Your Web history, courtesy of Google

Google's announced acquisition of DoubleClick has raised considerable concern among privacy advocates, who argue that combining the search engine giant with a major online advertising firm puts too much information in the hands of one company.

The launch of Google's new Web History product should send those fears into overdrive.

The new service allows you to search and view your entire online life, including which pages you visited and when. Google will also analyze your online travels, revealing which sites you visit most frequently and what your top searches are.

The data is available only when you log on with your Google account and password, and Google does have a feature that lets you remove items or turn off the service. The tool itself can be extremely useful, both to users and to developers. But many bloggers looked askance at a tool that lays right out in the open the fact that Google knows just about everything you see and everything you do online.

Blog community response:

"Yes, that is truly amazing, if it works, and is a feature that could make one overlook all of the creepiness of being shown the reality of everything Google knows about you when you use one service for searching, mapping, comparing products, sending email, and then, embed a tool of theirs in your web browser."
--Rex Hammock's Weblog

"Outside of the world of users who gawk at every shiny new thing on the web, though, this is going to give people the heebie-jeebies in a way that we're probably only used to getting from Microsoft. In fact, it's probably safe to say that no other major web company could release this product today; The backlash from the user community of players like Microsoft, Yahoo, or AOL would simply be too strong."
--Anil Dash

"Should you be concerned? Of course. Everyone should be concerned about their private data. Everyone should really think about what is being logged and how it is being used. But we also make tradeoffs. We want certain things from companies, and to get them, we have to give up some of our privacy often trusting it will be protected."
--Search Engine Land

[john55440]

I'm going Google-free...

I recently changed my IE7 search engine default to something other than Google.

I will never use Gmail, or any other Google application.

I block or delete all Double Click cookies.

[Dalkorian]

interesting

... yet you will continue to use IE7 and Winblows?

Interesting.

[twotall610]

1984

Just like George Orwell wrote in his book, look out for "Big
Brother". Bye,bye Google.

[RicknMarcia]

Time to chill out!

Dude, this isn't new! Doubleclick has been around for many yrs yet I'm willing to bet y'all didn't even see it on your radar as something to be concerned with. Listen, it's not a big deal. All this means is they gather data about surfing habits and isn't directly tied to your MAC address or something like that. Chill dude it's all good. Then again if I was the type who does things on the net I would be ashamed of I might have a little voice in the back of my mind saying this is scary stuff but logic and reason would override it once I realize its not like they have a folder on a server somewhere with my name on it and all the stuff I have ever done on the net contained in it. So just chill dude and enjoy!

[ZeroJCF]

Dude....your getting a Dell

This is a perfect service for Google to AGAIN, help China find political dissidents. Thats right peeps (or Dudes for Rickn), Google has done that crap too, along with Y! and M$. Just the price of doing business. How many times have went to a website, that you did not mean to go to? How about your parents? Grandparents? What if good ol' grandpa joe, who just got his new PC/MAC (When did MAC stop being a Personal Computer?) Anyways, what if ol' Joe some how accidentally goes to a kidde porn site? Now that is forever linked with his history. The Government can abuse this. This is not paranoia. Can you name any other "harmless" services that the Government has abused in the past?

Big Picture..Big Picture.

[felix998]

It's Opt-In: you have to turn it on....

So what's the fuss about? You don't think your browsing is anonymous to start with do you? Your ISP knows everything about you, your company knows the same. The government possibly (probably?) does as well. All Google are offering is IF you turn this service on, then they'll let you search that same info easily....

Anyone like me who works on more than one computer and can't remember which sites they've browsed to could well find this useful. At least you can turn it off....

[mattumanu]

You have to look hard...

It took about 20 minutes of searching to find exactly how to disable this feature while looking to find what it really did. It doesn't give you access to your past search history, but rather begins when you enable the feature and runs each time you log onto google. I'm curious to see if this feature is enabled by default when someone gets a new account.

[baivab]

what if this was microsoft?

Somehow we feel less threatened by Google and then naively hide behind that sense of security. Google is a company - Period. They make and want to make money - period. This is a way of tracking users, their habits, their privacy, everything. Irrespective of whether ISP has it, Govt. has it, God has it - Google can now have it too! Okay - they give this option of Opt out... etc. Good ... but it's still a corporate - it's still out to make money.
Finally, if this was Microsoft with even exactly same terms & conditions folks would be cried foul-play... just because it's Google - folks are more candy-dandy... Ugh! - it's the same thing guys!!

[felix998]

Opt OUT vs Opt IN

Lets get this clear - you have to ASK google to store this information. This service requires you to opt in. That's very different to giving you the option to opt out.

And in answer to your original question. Microsoft probably wouldn't even tell you it was doing it. And certainly wouldn't give you the option to opt out....

[t8]

The difference is...

Google needs your trust to make it's money. Once we loose trust in them, we will go elsewhere. So it is in their best interest to remain a trustworthy and ethical company.

But it is too late for Microsoft. They are evil and have proved it time and time again. If they start being nice now, I doubt anyone would believe them.

[limefan913]

Difference between Google and M$

You can choose not to use Google products with no barriers to your internet usage. You'll never know the difference.

Microsoft runs more than just a majority of computers. They've got a full blown monopoly on the Operating System market. Sadly IE is still the most popular browser by a lot, although Firefox does have a nice chunk. MSN is the first or second most viewed website (probably because its IE's default home) in the world... AHEAD OF GOOGLE.

Although I use Linux, and Mac (and obviously Windows :(), I have to admit that Microsoft has control. You can't be involved in tech without SOME contact with a Microsoft product. You could quaintly ignore Google (minus advertising) and never really know the difference, minus having time not wasted by YouTube videos...

Oh, and the majority of Google's stuff... IS FREE! Plus the really cool quality thing too. Google Talk, awesome app. Gmail, great web based e-mail service (nearly 3GB of storage for free? Woo!). Google Updater, extremely useful. Google Adsense, pays my hosting bill (well... sort of, hits would help). :)

[Kenny Yeung]

ya... 3gb size email

What is the meaning that have a 3gb (beta) email... when u have a limited attachment size...

and a talk that no people would use...