[tor-talk] dropping Google as default search was ethically correct

[Joe Btfsplk]

Many other list subscribers & I hounded on dropping Google as default 
search engine in Tor Browser. Some didn't get why, were opposed or had 
no opinion. Mike Perry announced in the Trac change request that now 
StartPage will be the default search engine. Some won't agree w/ 
dropping Google as default search & that's understandable - UP TO a point.

Whether the following info about Google's "activities" could OR ever did 
* affect TBB * & esp. since it has nothing to do w/ the search engines, 
per se, ISN'T the point. It's Google's overall, complete disregard for 
any kind of privacy & violating its OWN & OTHER companies' privacy 
policies, TOS & violating agreements between companies & Google. In 
short, they & others like them will stop at nothing. It's not opinion; 
it's track record & records of lawsuits they've lost.

That's why Google search engine shouldn't be supported or endorsed by 
organizations dedicated to internet privacy & anonymity - because of 
Google - the company's - long standing, complete disregard for privacy 
of users' & companies they do business with. It's not JUST a matter of 
whether Google's (& others') practices - in any manner - can affect TBB.

Some of these links / articles aren't brand new - but if one searches, 
more & more new revelations are coming out what Google AND others were & 
are still up to. Again, not directly related to search engines. But, if 
doing business w/ the Devil in any manner, all bets are off. TBB or any 
other browser users can easily add Google search engine plugin or make 
it their default, if desired.

http://techdows.com/2012/02/firefox-to-stop-sending-googles-cookie-when-sending-requests-for-safe-browsing-api.html
>
>
>       Stop Sending Google’s Cookie with SafeBrowsing API requests
>
> With phishing and malware protection turned on by default, whenever 
> Firefox sends requests for SafeBrowsing API a Google cookie will be 
> set, this cookie is sent with each update request to Google’s server 
> where privacy complications may arise. This cookie contains track 
> usage of the browser by particular user like at what time user visited 
> the site, how long he stayed, his IP address and other details which 
> Mozilla don’t wants now.
>
> Sid Stamm, Security and privacy guy@ Mozilla is now working 
> <http://blog.sidstamm.com/2012/02/malware-and-phishing-protection-in.html> 
> with Google to use that Cookie for quality of service than for 
> tracking you around the web.
>
NOTE: TBB default settings are to accept all 1st party cookies, w/ 3rd 
party cookies disabled. Some report that disabling 3rd party cookies (in 
Firefox) will stop Google from setting its tracking cookies associated 
w/ its "Safe Browsing" feature. ** Safe Browsing is ALSO disabled by 
default in TBB. However, in the other linked articles, Google & other 
companies were circumventing the browsers' rules or settings & 
presumably they could / would do the same in FF, if at all possible. 
NOTE that vanilla FF enables 1st / 3rd party cookies by default.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225380456599176.html?KEYWORDS=google+tracking+cookies
> Google 
> <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> 
> Inc. and other advertising companies have been bypassing the privacy 
> settings of millions of people using Apple 
> <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> 
> Inc.'s Web browser on their iPhones and computers
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204059804577229681587016516.html?KEYWORDS=google+tracking+cookies
> Three congressmen on Friday called on the Federal Trade Commission to 
> investigate Google 
> <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> 
> Inc., 
> <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG>after 
> The Wall Street Journal reported 
> <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225380456599176.html> 
> that the Internet giant was bypassing privacy settings of people who 
> used Apple 
> <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> 
> Inc.'s Web browser on phones and computers.
https://mashable.com/2012/02/21/google-microsoft-internet-explorer-privacy/

If you have trouble falling asleep, there are many, many other articles 
- some very recent - about Google & similar companies using "super 
cookies" * & using special (fake) code * in cookies in order to trick 
browsers into accepting them, when browsers would otherwise reject them.