A software tool launched by Google on Wednesday that speeds up the process of downloading Web sites has caused some users to worry about their privacy.
Google Web Accelerator, which was released in beta, is set up to automatically work with Firefox and Internet Explorer once it's been downloaded. The service stores copies of sites frequently accessed by individual PCs and automatically retrieves new data from those pages, so that a Web browser needs to process only updates to those sites when asked to load them. It can also automatically "pre-fetch" frequently used Web sites before the user downloads it.
However, users are concerned that the service can cache more data from their computers than they would prefer.
On a Google Labs discussion group, one user said that the security implications of Google caching details of Internet sessions were unacceptable.
"I went to the Futuremark forums and noticed that I'm logged in as someone I don't know. Great, I've used Google's Web Accelerator for a couple of hours, visited lots of sites where I'm logged in. Now I wonder how many people used my cache. I understand it's a beta, sure, but something like that is totally unacceptable."
Google was not immediately available for comment, but said in a Web site statement that the service can receive information such as the user's IP address, computer and connection information, and "personally identifiable information", such as an email address.
"Whenever your computer sends cookies with browsing or prefetching page requests for unencrypted sites, we temporarily cache these cookies in order to improve performance," the company wrote on its Web site.
Information entered in SSL connections, such as Internet banking, will not be cached, the company wrote.
The service is only available to broadband subscribers.
Talkback
Ok youve got it wrong and didnt even download the Acellerator or you would know it has an option for Dialup users also .Its just been optimised for broadband.
[Headslaps] Wrong. The privacy fears are not about information being cached on your computer. The problem is that it is cached on Google's machines, and frequently viewed pages that are not secure but which might still contain personal information, eBay or a message board would be a good example of this, will be cached at Google. Then, when someone goes to look at that page, web accellerator will retrieve that cache. If it were only on my computer, I wouldn't care, but it's not, and it virtually invites other users to look at your data.
If you'e got nothing to hide you've got nothing to fear.
I don't think people realise just how many programs record information about their usage. It is not just Google that does this.
Microsoft Media Player, Real player and others watch and report back on usage and also on things like ripping and burning music and video. I have no idea if this information is secure or is given to others. One solution is to use a made up user name in your operating system registration file. Just do a search for OS files using the user name you registered it with as the search criteria and change the name to one you made up. Or use another name when you reinstall or update your OS. This renders any information in say, cookies, useless to people like spammers.
So, if I use a webmail system while this is running on my computer(most webmails doesn't use SSL), this system will cache the information.
Then someone else can access the same server and potentially read my mails.
Or I could log into eBay or another auction site to bid on something.
Another GWA user also surfs by eBay finds something he likes and bids a ridiculous amount for it in MY NAME?
Will Google pay for it for me?
(As netbanks and PayPal use SSL I can't use another user's account)
If only this produch respected the PRAGMA:NO-CACHE or the ROBOTS.TXT so that we could be certain that some pages were unaffected...
"One solution is to use a made up user name in your operating system registration file. Just do a search for OS files using the user name you registered it with as the search criteria and change the name to one you made up. Or use another name when you reinstall or update your OS. This renders any information in say, cookies, useless to people like spammers. " Frank Swain
lol mate - this won't make a difference! It is actually dangerous to edit your system files... If you're gonna do something like this, you may wanna start in the registry!!
It has nothing to do with spammers or cookies!! Cookies are stored and retrieved individually from websites. Spammers get your address randomly or if you sign up for or register stuff, or web/usenet spiders
Yes many programs track usage. Opt out, register with a secondary email, and use programs like AntiSpyXP...
NJ/ Student,
It isn't as simple as being 'nothing to fear' because the cache at Google stores the cookies too (from the way I read the description)
I am doing no wrong, but would not want the next user of a Forum to be logged in as a Moderator, able to edit, delete or otherwise alter what's on the Forum, and it all look like it was *me* doing that.
See, nothing to hide, but plenty to fear.
Reply to Big B.
Firstly let me point out that the files that are altered are not system files at all. They are simply archives and as such it is safe to alter the content. This means that cookies set by websites are associated with the made up name i.e zinga@bravenet or whatever instead of the users true name. You can check by doing a search for 'cookies' and exploring the resultant files. As for spies not being able to read cookies I am sure the writers of trojans and other similar software have cookie reading cracked. Try SC-KeyLog PRO.
"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear"
Yeah yeah, thats what the North Korean government tells its people all the time.
The NJ STUDENT wrote: "If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear."
Wonder where he got that radical
neo-con line?
Inexperience. Look at Yahoo, MSN & AOL now WILLINGLY giving all the data the government wants, primarily from their searches. And all those rich ol' power b@st@rds are strong-arming Google for it, too. Personally IDable; EVERYTHING you EVER look up, and go to, and download, and talk to, and trade pix with, and...
All to "fight porn."
Ya, right. These guys couldn't tell the truth from a constitution; can't even spell either one.
To illegally not charge first, w/ no probable cause or reasonable suspicion against individuals.
And their "enemies," of course, as always. 98% of the world. Amazing 98% of the world could be so wrong and evil, and not vice-versa.
People don't need ACTUAL bad stuff to zing ya, NJ stud. Note the last 6 years of the most massive negative marketing campaign in history to get our nation in the state it is. And us taxpayers (those who pay taxes) paid for most of our own propaganda! Viva la small govt. Small, $11 TRILLION in debt "CONSERVATIVE" govt.
THEY WANT TO KNOW, AND THEY WILL, ANYTHING THAT CAN CONTROL YOU.
And where else is most all of your personal life documented like what you do on the web?
Oh, the "fear" line? Origins? Anyone? Bueller?
Think...
Ve have vays of making you talk...
Yes! Pre-WWII Germany, who's govt did an amazingly good job of copying what ours has been doing ever so slowly. Now you lightning rabid hate-radio listeners, pay attention to the PRE-WWII. Bush Jr & Co, Inc are nowhere near post WWII, though the manufactured before taking office war has hit roughly 150,000 total dead, mostly innocents,
of course. They prey on those, especially at home.
But there's 2.5 years yet, and then maybe another 4. Then just tell your granchildren you're sorry you screwed them over worse than you would an overspending, massive govt, killing the middle class progressive govt.
Wait-I get them mixed up now...which is which? Won't matter-the kids will be in a virtual "no fear, no freedom, no energy, no money, no clean anything" nation.
Google "Pre-WWII German govt actions vs recent U.S. govt actions." Dare ya.
Look it up yourself, or please...
Try Not To Speak.
And yes-6 years ago, I was a REAL nice guy. Then dark angels destroyed my country and my kids, & their kids, futures.
LITERALLY.
I'll be glad when they go back down to their incredibly obvious master.