I sent in a post to BoingBoing this morning about Google blocking my proxy searches. Apparently, I’m not the only one with the problem right now. I switched off FoxyProxy for the moment, but the CustomizeGoogle privacy settings should still be protecting me from tracking even if I’m coming from my own IP.
I’m guessing maybe if I quit Firefox and got a different proxy, I’d be able to get going again as opposed to disabling proxy use for Google? Cory mentions that he’s tried other proxies and is getting the same forbidden page. A friend is advocating a BitTorrent, P2P-style proxy network instead. That way, the IP->search link is so diluted that it’s essentially worthless. Anybody working on that? Thanks.
[tags]google, proxy, anonymous, privacy, spambot, boingboing, p2p[/tags]
6 Responses to “Google Woes”
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Hi, I just noticed this post on BoingBoing and come here to investigate – perhaps you can answer a question for me. I don’t use a proxy so I can’t test it, but is google blocking your access to Gmail or other google pages as well?
I immediately thought of people in Burma when I read this – despite that it’s infamous for not allowing people access, there are many activists and journalists using the internet there. Proxy’s like Torpark along with gmail and other google tools are what allow them to access the internet safely. Man, what a scary thought that Google is doing this!
I was using GMail without any problem. As far as I’ve tested, only searches were blocked. I didn’t try other Google services like Google News or Google Groups.
Customizegoogle extension is now crippled. Search engine referral links no longer show up on a Google search. I wouldn’t be suprised if they have sabotaged the anonomizer functions too.
Doh. The battle continues. I was afraid someone’d end up telling me that. I’ll have to do some more investigation. Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks, it still sucks, but I guess gmail working is still something. Hopefully they’re in the process of being flooded with complaints and will have it sorted out soon.
There are other reasons for using a proxy besides the ones you mention, such as hiding your IP from a dangerous stalker. Unfortunately, I’ve got one of those – and I’ve had some serious problems with the anonymizer I use. It’s shut down several important accounts, such as credit cards, for example, causing me hours of time straightening it out. In the effort to fight identity and account numbers theft, people like me are getting caught in the crossfires.