Surfing the net via a proxy service - how safe?

I was reading an article about “safe surfing” and the use of proxy services like SafeWeb.com. How do you know the proxy service isn’t recording your excursions through the net? If so, could they turn you over to the authorities if you were doing something you weren’t supposed to?

Also, how much credence is given to such info? I know that my ISP address is recorded on websites I visit, but how would this hold up in court? Especially if the authorities find no evidence on my computer that I was there.

Companies like SafeWeb aren’t ‘safe’. They do keep logs of your visits ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/22331.html ).

And from the follow-up article ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/22831.html ):

But isn’t proxy hunting, like, hacking another server to cover your tracks?

And be advised that the admins on this board look askance at proxy visitors.

And many other MBs have already banned the IPs of every anonymizing proxy they know of.

Um, why?

Because trolls are known to use them so they can return over and over again with new, disposable (sock puppet) accounts, and/or post their drivel without fear of being reported to their ISPs. Pre-emptive strike, as it were.

If you’ve had something dodgy on your screen, there’s a good chance it can still be found on the HD. Forensic software is amazing these days…