How 'private' Are Search Engines?

ixquick claims it's "the world's most private search engine".
But I'm not gullible.
I disabled al the TPLs (Tracking Protection Lists) in Internet Explorer 9, enabled avast! Online Security, and restarted the browser.
Here's the result.

 

Did you run this test on other Search Engines? Conclusion?

I usually just use Google but I tried ixquick to see how I liked it after reading your post since I had never used it before. I searched for something I might shop for soon and I got a lot of links to foreign sites, although they did ship to the USA. There may be some settings I could change to limit the search to the USA but I did not try. Other than that it seemed OK.

 

Good idea.
Yahoo! South Africa: 3
Yahoo! US: 7
Google South Africa & US: 0

BTW Forget about the search engines... check out your favourite websites.

 

What is the real problem with being tracked? I find it makes all my searches more relevant and, with an adblocker on, doesn't cause me to be bombarded with stuff I don't want. So exactly what is it I should be protecting myself from?

 

Eldon, sorry to be off topic here - but, quickly, how did you get the digital time display in your task bar? What version OS?

 

Anyone else noticed how crazy the arithmetic is in the poll results? Currently the percentages add up to 140% and not one of them is correct

 

I merely asked a question since privacy is a big issue to many internet users.

Free Desktop Clock.
Windows 7.
http://www.drive-software.com/freedesktopclock.html

 

Multiple votes are allowed. The notice is at the bottom of the poll.

 

That doesn't prevent correct percentages being shown. It's a forum software issue.

 

They're just paranoid.

 

I'm going to agree with you.
I'm guesstimating it has something to do with multiple votes as this is the first time I've seen it.

 

Thanks Eldon.

 

I use startpage, am an old Google user. When Google started censorship, no questions asked DMCA take down on request, I thought I should lower my profile on the web, instead of keeping it out of the house entirely. I also use disconnect.me on occasion. https has become defacto for search engines. Needless to say trust is an issue for me, the main reason I have frequented this web site so often over the years.

 

" What is the real problem with being tracked?"
Many of us have things of value that can be stolen. Social engineering is used by thieves to find where it is and when to take it. Currently my company is under attack which is why you have not seen much of me. Some of the secretaries saw nothing wrong with social media and were tracked down, email passwords guessed, fake emails installed trojans and then remote connections tried to gain access to files they have no rights to.
It all starts with being tracked.

 

My rhetorical question was really directed at individuals. Organisations do need to take appropriate steps to secure their information.

 

New Math?

 

Percentages that don't add up to 100% are completely meaningless. Percent literally means 'per 100' as you, as a former maths teacher, know perfectly well

 

Thanks for the link LauraR.
From the developer...

 

The developer could do with a maths refresher course

 

San Jose, CA Yamaha learned a privacy lesson all too well. Word got out if you bought from them or had work done there your motorcycle got stolen from your house.
They could not figure it out, all their computers were well protected. All their employees were investigated.

They hung work orders next to the repair desk with the keys next to them. The thieves would walk by, see the key # and address. Many bikes were stolen after the first maintenance at 600 mi. A few pricey exotics were also stolen. The thief watched the house. He only needed a couple of minutes to open the garage door and ride off. Some were taken while the owner was sleeping, the bike was gone before they figured out the noise was the garage door opening. Yelp them for the fallout. Newer bikes have chips in the keys so this is no longer a scenario for high end bikes.

The moral here is hide everything, it's what you don't see coming that hurts you.

 

Look at the image in post #1.
As for IP addresses, I have yours, and you have mine.
And we have everyone's on MajorGeeks. Does it really mean anything?

I think this is of much greater concern...
http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/windows_10_sends_data_home_5500_times_a_day.html