Google uses tracking cookie - here's how to stop it.

This is something that I wasn't aware of until today. A friend of mine dropped me a line about the Google cookie which allows tracking of your searches. Now it's clear to me why MajorGeeks seems to come up on the first page of a Google search. I'm only kidding, however, they have an analytical engine called Google Analytics, which is supposed to streamline your searches to "help" you search for items more directly. That's probably a good thing, but it seems to me that this sort of data mining could be abused by the unscrupulous. There is a program called G-Zapper which allows the selective cookie blocking of several well known search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and Ask. But the thing I like about this program, is that it allows you to create a brand new cookie from Google, with a brand new registry ID, and by doing so, completely annihilating the tracking without disrupting the functionality. Sweeeeeet. Oh, did I mention? --- It's free.
http://www.dummysoftware.com/gzapper.html

 

I just bookmaked it TimW. Looks promising.
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Google Analytics is a tool for webmasters to help them analyze the traffic on their site(s). it is not a tool

Google's tracking cookie is not for "Data Mining", they don't need a cookie to track what you are searching. The server logs record that information; so they don't need the cookie to know what you are searching for and which links you click.

 

I think I'm a convert!!! I'm getting searches from this little beauty, like I remember from the "olden days". Remember Alta-Vista? I don't sense any of the "push" to commercial links, like I've been noticing on Google lately. Thanks TimW, I've got alltheweb as my home page now, and apparently I've kicked Google to the curb.
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AlltheWeb's index is provided by Yahoo!, you're still being tracked.

 

But be careful, Google is like a drug, once you get addicted to it you can experience severe withdrawal symptoms

 

I appreciate the info Shado_Puter_Dude. Thanks to TimW, Ive found another search engine, that I seem to prefer. I presented the link to the G-Zapper tool, because I've become slightly concerned, about all forms of intrusion. Maintaining a link between my Google cookie registry ID and a list of my searches(stored on their servers) gives me a bad feeling. I would prefer, if Google asked me, first. I don't believe they are actually doing this for any malicious reason, however, I don't think it's necessary. As I said; I like to be asked first.
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>> There is a program called G-Zapper which allows the selective cookie blocking of several well known search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and Ask. Sweeeeeet. Oh, did I mention? --- It's free <<

Actually, the "free edition" of G-Zapper only allows the user to detect, view and potentially block the Google search cookie alone. The professional edition (which costs about $20) allows users to enter additional sites to block search cookies from. By default, the G-Zapper pro version includes Yahoo, MSN, Ask, and AOL. You can add your own desired search engines - or any web site, according to the developer - to the list by clicking the EDIT SITES button. G-Zapper Professional Edition is available as an upgrade.

For anyone considering using the "free" G-Zapper tool I would strongly recommend a thorough read of the entire the G-Zapper FAQ prior to downloading and installing it - in order to avoid problems later on down the line.

A few important things to note about this free G-Zapper tool: As I mentioned earlier; the free edition of G-Zapper won't block cookies from other sites, and some users might actually need those Google cookies to use certain features, such as G-mail or your personalized home page.

It is true that by using the "cleaning" feature of G-Zapper, users may delete the Google cookie, in which case a new Google cookie will be created upon the next visit to the search engine. However, if you click the BLOCK COOKIE button, the Google cookie will be blocked permanently, and you will be entirely restricted any access to many other Google services including G-mail.

Additionally, it should be noted that using the G-Zapper tool will NOT keep Google from recording your IP address along with every search. So if you use it, don't expect it to make your searches totally anonymous.

If you are concerned about Google's cookies, storing your personal search history via your IP, and ads, there is a way to do a Google search without them. For those who are adverse to Google’s abilities to spy on their searchers; you could also try going to Scroogle Search at http://www.scroogle.org/scraper.html for your searching.

Scroogle is a so-called "screen-scraping" proxy webpage that circumvents Google's ability to track user activity via HTTP cookies. This Scroogle "Google proxy" is fast becoming one of my favorite information search engines. There are no ads and no cookie tracking but Scroogle users’ receive the same search results as Google.

Scroogle uses Google results without letting Google track you. It is basically using Google with all of the spy-ons removed. The main features are: no cookies, no search-term records, and access log deleted within 48 hours with easy selection of 100 results per page. There's also a "Yahoo scraper" search site available; which does the same thing - only with Yahoo (instead of Google).

Additionally (and most importantly if you desire more privacy) while using Scroogle Search, Google loses the ability to record your IP address along with every single search you do; and therefore has no way of determining where the search originated. They have no way of knowing which Scroogle Searcher searched for what.

Good Luck!

 

Your IP is transmitted to the server when you connect to the Website. This is not a function of a cookie, your browser transmits that information and more. It is then stored in the Server logs for that site. Everything you do on a given website is stored in some sort of log. Depending on what kind of security programs are utilized, by the Hosting company and the web site itself, is how hard or easy it is to retieve that information. Again this is not a function of a cookie, but a by-product of how the Internet works.

 

Magnificent, COMPUABLE, absolutely great! -- That's exactly what we need. You know, I'm not against session cookies, or cookies that expire in 48 hrs. I know that the people who pay Google need to have a way to verify the web-hits. But why do we need long term tracking? I also recognise that some Google features such as "Preferences" need a cookie to be maintained from session to session. But that is not linked in any way to my preference to "Black and Decker" or my searches for power tools. Sadly, Google sees no difference, and insists that this is not an "evil thing", or even suspicious. OK, fine. It may not be evil, just as a passerby, is not evil for looking through my parted curtains. No evil occurs until that person mentions to his "friend from prison", that he saw a 52" plasma TV at my house through my parted curtains.
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It doesn't matter what search engine you use. Your IP is recorded, along with what you search for and click on. This is not a function of cookies, but as I said before a by-product of how the internet works and the information recorded in server logs and databases.

 

Linking my IP address to my search requests, will only maintain a list for one computer session. When I shut down for the day, my IP gets farmed out to the next user. That's the ONLY thing I like about dial-up. People with proxy servers, enjoy similar anonymity if tracking is done only through IP addresses. But Google is using the cookie, to track/tag the computer with a unique ID. That cookie is not only used to assist with my current session and preserve "preferences" but it is also linked to my previous search requests. All the keywords that I typed on the Google search bar are recorded for posterity, and linked to a cookie with that unique cookie ID. Tracking this way allows the search list to grow and could exist for 300 days, or it could exist forever( or at least until you remove the Google cookie). The G-Zapper tool let's you preserve your Google preferences by replacing that unique ID in the cookie with a new ID. That effectively nullifies any tracking with that particular method, and it also saves you the bother of deleting the Google cookie and on next use of Google, re-entering your preferences.
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Your missing the point. Google does not use a cookie to track your surfing habits. They track by IP address. Your IP address is unique as to who it is assigned to at the time. When you connect to Your ISP they record who the IP address is assigned to and for what time period.

Cookies are not used to track surfing habits.

Cookies are simply text files that record basic preferences and allow you to log back into a given site without re-entering your log-in information each and every time.

Google does not need a cookie to track your surfing habits.

The Internet is a wonderful place, there is a lot of information available out there. Unfortunately a lot of it isn't accurate.

 

Actually, I wasn't referring to surfing habits -- but a list of search words. As in...
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The items which are linked include:
1. Time stamp
2. IP address
3. Session cookie ==> ID + search criteria and/or current dataset info.

Every website that uses a database to present pages has those items. The session cookie may also hold persistent data to enable the setting of "preferences". As I mentioned in a previous post - I'm OK with that. My concern, stems from the fact that Google maintains that data as a separate database. So, the Session cookie with it's unique ID, anchors the Time Stamp, the IP Address and your search words. The potential for abuse using this collected information appalls me. As I said. It's not illegal. So do what you can to disrupt it, so that it is unreliable as an identity tool. Let's go back to the old days, when the server just dumped the timed out sessions and deleted the hard drive entries related to them. I love Google "the search engine". I hate Google "the data gatherer".
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The search words you type in Google are part of your surfing habits, I think thats what Shadow was trying to say.
Dont mean to sound weird, but you got beef with Google? Why are you so concerned over their cookies?

 

Hey Bladesofhalo, I don't have a "beef" with Google. It's been my Internet home page since it was invented. My "beef" is that the venerable cookie is now being used as the "anchor" of much more dangerous profiling database. I allow cookies on my systems, because I like the convenience of inter-session preferences. So, when an idea like G-Zapper comes along, that lets me alter the ID code in the Google cookie, I applaud it. That let's me keep my preferences intact while at the same time, making it seem like I'm a brand new client of Googles giant database. Tracking and profiling, becomes more difficult, rendering back to the people a little bit more privacy.
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Cookies are not used for the puposes you are describing. When you type a search term in and it is pulled up into the search bar as you type, that is not coming from some master database used by google. It is coming from the Browser cache.

I can not say it enough, NO search engine NEEDS a cookie to track your surfing habits. The information you are so concerned about is not transmitted by the cookie, it is transmitted by your BROWSER.

If cookies were used for such tracking purposes, there would need to be some sort of logging program installed on your computer that writes this information to the cookie and then transmitts it to Google when requested. There is no such program other than your browser sending this information every time you hit enter or click search. The ability to track this information is a function of how the Internet and servers work.

Google just maintains their server logs longer than most. And if you think Google is the only one tracking searches, think again . All search engines track searches.

You may have noticed in FF when using the Google Search Bar that as you type suggested search terms are displayed. This is not a result of tracking you, but storing search terms of other similar searches, conducted by others, and then suggesting likely search terms for you to select from.

The Unique ID, stored in the Google cookie is there so Google can Identify your system, and keep things in order. IP addresses are reassigned all the time. Mine is reassigned every 6 months; yours is reassigned ever time your disconnect. If google was not able to assign a Unique ID to your computer than you would be starting fresh every time you connect to google. Changing that UninqueID does not stop Google from identifying you and your system. Once again you are not tracked by the UniqueID in the cookie, you are tracked by your IP address. The UniqueID does allow for identifyng specific searches conducted from an IP address. This is why Google resisted turning over search data to the Feds for as long as they did. The other search engines coughed up the data without blinking an eye. Google is not the only search engine using persistent cookies with UniqueIDs.

Information Transmitted by the browser:
IP address
OS and Version
Browser and Version
Screen resolution and color depth
and several other pieces of information.

 

I think that's called the Wikipedia Syndrome.


I've never been able to understand why people are made so uncomfortable by a cookie. Sure, some companies' cookies are a bit more aggressive than others, but they are the exception rather than the norm and usually the type of site you are on will speak for itself when tracking is a concern.

It's not like you have to reformat to get rid of them; any decent cleaner dumps them with a single click.

@SPD...nice you see you around again, Kevin.

 

I know this happens with dialup, does it also happen with broadband if you disconnect / turn off, broadband after every session?

Still waiting for my ADSL +2 broadband company to get their act into gear.
Real soon now, they keep on saying. Bazza

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Well, curiosity got the best of me. I installed this little gem, performed 6 different Google searches, left my browser open without clearing any files, and it found....nothing. Tried another 6 searches, closed the browser without clearing any files, and it found....nothing. Leads me to believe it's all in an individual's security settings, or in some cases, a little help from the programming puppets at work. Doesn't matter what it is, there's always a way to stop it.

Oooh, the dreaded Google cookie.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/star17abby/MG/cookie.gif

 

To be fair, google DOES track sessions. Look at Google Analytics and you'll see they've got some pretty sophisticated technology to break down exactly how people naviate their site. They have all sorts of different ways to work out how to make their site better.

For example, they might see how many people search of a keyword and click the result on the first page. If more people go to the second page than the first page on that particular keyword, then they must have got the indexing wrong! So, they'll reshuffle the order so the most useful information for that keyword comes up on the first page.

That information is more valuble to them than anyone else - because they have real control of changing it. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) people (hiss) would probably love to get that, but for them to know that would most certainly be unfair. That way the more you paid to a SEO expert the higher your ranking - which is exactly what Google has been against from the start.

 

But it's so ugly!!!
waaaaaa!!!!
(hahahaha marketing is everything)
lol
abri

 

Is there not a difference between tracking sessions according to IP addresses and recording all the searches that were ever made, and cookies which are used by websites? In my cookies, I sometimes get a cookie that is called something like ad.google.whatever. I have always assumed this is an ad cookie, not put in there by google, but coming through google from a web (to-be-nice) "analyst" site. The main reason for collecting data is to analyse it for a variety of reasons. It's probably a good thing for the government to know how many dangerous people put the word "bomb" into a search as opposed to how many people who are not dangerous put the word "bomb" in there. Otherwise, who knows what conclusions could be arrived at? Imagine all the arrests for people looking for bug bombs?

abri

 

Heh, I've always liked illustrating this point by having the user issue a tracert to majorgeeks.com.... most are blown away by how many networks the data has to pass through!