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Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

gabrielweinberg.com

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Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#31

Post by ErrantX »

axod wrote: post #13
ErrantX wrote: post #2

This is definitely a killer niche to fill given the current privacy conscious climate [around here]. Kudos.

"current privacy conscious climate" sounds like something Fox News would use. Just like we were all subjected to years of "...in these uncertain times." after 9/11. And as said, this is probably the least privacy conscious the internet has ever been. Most people just don't care (They're also the ones clicking on ads).

I was more referring to the climate in places such as here (HN) and so forth. We fall quite squarely into his target audience (based on previous postings anyway) and a good proportion of us are security conscious now :)

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#32

Post by epi0Bauqu »

whatismyip2 wrote: post #27
epi0Bauqu wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, that's tracking everything the browser outputs, not just the user agent, which is maybe 1% of the full string.

I did an experiment and turned off javascript and redid the test... it still is unique enough to track a browsing session. Give it a try. I would consider using Duck Duck Go if nothing was logged. Right now I use another service precisely because they don't log anything.

I just turned user agents off.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#33

Post by epi0Bauqu »

bensummers wrote: post #26
epi0Bauqu wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, that's tracking everything the browser outputs, not just the user agent, which is maybe 1% of the full string.

Given that IE seems to include all the installed programs on your computer in the UA, I would have thought there's quite a lot of info. I've seen some really long IE UA strings, including all versions of .NET installed, InfoPath, random stuff for adding smilies to emails (really!), and so on. Combine that with a few other hints, and you've got something interesting. Maybe you could distill it to a very simple descrip…

Good idea. For the time being, I just turned user agents off. I have't really got much use out of knowing what browser's people are on anyway.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#35

Post by epi0Bauqu »

ximeng wrote: post #21

epi0Bauqu you may want to add DDG to Firefox's list of search engines (drop down search engine box, manage search engines, get search engines): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/search-engines/ Didn't see it there.

Hmm..we do have a Firefox add-on and I am working on another one. I'm not sure why it doesn't show up there though. Thx.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#36

Post by qeorge »

alecco wrote: post #25

How is the legal situation in US? Aren't web services forced to keep records?

No, but there are rules if you do. (e.g., have to share with FBI when asked, have to delete after X months).

Most search companies want to identify you. The problem is keeping them from having too many records.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#37

Post by whatismyip2 »

epi0Bauqu wrote: post #32
whatismyip2 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did an experiment and turned off javascript and redid the test... it still is unique enough to track a browsing session. Give it a try. I would consider using Duck Duck Go if nothing was logged. Right now I use another service precisely because they don't log anything.

I just turned user agents off.

Wow, now that's what I call customer service :-) Thanks for listening... I'll give it a try.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#38

Post by axod »

ErrantX wrote: post #31
axod wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"current privacy conscious climate" sounds like something Fox News would use. Just like we were all subjected to years of "...in these uncertain times." after 9/11. And as said, this is probably the least privacy conscious the internet has ever been. Most people just don't care (They're also the ones clicking on ads).

I was more referring to the climate in places such as here (HN) and so forth. We fall quite squarely into his target audience (based on previous postings anyway) and a good proportion of us are security conscious now :)

true, true. Unfortunately we're also hard to monetize.

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#39

Post by BobbyH »

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #24

I noticed you're running your own servers. What kind of setup do you have? How many machines? Are the machines literally sitting in your garage or are you colo'ing somewhere? Not asking because of privacy, just curious about the technology. If you've answered these questions already somewhere, sorry!

He wrote about his site's architecture here: http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/blog/2009/03/duck-duck-go-arc...

He also answered some questions on HN here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=525048

Re: Care about search privacy? Duck Duck Go no longer logs IPs.

#40

Post by axod »

qeorge wrote: post #36
alecco wrote: post #25

How is the legal situation in US? Aren't web services forced to keep records?

No, but there are rules if you do. (e.g., have to share with FBI when asked, have to delete after X months). Most search companies want to identify you. The problem is keeping them from having too many records.

>> "Most search companies want to identify you."

I'm not convinced they want to do it for any malicious/profit based motive.

They want to identify me to give me a better user experience, sure.

Being able to identify users searching on a search engine doesn't suddenly mean it's easier to monetize. Google would still make billions from the adverts next to search results regardless of how identifiable users are. It's not related to their bottom line.

I guess I just don't buy the conspiracy theories on it.

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