Fake Web searches hide surf habits

[Generic Other]

NEW YORK -- A new tool seeks to make your searches more private by hiding them in plain sight.
TrackMeNot periodically sends fake, innocuous queries to search engines, making it harder for someone to glean your actual search habits by reviewing the companies' logs that contain your queries.

The tool, developed by two researchers at New York University, sends random searches, such as "boston clock" and "croissant," to the four largest search engines -- Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., MSN and AOL.

A fake search is made every 12 seconds under default configurations; the tool can generate millions of unique queries from its list, and users can add their own.

TrackMeNot, however, works only with the Firefox browser, which has less than 10 percent market share, according to WebSideStory.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/283240_fakesearch31.html

From their webpage:

TrackMeNot is a lightweight browser extension that protects web-searchers against surveillance and data-profiling. It does so not by means of concealment or encryption (i.e. covering one's tracks), but instead, paradoxically, by the opposite strategy: noise and obfuscation. With TrackMeNot, actual web searches, lost in a cloud of false leads, are essentially hidden in plain view. User-installed TrackMeNot works with the Firefox Browser and popular search engines, e.g. AOL, Yahoo!, Google, and MSN, and requires no 3rd-party servers or services.

http://mrl.nyu.edu/~dhowe/trackmenot/

[WePurrsevere]

1. Sounds great.. I'll have my computer guru (DH) check further into this.

It sounds right up his ally since he's very into online/computer security and privacy issues.

Thanks for the info. B-)

[sharp_stick]

2. Thanks, I'm going to download it. n/t

[KurtNYC]

3. But since you are targetted for junk email based on your web searches

wouldn't this just generate more junk email for you?

Heaven forbid the thing does searches for "naked poker on viagra", "nude mortgage refinance" and "huge stock stamina."

[Generic Other]

4. "Naked poker on viagra"

Good one.

[TlalocW]

5. Can I change the default settings

So words like anthrax, al-qaida, Saddam, impeachment, dirty bomb how to, etc. are more prevalent in the searches?

TlalocW

[Generic Other]

7. You are bad!

I would hope those are not among the benign search terms. :rofl:

[librechik]

6. Firefox has only 10% market share?

switch over everyone--IE sux!

[sweetheart]

8. what does it add to your habits?

Do i suddenly start searching for pharmaceuticals and bomb making instructions
every 15 minutes... that program could be a real blessing for the homeland nazis.