[tor-talk] Don't use Google as default search in Tor Browser?

[Christian Siefkes]

On 11/04/2011 06:01 PM, Joe Btfsplk wrote:
> On 11/4/2011 9:54 AM, Christian Siefkes wrote:
>> How should using Google as search engine comprise your anonymity? Either
>> you're anonymous, then you're anonymous on Google too. Or you aren't
>> anonymous, then avoiding Google won't help you.
> Christian, I'm not sure I understand your viewpoint, but... Assuming you
> mean (& / or for others' benefit), simply installing Tor or using Tor
> Browser gives complete anonymity, it in no way guarantees or even promises
> complete anonymity.  Tor Project is very clear about this.  Here's * one *
> page to start users to understand what's involved.  Maybe you already knew
> this.  https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en#Warning

"Avoid Google" is not among that warnings, as far as I can see.

> But, no - there are many ways to * possibly * compromise anonymity while
> using Tor.  Google searches are ONLY one, because they record search terms &
> * any * possible info they can possibly squeeze out of your browser.  If
> Google searches, when using Tor, weren't ANY kind of anonymity threat, the
> developers wouldn't have gone to substantial trouble to offer users a way to
> avoid them, when encountered.

What do you mean? As far I know, they offer to redirect your search to a
different site if they detect that Google shows you a captcha. Captchas are
not an anonymity thread, but they are annoying.

But they do go to substantial trouble to minimize the info that Google, or
any other site, can squeeze out of my browser, and that's indeed essential.

> Google search engine records all search terms & ANY other possible info
> about your browser, etc., they can possibly squeeze out.  At the VERY least,
> some wouldn't want recorded their search terms & certainly not the pages
> they visit after the search, whether using Tor or not.  This is especially
> true if living in a repressive country.

On the other hand, Google won't even know in which country you live (though
they might to able to make an educated guess based on your search terms and
page views), and they are able to track (as ANY site can) you only till you
exit your browser or delete your cookies and click the "Use a new identity"
button.

I agree that it would be nice if the TBB had additional searchlets for
privacy-friendly search engines such as DuckDuckGo pre-installed, but I
don't see a reason why they should make it difficult for people to google if
they want to do so.

Best regards
	Christian

-- 
|------- Dr. Christian Siefkes ------- christian at siefkes.net -------
| Homepage: http://www.siefkes.net/ | Blog: http://www.keimform.de/
|    Peer Production Everywhere:       http://peerconomy.org/wiki/
|---------------------------------- OpenPGP Key ID: 0x346452D8 --
If the meanings of "true" and "false" were switched, then this sentence
would not be false.

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 262 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <http://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/attachments/20111105/c521d7dd/attachment.pgp>