[GLLUG] Proposed meeting topic and maybe a project

[Karl Schuttler]

Privacy is dead, get over it.

http://www.documentary24.com/privacy-is-dead-get-over-it--317/

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 11:33 PM, Charles Ulrich <charles at bityard.net>wrote:

> Stanley C. Mortel wrote:
>
>> As many of you probably know, Google is watching us and stockpiling data
>> about our on-line activities. Here is a partial list of information Google
>> stockpiles (from a TechRepublic article) if you use their services:
>>
>
> While I agree that Google has been less than forthcoming about how much
> data they ultimately store[1], it's worth pointing out that if you're really
> that worried about it, the best option is not to use Google. :) Or, use
> Google but mix in other competing services so that nobody has a reasonably
> complete profile of your online activity. (E.g. Microsoft for maps, Yahoo
> for email, etc.)
>
>     * Search results
>>      <
>> http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/another-step-to-protect-user-privacy.html
>> >
>>
>>      that you ask for and click on.
>>    * Directions <http://maps.google.com/> to places that you query
>>      Google Maps for.
>>    * Using Analytics <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Analytics>,
>>
>>      Google receives/retains information on visited Web sites.
>>
>
> This is easily defeated by any number of proxies or browser extensions,
> like Adblock or Ghostly. But keep in mind that it's a website operator's
> choice to implement Analytics on their site, not Google's.
>
>     * Gmail <http://mail.google.com/mail/help/privacy.html> membership
>>
>>      allows Google to retain the content of sent and received e-mail
>>      messages.
>>    * Enabling My Location
>>      <
>> http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/07/blue-circle-comes-to-your-desktop.html
>> >,
>>
>>      enables Google to track your position real-time.
>>
>
> Only if you specifically opt-in for it.
>
>     * If Public DNS <http://code.google.com/intl/en/speed/public-dns/>
>>
>>      is used, Google can retain your DNS lookups.
>>
>
> Google took a lot of heat for not explaining the privacy implications of
> this for the first few hours it was launched. If you believe them, however,
> they say that the only logging they do is strictly for performance and
> troubleshooting and that your IP is not kept for more than 48 hours. This is
> an opt-in service as well.
>
> http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/privacy.html
>
>  Moxie Marlinspike <http://www.thoughtcrime.org/about.html> has an app.
>> called GoogleSharing that will anonymize personal information, preventing
>> Google from tracking movement on the Internet.  It intermingles Google user
>> requests, and thus complicates making any association between the query and
>> the requester’s personal information.  It intercepts Google requests,
>> redirecting them to the GoogleSharing proxy, which removes all identifying
>> information, replacing it with a surrogate identity. The request is then
>> forwarded to Google.
>>
>
> I tried this when it came out and my biggest complaint was that there was
> no way to tell whether or not it was actually working. Moxie's pretty
> well-known in the hacker community, so chances are slim that he would do
> anything underhanded with the plugin. Unless it was really, really funny.
>
> Also, there's an older Google anonymous proxy called Scroogle that
> basically does the same thing. They have a number of browser search plugins
> (much more lightweight than an extension). The best feature, in my opinion,
> is that you can submit queries and receive results over SSL. Very nice if
> you suspect your local connection is being monitored or filtered and want a
> bit more privacy. The only downside is that you lose access to handy
> features like cached pages, similar results, etc.
>
> http://www.scroogle.org/
>
> https://ssl.scroogle.org/
>
>  Now, the interesting thing to me, considering you have to trust
>> Marlinspike more than Google to use this, is that he has made the
>> GoogleSharing software <
>> http://www.googlesharing.net/server/googleshare-0.4.tar.gz> available for
>> download. That way, you can create your own proxy. The GoogleSharing website
>> has a FAQ page <http://www.googlesharing.net/faq.html> explaining how.
>>  Sounds like a GLLUG project to me.  Topic for tomorrow?????
>>
>
> It sounds like an excellent conversation, wish I could be there. :)
>
> Charles
>
>
> 1.  The tinfoil-hat guy inside me wouldn't be surprised if Google had a
> reasonably accurate profile of every person online since around 2000.
>
> --
> http://bityard.net
>
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