Google = Spyware?

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-08-01 01:25pm

According to my friend, his mom downloaded something called "SpyBot" and the program told her that "Google is spyware." (her own words) My friend and his family are very new to computers and his mom tends to do things without actually knowing or explaining why so she won't tell him exactly what the program said. What is she talking about?

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-08-01 01:26pm

Maybe she misread something.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-08-01 01:28pm

3rd Impact wrote: Maybe she misread something.

That's what I think, but she'll never listen to her son (who'll be getting the info from me) unless he has a concrete reason.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-08-01 01:30pm

Are you sure it was Spybot Search+Destroy?

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-08-01 01:32pm

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:Are you sure it was Spybot Search+Destroy?

No, but that's the only program with "SpyBot" in the title I could find (using Google

).

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-08-01 01:34pm

StarshipTitanic wrote:
Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:Are you sure it was Spybot Search+Destroy?
No, but that's the only program with "SpyBot" in the title I could find (using Google ).

Probly is the real mccoy then.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-08-01 01:47pm

Ok, now he can use Google because "all known spyware has been blocked."

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-02 10:30am

Google Toolbar has an optional component that does some tracking (and they quite clearly tell you before download). In exchange, you get a PageRank bar on it.

Nova Andromeda · Post by **Nova Andromeda** » 2003-08-02 11:25am

--Google tracks your searches and your IP info. so it does spy on you. Everything you search for....

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-02 11:37am

Well, that can easily be negated by removing cookies and thus the GUID assigned.

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2003-08-04 03:30pm

Nova Andromeda wrote:--Google tracks your searches and your IP info. so it does spy on you. Everything you search for....

Thats only done to see if google is actually doing its job by finding what you're looking for. (ie: faster, better, and more reliable searches) Its not like they're taking your searches and selling the results to the highest bidder or something....

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-08-04 05:12pm

Vertigo1 wrote:
Nova Andromeda wrote:--Google tracks your searches and your IP info. so it does spy on you. Everything you search for....
Thats only done to see if google is actually doing its job by finding what you're looking for. (ie: faster, better, and more reliable searches) Its not like they're taking your searches and selling the results to the highest bidder or something....

Exactly, Vert.

AFAIK Google is nothing if not trustworthy. I can't say that about anyone else who sniffs your searches tho. They generally also like to take your URLs visited, hardware and software installed, email addresses (and your friends' email addys too), anything and everything you enter into webforms like passwr0dz...

And then spread it to anyone and everyone who gives the bastards a dollar!