ago

Sometimes, I feel like these websites should probably just have a "do not track" setting. That should appease all these pitchforks. In the end, I'm pretty convinced that tracking is really to make your life better since Google offers to delete all your data if you wanted anyway. Heck, now people are making a profit out of this whole misunderstood privacy fiasco.

byoogle 15y ago
Google stores your search history for 18 months (http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/faq/ http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/faq/) and your browsing history indefinitely (using ad cookies). They do not offer to delete either (though they do give you some controls, which is way more than most other tracking services). Prove me wrong.
- freehunter 15y ago
  Google does allow you to delete some stored data. They don't offer easy options to delete everything (though they do give advice on how to remove information from third-party sites), but it's better than nothing. https://www.google.com/dashboard https://www.google.com/dashboard They also tell you what cannot be removed through the dashboard, and give a list of things that are not deletable (but also not tied to your account). https://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=162743 https://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&...
  - byoogle 15y ago
    Again, Google doesn’t let you delete your search or browsing history. I’d argue this is, by far, the most personal info they collect about you. Google doesn’t even mention either in the two links you gave.
- jxi 15y ago
  Just delete your cookies after each browsing session?
Radzell 15y ago
I think the bigger misunderstanding is people screaming that it's better for Google customer if they delete the data. People forget with all google does it's still a business. Forgetting that businesses aren't good nor are they evil. Businesses are greedy which they should be. Google being the worlds largest advertiser uses your data to make the money that their businesses is built on. So why would they delete the core functionality.

kiloaper 15y ago

This seems similar to Ghostery [1] for Firefox. It currently blocks 852 3rd part elements (371 advertising and 207 analytics) and 434 specific cookies. It also allows you to delete flash and silverlight cookies on exit. [1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/

jstalin 15y ago
I use Ghostery as well for both FF and chromium. For instance, it blocked 14 tracking scripts from that techcrunch article. I love it. Edit: Also see http://www.ghostery.com/ http://www.ghostery.com/
- kiloaper 15y ago
  I always use the FF site so I was completely unaware they have an extension for Opera and IE as well as FF and Chrome.
webwanderings 15y ago
Well, using ghostery, I just learned that there is such a thing called Microsoft Atlas (whatever that is).

webwanderings 15y ago

I can't figure out what disconnect.me does in the background. I installed it and that's about it (doesn't show me any activity after a restart).

byoogle 15y ago
On Firefox? We’ve been working on more obvious UI for Firefox, which isn’t in Disconnect yet but you can get in our newer add-ons (Facebook Disconnect, Google Disconnect, and Twitter Disconnect) now: https://disconnect.me/tools
- webwanderings 15y ago
  Yes, I'm on Firefox. I have installed the all-inclusive add-on. I now see Disconnect drop down icon next to my address bar, but when I login to Faccebook, it doesn't show me anything that is blocked. When I login to Gmail, the dropdown doesn't even work (I keep on clicking and it doesn't drop).
  - byoogle 15y ago
    When you’re on first-party sites like Facebook and Google, the add-on isn’t meant to block anything. The blocking kicks in when you’re on third-party sites that otherwise send your browsing history to Facebook, Google, et al. Give our new Firefox add-ons a try <https://disconnect.me/tools&#62 https://disconnect.me/tools> — I think they have our best extension UI, but I’d love to know what you think.

webwanderings 15y ago

So I have now added Ghostry and disconnect.me to my single must have add-on (Adblock). I'd still prefer one add-on over three, but going to give this a try (disconnect.me has no options whatsoever and I can't tell what's it doing in the background).

byoogle 15y ago
See my other reply to you.

garyjob 15y ago

What to do man, what to do? Bomz... Opah!