Can google still see my activity?

[Weasel 16]

I was reading about privacy and VPNs etc yesterday, and this one website stated that no matter what VPN you use, if you search with Google they can see exactly where you are, what you are searching and where any downloads are going.  I would assume this is correct if you have not taken steps to shut down leaks like webrtc, geo location, dns etc.  So, if you have disabled all of those, and you are using a VPN and searching with google, can they still identify you?  The site I was on said the vpn only prevents my IP from seeing my stuff which I think is just wrong but I have searched and cannot find anything on this.

 

I think the site is F.O.S.

 

**Sorry if this has been answered before, I searched the forums for google stuff but nothing really answered this question that I could find**

[LZ1 662]

Hello!

 

I don't know which article you read, but it sounds a lot like a recent FUD article that Staff/Paolo recently rebutted.

 

if you search with Google they can see exactly where you are, what you are searching and where any downloads are going.

 

Air changes your IP, so Google sees things coming from an Air IP, not yours. So in those terms, you're hidden. It's not really important that Google can see what is being done on their own products, but whether you can be uniquely identified or not. Which you can be to an extent, if you don't take the precautions you mentioned - including other ones, such as using some quality addons which block all manner of ads, trackers, scripts and whatnot.

 

FYI, there's no WebRTC leak if you use Network Lock. It was quite a hyped problem, but mainly affected Airs competitors, but not Air itself.

 

my IP from seeing my stuff which I think is just wrong but I have searched and cannot find anything on this.

 

I assume you mean your ISP. In which case it's correct that Air hides what you're doing, from your ISP. Especially so, as Air also supplies their own DNS, so that your queries aren't being sent to your ISP DNS. But the ISP can still see that you're using a product like Air, unless you take additional steps such as using a second VPN or protocols like SSH and SSL, which Eddie supplies.

 

But you know, there's a fairly straightforward answer if this bothers you: don't use Google . There's many other search engines you could use instead.

 

Besides all that, there's plenty other things you could do.

[Weasel 16]

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, IP = ISP, internet provider.  I have tried using SP and DDG but I find they do not find nearly as much stuff that G does, and I am talking just every day things, that is why I mostly use G.  I found the site which was Reddit and what I think they are saying is that if you are not using a VPN, and log into say Reddit, and then use a VPN and log into Reddit again, that G analytics can collate the two and identify you, I guess that makes sense but I have no clue.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/opsec/comments/6mntx5/if_i_browse_using_vpn_and_incognito_in_chrome_can/

 

The post by 'AGnarlyNarwhal' about half way down the page is what I am speaking of.

 

I didn't know network lock got rid of webrtc, I am sure with webrtc enabled on firefox, and vpn without lock that ipleak finds my webrtc, I will check it out again as I have mine disabled in about:config.

 

The privacy tools is very useful, I changed all my FF about:config as per their listing.  I just hate companies tracking me, I just started playing chess and suddenly when I went to this one site it was offering me chess, while it never had before.  Pisses me off.

[LZ1 662]

that G analytics can collate the two and identify you, I guess that makes sense but I have no clue.

Yes, that's the issue of identity separation. In much the same way if you log into a personal account on Facebook while using Air, can be a bad idea from that standpoint.

 

I just hate companies tracking me, I just started playing chess and suddenly when I went to this one site it was offering me chess, while it never had before.

 

Therefore you should do something about the tracking, such as by using uBlock Origin and configuring it with the different anti-tracking lists it offers in its options. If you're really aiming high, you could also get familiar with NoScript.

 

But there's other resources still. After all that, you may as well switch to Linux as well, if you didn't already do so. Since there's plenty tracking in the ol' Windows and that's arguably worse, since then many of the other mitigations mean little or nothing, if you're a purist about it. Hence the little taunt at the bottom of my signature