Is There a Permanent Record of Everything I’ve Ever Googled?

[muttrox]

@Wheeljack

I’ve heard that individual websites keep records of what IPs contact them, but what about the users’ ISP? Do they keep a record of what IPs have been contacted by the ones they issue? Is that even feasable? I’ve always pondered this nightmare scenario of pissing off the wrong person at the cable company and having them release my browsing history to the world.

ISPs work with companies like Compete.com and give them data. Unless users have opted in to be on a panel, I believe that is anonymized first.

My impression is that this is murky legal waters right now.

[MrSquishy]

Possibly interesting reading: Google Watch.

I cannot vouch for the accuracy of any of the information on that site.

[chorpler]

@toadspittle

You can clear your web history there, and “pause” it from recording any future searches. I just did this.

Kind of fascinating, though–you can run Google Trends on your own search history to see what you search for most, when you tend to search (time of day, day of week, month, etc.). I learned that I search no less than 21 times a day most days, and am often in the 70+ range per day on Mondays and Tuesdays.

It told me I had to have Google Toolbar installed to even enable “web history.” Does that mean it isn’t a concern unless you have Google Toolbar installed?

[Manduck]

@chorpler

It told me I had to have Google Toolbar installed to even enable “web history.” Does that mean it isn’t a concern unless you have Google Toolbar installed?

If you have the toolbar it can save your entire browsing history, but without the toolbar it can still save your google searches and any pages you visited by clicking a link on a Google results page.

[toadspittle]

@chorpler

It told me I had to have Google Toolbar installed to even enable “web history.” Does that mean it isn’t a concern unless you have Google Toolbar installed?

Hmm. I don’t know. I don’t have Google Toolbar installed, but I do have a Google account. It only saved my SEARCH history, anyway, not my entire browsing history.

Also, I just read the article linked in the OP, and it’s not clear at all that Google, per se, had anything at all to do with this. It reads more as though the police looked at the man’s browsing history on his laptop than that they checked Google’s databases.

[Buckler_of_Swashing]

I don’t have Google toolbar either, though I do use Gmail. I search Google all the time and have used it for years - but that side had nothing at all in my search history.