Wondering if @koesac and/or @wizard can cite a reference as to how Google selling your search history would be an invasion of privacy?
If you’re using Google’s search utility for free and they collect metrics about that, I should think they could sell them (and probably do) without infringing on any personal rights.
According to the published Google privacy policy, Google “only shares personal information with other companies or individuals… [when they]... have your consent.” Then they go on to say that they “require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information.”
See that?
I’m no lawyer, but it would look to me like Google could say that unless you explicitly opt-out, then they infer you’ve consented for them to share non- sensitive personal info. That’s not an unusual thing to see on any site which provides you a service free-of-charge.
I did stumble across where Google will allow you to turn off their collection of your search history. But I have no reason to trust it… for all I know, flipping that switch simply disables my ability to view my own search history. Google could still be (and I expect actually are) keeping tabs on my search history for their own internal reasons.
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Not saying Google is Evil Incarnate. Just that the technology they employ is complex and powerful and far-reaching. Even assuming they have the very best of intentions, I feel it’s better to be aware of the possibility that they don’t and act accordingly.