Ending the Myth of Online Anonymity, Once and for All

Posted on January 19, 2010 in Search Engine News

anonymousIn the past few years, a tremendous amount of conversation has taken place about how safe our private information is on the Internet. I have always believed – and shared with everyone I meet – that everything we do online is findable, searchable, liable and forever.

In early December 2009, Google CEO Eric Schmidt gave an interview to CNBC. The moment I saw the interview, I was  relieved to finally hear it come from the big horse’s mouth.

The myth of being anonymous on the Internet is dead. We need to stop assuming that our actions online exist in a virtual world where we can remain safe and anonymous.

Governments from across the world, in countries like US, China, India and Brazil, have asked for and even subpoenaed information from the search engines to track citizens doing everything from espionage, terror, murder, etc. And guess what? Search engines comply.

In fact, the internet has made it way too easy for people to get into trouble. Here are the top 3 culprits:

Email

This is by far the biggest way people slip and get hurt. It’s not just the average daily user that gets hit by bad decisions and lack of privacy. Politicians, Presidents and CEOs from Fortune 500 companies have fallen victim to the contents of their email accounts. Email accounts are easily “hackable.” Sensitive information should never be shared with email. Ever.

Precaution: Never use email to send out anything sensitive or controversial. Examples:

  • What you think of as a joke might be very, very offensive to someone else.
  • Emails + Office Romance = Guaranteed to end badly.
  • Emails have been produced as evidence in SO many trials for all kinds of crimes, including embezzlement, infidelity, violent crimes, etc.
  • The insecurity of your information becomes especially relevant when you opt to use Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, etc. Remember, they own all your information and it’s free for a very good reason. Anyone who has noticed that advertising has become especially relevant to them (yes, based on the content of your emails) knows what I am talking about. Also, the recent China – Gmail hacking fiasco shows that determined hackers can break into anything, anytime.

Search Engines

Everything you ever search for can and will be used against you… this almost sounds like a Miranda style warning. Unfortunately, nobody tells you this until it’s too late and you have gone too deep down the rabbit hole. All search engines keep some data on their users. According to a CNET Study, these are the main facts for each search engines.

  • Ask.com
    Ask.com is the most protective of user privacy but sadly has a very small market share. Ask.com was the only engine in the CNET study that said it would not record what users type into its search engine. Ask.com also said it did not engage in behavioral targeting, which refers to the practice of offering advertisements based on previous searches.
  • Google
    The 900-lb gorilla of search engines avoids behavioral targeting. After 18 months they perform a partial anonymization of users’ Internet Protocol addresses. Google also has shortened the lifespan of its cookies from expiring in 2038 to expiring two years from the last visit.
  • MSN
    Microsoft is better on the anonymization front. Users’ internet addresses and cookie values are “permanently and irreversibly” disassociated from the search terms after 18 months. But Microsoft does engage in behavioral targeting,

Search terms have been used to convict dissidents in China, wireless hackers, and murderers. The legal can of worms that your search engine history can unload upon you keeps getting bigger everyday.

Precaution: When you use search engines, configure your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) to not permit them to place cookies on your computer. For advanced users: Route all your connections through a proxy server, such as Anonymizer, Tor or Black Box Search.

Social Media

I am in a perpetual state of shock about how much people reveal about their lives on Facebook! Social Media networks are a crucial stop for a large percentage of employers researching potential hires. All those “I hate my job, hate Tennessee, hate the parents and the whole world” status updates and Tweets are going to come with a heavy price. And you can bank on the fact that those risqué photos you took and posted on Facebook are eventually going to be viewed by more than just your “friends.”

Precaution: Be social without being too risky. Choose your friends wisely, and keep a tight hold on your privacy setting on channels like Facebook. A simple “think before you post” philosophy will go a long way for you. And remember what Grandma taught you back in the days of print media: “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want published on the front page of the newspaper.” Because when you post descriptions of your behavior on the internet, that’s pretty much what you’re doing.

In the end, we are all responsible for our actions. Once you post things online, the proverbial arrow has been shot and nothing short of a miracle or sheer luck will help you get it back.