Scroogle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scroogle is a web service that disguises the Internet address of users who want to run Google searches anonymously.[1] Scroogle also gives users the option of having all comunication between their computer and the search page be SSL encrypted.[2] The source code was released into the public domain on January 2005 by Public Information Research, Inc.,[3] a nonprofit corporation that also operates Google Watch.
The tool was created by Google critic, activist Daniel Brandt,[4] who was concerned about Google collecting information on users, and set up Scroogle to filter searches through his servers before going to Google. "I don't save the search terms and I delete all my logs every week. So even if the F.B.I. come around and ask me questions I don't know the answer because I don't have the logs any more," he said "I don't associate the search terms with the user's address at all, so I can't even match those up."[5]
Traffic has doubled every year and as of December 2007, Scroogle had passed 100,000 visitors a day.[6]
Besides anonymous searches, the tool allows users to perform Google searches without receiving Google advertisements. There is support for 28 languages, and the tool is available as a browser plug-in. A secure connection to the Scroogle website is also possible.
[edit] References
- ^ Bray, Hiawatha (2006-01-21). Google subpoena roils the Web: US effort raises privacy issues. The Boston Globe.
- ^ A note about SSL: How Scroogle's SSL option protects your privacy. PIR (2008-06-07).
- ^ Scroogle Scraper (TXT) (January 3, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-06.
- ^ Fed up with Google? Try Scroogle.org: Powerful search tool without privacy violations. WorldNetDaily (2007-06-4).
- ^ Stonehouse, David (2005-06-18). Searching for gold. The Age.
- ^ Rush, Dominic (2007-12-16). Fears mount over internet privacy: Google rival Ask.com is promising to wipe out people’s search records within hours. But do the data really disappear?. The Sunday Times (UK).
