Beware Big Brother is watching us

I may just be paranoid but the following sequence of events happened to me recently.

I was looking at this forum and saw a face photo of a provider that I found "cute".

I saved the image and emailed it to a friend telling him that that was the type of woman I was really attracted to. I used a gmail account.

No other action was done regarding this provider.

I log in into a facebook account I have. I have no personal info on this account I use it just use it to see other peoples facebook if they point me to their page.

When I log in into facebook suggests me that I might know this person, I hit the link and there is the facebook page of the cute provider I downloaded her photo a few hours earlier. Therefore involuntarily I find out her real name an a lot of personal info.

Really scary. I bet you that Google scans the photos and probably uses face recognition software to try to find where to point you in their affiliated social networking sites.

This together with the fact that they are funded by NSA and LE and share information with them is enough to give me the willys.

P.S. This site (ECCIE) is also sharing info with Google. When you load it there is a website (ajax.googleapis.com) that is doing something while you browse ECCIE (reported by my antivirus software). I wonder who is Google sharing our private messages and hobby preferences with.

might not be facial recognition software, but perhaps something more along the lines of tineye technology - like the pic is saved under the same file name on her facebook account, and the software automatically believed there was a possible match between you and her.

Chich, do you make a habbit of clearing ALL cookies and cache contents every time you exit your browser? I don't mean using the browser's function, but something like Privacy Eraser Pro or Window Washer? It could be residual from the pic source site that lands on your system waiting to see if you use facebook, twitter, etc and then trigger the suggestion without paying attention to the content of the pic. I use multiple cleaning programs. Windows Washer is set to cleanup everything each and every time I close my browser. I periodicly use the others to catch things not found by Windows Washer (none of them are perfect).

googleapis is a google api (application programming interface) reportedly used to enhance google search speed of the dynamic search box. It is most commonly installed after accessing a google search page or installing either google desktop or a google bho (browser help object).

More information can be found here. Nothing devious going on by Eccie. It is YOUR pc that is sharing information with Google. Google harvests this information (if you allow it) from all your browsing, not just on Eccie.

Yet another reason I avoid social networking sites like the plague. I remember before any of them took off I installed the Google Desktop for a day. 20 minutes later the little picture window was bringing up pictures of sites I had been on just once. No thanks. Delete, CCleaner.EXE, Eraser.EXE, and no more data mining sites.

Yet another reason I avoid social networking sites like the plague. I remember before any of them took off I installed the Google Desktop for a day. 20 minutes later the little picture window was bringing up pictures of sites I had been on just once. No thanks. Delete, CCleaner.EXE, Eraser.EXE, and no more data mining sites. Originally Posted by AustinBusinessTraveler

This right here.

Not a true alert. Moving to Coed Forum.

Spacemtn
AustinModStaff

More information can be found here. Nothing devious going on by Eccie. It is YOUR pc that is sharing information with Google. Google harvests this information (if you allow it) from all your browsing, not just on Eccie. Originally Posted by ThatHarleyGuy

Please expand on this. I don't want to allow Google the opportunity to harvest personal info. Thanks.

Fuck me sideways. Just one more reason to make sure that you only use hobby photos in hobby places!

42, start by uninstalling ANY Google, Yahoo, AIM app from your computer. Most of these business's core revenue, especially Google and Yahoo, comes from Pay-per-click and ad sponsorship. This is all driven by search engines. They compete with each other to be the most effective search engine, so that businesses pay to place their ads there.

That being said, every app they produce services that end. It either facilitates or contributes to the search engines. Virtually every app install provided by them, whether you think it has anything to do with searching or not, installs these data miners.

Secondly, install a good firewall. In addition to a hardware firewall, I use Webroot's Internet Security Complete package. It combines anti-virus, spy-sweeper, internet cleanup, and firewall.

Regardless of what firewall package you choose to install, they usually default to a learning mode where the s/w begins "learning" your normal internet usage. It will generally accept these google and yahoo bots as part of being online. Don't accept learning mode. Force it to allow you to approve what programs are allowed to access the internet from your pc. Note: This will make life hell the first week after installing, but it is the only way to ensure you are aware what is happening on your system.

Many folks assume firewalls only protect from intrusion. They are just as valuable for protecting what leaves your system.

Lastly, disable cookies in your browser settings. It will add inconvenience to your online life, because you will have to re-input login info, site preferences, etc if that site records that info in a cookie local to your pc. Many sites store those preferences in your login account instead, so aren't written permanently to your pc.

The online universe takes advantage or our desire for convenience. But the more convenient you make browsing, the more information you are giving up in exchange.

Electronic Frontier Foundation's Protect Your Privacy.
How to protect yourself from data mining.
Digital Tattoo's Protection Info, particularly if you use FaceBook.

Of course, I'm just an ignorant biker, and computers aren't my thing. Pass me that wrench, please.

Eccie uses some software from googleapis to do some functions on the site. I think it's a part of the vBulletin software. It appears to be something to do with yahoo.

The code is:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/yui/2.6.0/build/yahoo-dom-event/yahoo-dom-event.js?v=381"></script>


This is a LEGITIMATE tool, but this is disturbing because we don't really know what googleapis might sneak into their libraries. Either deliberate data collection stuff or accidental privacy leaks/security problems when googleapis or yahoo change their code. It also presents some additional ways someone might hack into the site.

Running Firefox and installing NoScript is a good idea. You can block stuff like this. Unfortunately, if you use NoScript to block googleapis.com, it blocks a lot of functions on this site.

By the way, adding BetterPrivacy is also a good idea on Firefox.

Facebook is pure poison. If someone who has you in their address book uses facebook it may end up linking you with them and all their friends in facebook. Facebook has TERRIBLE privacy policies and is always trying to extend its tentacles into your private life and "help you" by digging out your personal information and linking you to everyone it can.

Fuck me sideways. Just one more reason to make sure that you only use hobby photos in hobby places! Originally Posted by EroticEmily

Sounds good to me! <G>

42, start by uninstalling ANY Google, Yahoo, AIM app from your computer. Most of these business's core revenue, especially Google and Yahoo, comes from Pay-per-click and ad sponsorship. This is all driven by search engines. They compete with each other to be the most effective search engine, so that businesses pay to place their ads there.

That being said, every app they produce services that end. It either facilitates or contributes to the search engines. Virtually every app install provided by them, whether you think it has anything to do with searching or not, installs these data miners.

Secondly, install a good firewall. In addition to a hardware firewall, I use Webroot's Internet Security Complete package. It combines anti-virus, spy-sweeper, internet cleanup, and firewall.

Regardless of what firewall package you choose to install, they usually default to a learning mode where the s/w begins "learning" your normal internet usage. It will generally accept these google and yahoo bots as part of being online. Don't accept learning mode. Force it to allow you to approve what programs are allowed to access the internet from your pc. Note: This will make life hell the first week after installing, but it is the only way to ensure you are aware what is happening on your system.

Many folks assume firewalls only protect from intrusion. They are just as valuable for protecting what leaves your system.

Lastly, disable cookies in your browser settings. It will add inconvenience to your online life, because you will have to re-input login info, site preferences, etc if that site records that info in a cookie local to your pc. Many sites store those preferences in your login account instead, so aren't written permanently to your pc.

The online universe takes advantage or our desire for convenience. But the more convenient you make browsing, the more information you are giving up in exchange.

Electronic Frontier Foundation's Protect Your Privacy.
How to protect yourself from data mining.
Digital Tattoo's Protection Info, particularly if you use FaceBook.

Of course, I'm just an ignorant biker, and computers aren't my thing. Pass me that wrench, please. Originally Posted by ThatHarleyGuy

Good info ThatHG- Thanks

Only hobby through borrowed computers that belong to someone else. Done.

It could be that you sent her an email or added her email to your contacts. Facebook simply lookup the email addresses in your contact list/email folders and match them with other facebook members..and prompt that you may know them etc..

Fuck me sideways. ! Originally Posted by EroticEmily

\
LOL Emily. Great comeback and great suggestion if I do say so!