The Safety Of Internet Search Engines - Revisited

11 Dec 2006

Summary

Sponsored search results (those paid for by companies) from your search engine are nearly 3 times as likely to contain risky or malicious hazards compared to generic (unpaid) search results. This is just one of the conclusions in MacAfee’s December 2006 study evaluating the safety of top US search engines.

From safest to least safe: AOL (with 3.6 percent dangerous or unsafe results; Google and Ask were tied for second; followed by MSN, and Yahoo.) Risks include exposure to spam scams and other fraud, dangerous downloads, and browser exploits that can make unauthorized changes to and damage your computer when you simply browse the site.

Beware of certain search terms! Among other details, the report found that more than 90 percent of search results using the keywords "free ring tones," "free screensavers," and "bearshare" (the name of a file-sharing program) contained dangerous results. Searches related to "tech toys" carry a 23 percent return of dangerous results. Searches with the word "free" may cost you dearly, with over 14 percent of returned results leading to disreputable or fraudulent sites. Other high risk searches include celebrity searches and searches using terms related to adult content. Read the article.

Things to think about when reading the article below

• Search engines exploit consumers by promoting sponsored results from companies with disreputable and fraudulent practices because it is (at least in the short term) in their financial interest to do so.. Revenue from search advertising is projected to be $1.6 billion dollars in 2006 in the US alone.
• Consider what search engines know about you in their efforts to target sponsored results to you. This may seem useful, but is not when sponsored results are nearly three times more likely to be malicious.
  • They know the Web site you came from, the Web site you go to, and  what you’re searching for by tracking all the places you search within a search session.
  • They know your IP address which may reveal your Internet Service Provider (ISP), company, or school.
  • They know the software and hardware you are using (Windows, Mac, mobile device, , etc.).
  • If you have logged onto a service, or customized your experience in any way, the search engine knows even more. It may know your name, address, phone number, gender, and what you have searched for in the past.
• While you do not pay cash to use search engines, you "pay" nevertheless:
  • You "pay" by exposure to the advertising placed on these sites. You are the commodity that search engines sell to advertisers; if you don’t use the site, the Web site doesn’t earn money from the advertiser.
  • You "pay" by exposing or entering your information or search term to help advertisers better target their ads.
  • You "pay" heavily when your computer gets infected, your email gets spammed, you fall for predatory and deceptive advertising, your information is high jacked, and your safety and security are compromised.

Speak up if you don’t like being exploited

Are you getting what you "paid" for? You have tremendous power as a consumer. If you don’t like the way search engine providers are deliberately exposing you to high-risk sponsored search results, let them know. Here’s how to contact the top five:

• AOL makes calling painful, but if you persist you’ll reach a human. Call 800 827 6364 (toll free). If you Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages, you’ll finally be rewarded.
• Ask also makes speaking to a human very difficult, but they have a customer service form you can fill in at http://about.ask.com/en/docs/about/customer_service.shtml.
• Google gets kudos because they make speaking to a human easy. Call 650 623 4000, and Press 0 to reach someone.
• MSN also makes calling painful, but you can get through to a human. Call 800 386 5550 (toll free). Say "agent" at each prompt until offered a representative, and then say "yes."
• Yahoo! makes finding their phone number very difficult. Instead try e-mailing their Search Media Relations Contact: tsheila@yahoo-inc.com.

To learn more about how to protect your information, read Chapter 9 ("Don’t Browse Indiscriminately") in Look Both Ways: Help protect your family on the Internet.