Firefox Addon Sounds When Google Spies Info
This Firefox add-on could be both informative and annoying at the same time.
Thanks to a browser add-on, Firefox users can now see how their information is sent to Google severs when they visit a web page. Called Google Alarm, the add-on displays a red warning message in the top-right corner of the browser window while blaring an extremely annoying siren.
"Even outside Gmail and YouTube you are constantly sending information to Google through their vast network of tracking bugs: Google Analytics, Google AdSense, YouTube embeds, API calls.. all of this data [can] be used to monitor & track your personal web browsing habits," said the add-on's developer, Jamie Wilkinson.
When visiting a web page, the add-on will present various data depending on the amount of Google-linked code. After installation, one particular website statistic indicated that (currently) 53 of 71 websites visited (74.6-percent) have used Google tracking tools. Separate notifications indicated that the current hardware website in question was shown to use both Google Analytics and Google AdSense (as seen in the screenshot to the right).
Additional testing with other related websites yielded similar results.
In addition to Analytics and AdSense, the add-on will also reveal if the website is actually hosted by Google or features an embedded YouTube video. For Firefox users who can't deal with the noise, Wilkinson also provides a siren-free version--ideal for a work environment.
Don't use Firefox? Chrome and Safari extensions are also available to install.
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Ghostery is still better
Well, I'd try this if I didn't already have google blocked with noscript
to be honest, i'm fine with sending Google anonymous data. As long as it is used to improve mankind!
LOL the Google spy plugin for Chrome
to be honest, i'm fine with sending Google anonymous data. As long as it is used to improve mankind!
Stalin and Hitler would have loved to keep you as a pet. It is people like you that allow monsters to take power and make us all suffer. Terrible life is to live in fear.
HA, hat thing is gonna drive people nutz very quickly, google analytics is on almost every page I go to, have it blocked with NoScript just cause it's everywhere.
Believe it or not some people understand that the only way to make everything in your life private is to not live with people. Go live in fear as a Hermit. P.S. Tom's is tracking you right now, the type of computer you use, your IP address, your physical location and more.
Most pages have analytics installed, im okay with google collecting the data it does because they collect sooooo much data its absolutely impossible to track an individual, only group trends.
Does this add-on block the sending of information to Google servers or does it just tell you that its being sent? If its only telling you that your information was sent what is the point of the add-on other than being extremely annoying as it appears the majority of webpages collect data.
Stalin and Hitler would have loved to keep you as a pet. It is people like you that allow monsters to take power and make us all suffer. Terrible life is to live in fear.
Its a far cry from Google to Hitler and Stalin, I think you just Godwin-ed yourself. Keep in mind he said Anonymous information, not opened every detail of his life.
Google has grown a lot over time, but they've done a lot of good for the net so far and helped shape a lot of useful services.
They certainly have done a lot less evil than just about any other company you hear about in the press being chased around by the DOJ for unfair business practices, collusion, price fixing (SAMSUNG, MS, Intel, etc... considering some companies are claiming MS using the DOJ to attack competitors)
Frankly, most of the criticism I hear about them tends to be half baked. Still, I am cautious. Companies can change. People can change. Most of us are not stupid, we know the difference between a company with "Do no evil" in their company directive and two of the world's biggest mass murderers.
Stalin and Hitler both used Google.
At the end of the day they collect info on countless millions of people, even if they did randomly choose to look at 1 specific person the likeliness of it being you is insane and as if they'd be bothered to actually find out who you are as all they'd have is an IP address and if your ISP allows it then a physical address but even then that doesnt give your name. They collect the info to find trends and stuff like that so who cares?
Who ares if data is being sent to Google? If you're worried about your data being sent to them, you're either doing things you shouldn't be (and are too stupid to know they still wouldn't use the data against you), and/or need to get a life.
If you think that blocking google-analytics will allow you to keep your privacy online you're deceiving yourself. Internet privacy is a myth. Privacy in general is a myth. Everywhere you go, everything you do and everything about you is being tracked by someone.
kind of funny, yet fair, hearing about this from toms.
Lets see, the scripts from 3rd party domains I'm blocking on toms right now are:
google-analytics.com
addthis.com
kontera.com
revsci.net
dl-rms.com
uservoice.com
scorecardresearch.com
unless you really believe Google is out to get you I don't see why you should be paranoid. Google has done much good for the internet and yet to have done something completely deserving of our distrust. Not that I can guarantee they aren't up to no good, but I'd take a chance with them with my data than any other company in the world.
The alarm will probably start sounding every second because Google is so prevalent.
go google....you are doing a wonderful job...keep up the good work...i don't see what people are so paranoid
bin1127, what about Google's caving in to the Chinese government.
Oh, wait. It didn't affect us, so never mind.
... in every page... may be that's why there iz so many free browsers... google pay's them in exchange of browser usage information...
Many web design companies will create pages for their clients with Google Analytics embedded. Its a good way to track visits to your site, which in turn is a bench mark for the success of any project they will do for clients
I couldn't care less if some basic info is taken... its not always about Google.
However what does shit me is that some pages wont load until it makes contact with the adserver...that is just poor design and annoying
there should be an addon that sounds when noboby is spying on me. that should be make my pc a whole lot quieter and less annoying.
crap my neighbor is spying on me, lol
It sounds like NoScript but less useful.
Yeah, I use NoScript, which makes this pretty irrelevant.
Yeah, NoScript is the way to go
Who cares???? seriously, Bing does the same stuff as well as Yahoo and AOL. Shoot AIM reads all your IM's and adjust's the ads to that. This sounds like someone has to much time on there hands and is looking down the wrong barrel. Wanna really freak out then get a RIAA/MPAA alarm and a .GOV alarm cause they are the ones that can do something in real life.... literally...
Look! I fixed up the article!
Who ares if data is being sent to Google? If you're worried about your data being sent to them, you're either doing things you shouldn't be (and are too stupid to know they still wouldn't use the data against you), and/or need to get a life.
Ahh the "you have nothing to hide if you're not doing anything wrong" argument. How many times has this been proven wrong by history? Just who gets to decide what is right and wrong? Those in charge? How often is that power abused? Just look at all the countless improper uses of National Security letters.
I think people are overreacting a bit, but legitimately concerned that Google growing rapidly does not turn into another Microsoft/Intel with its own interests first and public interest last if at all. Mostly because it is so tightly interwoven into what we see and do, how we live our lives.
Having so much centralized access to data about the world, our neighborhood, city, even our lives is both wonderful and frightening. Someone with a real agenda could wreak a lot of havoc on our personal freedoms.
Google + CIA= KISSING (lol)
I hate to be a tin foil hat person, but you should really be aware of Google's history of doing business with the CIA.
Wired magazine recently published an article detailing their latest joint venture, a tool that scours the internet in real time reading all blogs twitter feeds, facebook posts, etc. and uses that information to predict future behaviors. Pretty freaky technology in my opinion.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/20 [...] oogle-cia/
what is the extension for chrome called? i couldn't find it =(