Scroogle: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
{db-repost}} |
m Bot: Fixing double redirect to Privacy concerns with Google Tag: Redirect target changed |
||
| (12 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
#REDIRECT [[Privacy concerns with Google#Scroogle]] |
|||
{{Infobox Website |
|||
|name = Scroogle |
|||
|logo = |
|||
|screenshot = [[Image:Scroogle-screenshot.png|260px]] |
|||
|caption = Screenshot of Scroogle.org taken October 14, 2008 |
|||
|url = scroogle.org |
|||
|commercial = no |
|||
|type = [[Web search engine|Search Engine]] |
|||
|language = [[English language|English]] and 27 others |
|||
|registration = none |
|||
|owner = Public Information Research, Inc.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scroogle.org/staffsc.html | title=PIR Staff Box | accessdate=2008-06-25}}{{Deadlink|date=February 2012}}</ref> |
|||
|author = Daniel Brandt<ref name=whois /><ref name="worldnetdaily" /> |
|||
|launch date = {{Start date|2003|04|24}}<ref name=whois>{{cite web | url=http://whois.dnsstuff.com/tools/whois.ch?ip=scroogle.org | title=WHOIS - scroogle.org | accessdate=2008-06-25}}</ref> |
|||
|current status = closed |
|||
|revenue = Non-Profit Organization |
|||
|slogan = |
|||
}} |
|||
{db-repost}} |
|||
'''Scroogle''' was a [[web service]] that allowed users to perform [[Google]] searches [[Anonymous web browsing|anonymously]]. It focused heavily on searcher privacy by blocking Google cookies and not saving log files. The service was launched in 2003 by Daniel Brandt. After 2005, the service encountered rapid growth before running into a series of problems starting in 2010. In February 2012, the service was permanently shut down by its creator due to a combination of [[Throttling process (computing)|throttling]] of search requests by Google and a [[denial-of-service attack]] by an unknown person or group. Before its demise, Scroogle handled around 350,000 queries daily and ranked among the top 4,000 sites worldwide in [[web traffic|traffic]]. |
|||
==Background== |
|||
Scroogle offered a web interface and browser plugins for [[Firefox]], [[Google Chrome]], and [[Internet Explorer]] that allowed users to run Google searches anonymously. The service [[Web scraping|scraped]] Google search results, removing ads and sponsored links. Only the raw search results were returned, meaning features such as page preview were not available. For added security, Scroogle gave users the option of having all communication between their computer and the search page be [[Transport Layer Security|SSL]] encrypted.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
|url=https://ssl.scroogle.org/sslnote.html |
|||
|title=A note about SSL: How Scroogle's SSL option protects your privacy |
|||
|publisher=PIR |
|||
|date=2008-06-07}}{{Deadlink|date=February 2012}}</ref> Although Scroogle's activities technically violated Google's terms of service, Google generally tolerated its existence, [[whitelist]]ing the site on multiple occasions.<ref name=BetaBeat /><ref name=Zeit /> |
|||
Scroogle promised to delete all search terms within an hour and block Google's [[HTTP cookie|cookie files]].<ref name=rival /><ref name=gold /> All logs were deleted weekly, compared to the two years Google saves log files for.<ref name=WND /> "Even if the feds come around and ask me questions I don't know the answer because I don't have the logs any more," claimed company president Daniel Brandt.<ref name=gold>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Icon/Searching-for-gold/2005/06/15/1118645849591.html|title=Searching for gold|first=David|last=Stonehouse|date=2005-06-18|publisher=The Age}}</ref> |
|||
The service's name was a reference to both [[Web scraping|scraping]] and [[Ebenezer Scrooge]].<ref name=sharp /> Scroogle was supported solely by user donations—an average of $43/day—and run by [[not-for-profit]] Public Information Research.<ref name=back /><ref name=Zeit /> At the time of its demise, Scroogle was running off a total of 7 servers.<ref name=CloudFlare /> |
|||
==History== |
|||
Scroogle was created in 2003 by Google critic Daniel Brandt, who was concerned about Google collecting personal information on its users.<ref name=whois /><ref name=worldnetdaily>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55935|title=Fed up with Google? Try Scroogle.org: Powerful search tool without privacy violations|publisher=WorldNetDaily|date=2007-06-04}}</ref> Brandt said he created the service out of frustration of Google's transition from an "intellectual technical enterprise" to a big business focused on making money.<ref name=up>{{cite news|title=Google Search Anonymizer up and Running Again|author=javed05|work=TendersInfo|date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> "They (Google) have nothing but contempt for personal privacy," Brandt remarked, noting that among Google's stated goals was to collect more user information going forward.<ref name=gold /> Scroogle was soon blocked by Google.<ref name=sharp>{{cite news|title=Google Watch keeps sharp eye on 'Big Brother'|author=Robin O'Brien Lynch|work=The Irish Times|date=January 14, 2005|section=Finance & Technology|page=9}}</ref> In response, the service was moved to a new server and the [[source code]] published so that any who so desired could run Scroogle Scraper on their own computer.<ref name=sharp /> Brandt hoped the move would elicit a legal response by Google.<ref name=sharp /> He speculated that such a lawsuit would either make Google look bad, or his activity would be ruled legal and the case would "begin to restore a public-interest balance to the Web that has been declining ever since big money got behind the dotcoms."<ref name=sharp /> |
|||
Starting in 2005, Scroogle drew expanded media attention and experienced rapid growth. In October of 2005, daily visits numbered around 8,000.<ref>{{cite news|title=Google, seven years later|author=David Stonehouse|work=The Ottawa Citizen|date=October 2, 2005|page=A1}}</ref> A June 2007 story in [[WorldNetDaily]] claimed that Scroogle was becoming the preferred search engine of [[civil libertarians]].<ref name=WND>{{cite web|url=http://www.wnd.com/2007/06/41839/ |title=Fed up with Google? Try Scroogle.org |publisher=Wnd.com |date=2007-06-04 |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> By December 2007, Scroogle had passed 100,000 visitors a day.<ref name=rival>{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3055825.ece|title=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?|first=Dominic |
|||
|last=Rush|work=The Sunday Times|date=2007-12-16}}</ref> By May 2010, daily queries were around 325,000.<ref name=up /> Brandt attributed the site's growth to consumers' growing privacy concerns.<ref name=rival /> In November 2010, [[CNET]] reviewed the Scroogle Scraper extension for Google Chrome, giving it 5 stars (out of 5).<ref name=CNET>{{cite web|url=http://download.cnet.com/Scroogle-Scraper/3000-2378_4-75185944.html |title=Scroogle Scraper - Download.com |publisher=Download.cnet.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> "Scroogle Scraper lets you take advantage of Google's search engine without compromising your privacy or allowing your browsing and searching habits to be recorded. We recommend it for all Chrome users," wrote the reviewer.<ref name=CNET /> |
|||
In 2010, Scroogle was temporarily offline multiple times, generating headlines about Google blocking the service.<ref name=Offline>{{cite web|url=http://www.intern.de/internet-news/7449.html |title=Scroogle-Abschuss durch Google? |language={{de icon}} |publisher=Intern.de |date= |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> In May 2010, Google removed a seldom used interface page that Scroogle relied on causing the site to no longer function properly.<ref name=Offline /> Google developer Matt Cutts indicated that Google was not specifically targeting Scroogle, but rather was no longer supporting [[Internet Explorer 6]] for which the interface had been designed.<ref name=back /> "Due to significant decrease in usage, we discontinued this interface and are encouraging searchers to upgrade their browser," the company said in a statement.<ref name=up /> Brandt tweaked his site to rely on a different version of the interface page, which was subsequently removed in July.<ref name=back>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/08/scroogle_back_from_dead_again/</ref> This time, Brandt was forced to do a complete redesign, which resulted in increased server load on his end.<ref name=back /> Scroogle went down a third time when Google redesigned its interface in November 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/04/scroogle_dead_again/ |title=Scroogle busted again after Google tweak |work=The Register |last=Metz |first=Cade |date=2010-11-04}}</ref> |
|||
In 2012, Scroogle began to have problems with Google throttling, being periodically blocked for 90-minute intervals.<ref name=BetaBeat /> Google denied targeting Scroogle, saying the site may have been triggering automated anti-spam mechanisms.<ref name=BetaBeat /> In February 2012, Scroogle was shut down by its creator.<ref name=Gone>{{cite web|url=http://searchengineland.com/scroogle-org-is-gone-forever-says-site-owner-112245 |title="Scroogle.org Is Gone Forever" Says Site Owner |publisher=Searchengineland.com |date=2012-02-21 |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> Brandt blamed a [[DDoS attack]] by someone with "a personal vendetta" combined with throttling by Google for the site's demise.<ref name=Gone /> He stated that his hosting providers had been unable to cope with the collateral damage from the attacks and had subsequently refused to reconnect him.<ref name=CloudFlare /> Brandt's other sites—[[NameBase]].org, Google-watch.org, CIA-on-campus.org, and book-grab.com—were also taken offline at the same time,<ref name=BetaBeat>{{cite web|last=Jeffries |first=Adrianne |url=http://www.betabeat.com/2012/02/21/scroogle-privacy-first-search-engine-shuts-down-for-good/ |title=Scroogle, Privacy-First Search Engine, Shuts Down for Good | Betabeat — News, gossip and intel from Silicon Alley 2.0 |publisher=Betabeat.com |date=2012-02-21 |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> but eventually returned. In a July 2012 statement, he reiterated that Scroogle would not return, writing "it was time to call it quits on Scroogle.org."<ref name=CloudFlare>{{cite web|title=CloudFlare Watch|publisher=Crytome|date=July 8, 2012|url=http://cryptome.org/2012/07/cloudflare-watch.htm|accessdate=July 17, 2012}}</ref> |
|||
According to [[Alexa Internet|Alexa]] data, Scroogle was ranked in the top 4000 sites globally in terms of traffic at the time of its demise.<ref name=Alexa>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/scroogle.org |title=Scroogle.org Site Info |publisher=Alexa.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-27}}</ref> It ranked in the top 2500 for the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries.<ref name=Alexa /> The site was handling around 350,000 searches a day.<ref name=Zeit>{{cite news|title=Anonymisierte Google-Suche über Scroogle ist blockiert|author=Patrick Beuth|work=Die Zeit'' Online|date=2012-02-15|accessdate=2012-02-24|language=German}}</ref> |
|||
==See also== |
|||
*[[DuckDuckGo]] |
|||
*[[Ixquick]] |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{reflist|2}} |
|||
[[Category:Google]] |
[[Category:Google]] |
||
| Line 53: | Line 5: | ||
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2003]] |
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2003]] |
||
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2012]] |
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2012]] |
||
[[Category:Defunct internet search engines]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 16:53, 19 February 2024
Redirect to: