➟ If you were just on your bank’s Web site, the site you
go to next knows where you bank.If the site you go to is one you trust, this really represents no issue. If,
however, you go to a questionable site, this level of information collec-
tion may make you somewhat less comfortable. At this point, it begins
to be important that➟ You go to only reputable sites that respect your privacy.
➟ If you log in to your bank or insurance company’s
site, for instance, close your browser after you log out
of that site so that your browsing history from that
session is no longer available.How Search Engines Use Your Information
In theory, personal information is stripped out of anything search
engines share with other companies, but in reality, this isn’t always
the case.Search engines collect information about what you search for because
they want to➟ Improve the quality of their search results.
➟ Target advertising to you.
➟ Resell that information to other companies.
Use a search engine you trust; the major services such as Yahoo!,
Google, Ask (shown in Figure 2-5), and AOL are generally safe. Note
whether you get increased spam or pop-ups after using a search engine.
If it’s related to what you were searching for, find another search
engine.31Chapter 2: How the Internet Views You