While I’m obsessing on issues related to the DBoI, I failed to cover the AskEraser last week. Fortunately, Ars did.
Ask.com took a major step toward protecting protecting the privacy of its users when it announced yesterday that it would be launching a new tool that would allow users to use its search engine anonymously. The tool, called AskEraser, will ensure that users’ search records will not be retained by the company in any form for any period of time. Users will be able to set AskEraser settings in their privacy preferences, and the company says that the settings will be clearly displayed on results pages so that users will always be aware of the privacy status of their Ask.com searches.
This isn’t anything new. The service is already available. Ixquick.com has used it for over a year now. They delete the IP address and cookies within 48 hours max.
Checked out Ixquick.com. They have a decent metasearch engine. REALLY like their privacy policy – a breath of fresh air.
Don’t trust Google anymore – i will change to ixquick. Thanks for the tip..
Yahoo/google/msn, etc. serve you and other site visitors ads in their email system or on web browsers by watching what you buy, what you search for on the net. This is a privacy violation by any means.
Imagined being followed when you go to walmart or home depot by advertisers so that they can offer you to buy their laundry detergents or light bulbs? Would you be upset? Privacy violations on the web is no different than when it’s done in real life.
I now only use on my isp web email system for serious transactions. No web based emails. I wonder if Ask.com will offer an web based email services that will actualy respects peoples privacy concerns?
If anything, we should be very concern/worried about our personal data that can fall into the wrong hands. ID theft is now a huge problem/concern and will be a big problem “forever.” We do a lot of personal transactions online such as shop with credit cards, bill paying, online banking, etc (although very convenient). Google, yahoo, msn, and others cannot and will “never” have a “fool proof” way of removing/deleting selected data that are deemed personal since the net is so complex and ever-changing. As soon as google, msn/yahoo etc, fix a BUG in an ad-tracking adware/ad spy tool that leaks personal data, a hacker can create another BUG. Ask yourselves this, what does a thief would need to open a credit card/bank account or whatever under your names? He/she would full name, ss#, address, license#.., etc all of this data store on your PCs and are tracked , saved on browsers, servers, etc. It happened to me personally ..Someone stole my Identity and opened an online bank account under my name fraudulently and transferred money from my account to theirs (Belive it) . If you’ve ever been an ID theft fraud victim like me, you would be worried also.