Scroogle: An SSL Secured way to use Psuedo-Anonymously use Google
Google is excellent when it comes to relevant search results, but can be lacking where security and privacy are concerned. Google does not offer an SSL secured option for their search results, allowing ISPs and network administrators to easily observe user’s searches. Similarly, other users on a WiFi connection could monitor a user’s traffic. Website operators are also able to view a visitor’s search keywords when the visitor’s are referred from a Google search results page. This ability is helpful for website operators who want to know how their visitors found their site, but also diminishes the visitor’s privacy.
Scroogle is a service that allows SSL connections, and does not append search terms to the search results URL. These features will prevent the ISP, network administrator, or nosy WiFi user from monitoring your searches. Scroogle also states that they do not retain your search terms and delete logs within 48 hours. Since I don’t have any way to verify whether they actually delete records, I’m less impressed with this assertion, but whether they keep logs or search terms is not really important: The purpose behind Scoogle is not to provide the same anonymity that could be had using software such as Tor, but rather to prevent nosy network users, admins, and website operators from monitoring every search a user conducts.
Scroogle can be accessed at https://ssl.scroogle.org/index.html and there is a Firefox search bar plugin can be seen here: http://mycroft.mozdev.org/download.html?name=scroogle+ssl&sherlock=yes&opensearch=yes&submitform=Search
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