Holger Metzger wrote: > Holger Metzger wrote: > >>JTK wrote: >> >>>Eric Vaandering wrote: >>> >>>>Does the mozilla code do as described in this article too, or do the >>>>searches go directly to Google, etc? >>>> >>>>http://www.computeruser.com/news/02/03/08/news5.html >>>> >>> >>>That's what AOL means by "Open": Open up everything you do to AOL, so >>>they can pump ads at you more effectively. >>> >>>I want to know too, from a Mozilla/AOL official: Does Mozilla contain >>>any such privacy-invading "features"? Yes or no? >> >>I tried it with Mozilla. I used the Google sidebar to search for >>something and the only thing Mozilla did was connection to Google (a >>216.239... IP address) on port 80. No other connection was sent out. I >>used Tiny Personal Firewall for testing. >>I currently do not have Netscape 6 installed but I will do so now, just >>out of curiosity. >> >>- Holger >> > > > OK then. I tried the same with Netscape 6.2.1, German version. > This is what happened: > ---------------------------------------- > 'Netscape application file' from your computer wants to connect to > info-v4.websys.aol.com [64.12.180.23], port 80 > > 'Netscape application file' from your computer wants to connect to > www.google.com [216.239.39.101], port 80 > ---------------------------------------- > > Netscape 6 clearly connects to a AOL server first, then to Google. > > Mozilla did _not_ do this. Mozilla connected _directly_ to Google. > > Now, I don't know /what/ Netscape 6 sends out there to the AOL server, > it might only be a statistic like "Hey the user wants to use Google, > tell the advertisers", which wouldn't be too bad, Netscape needs to make > money from stuff like that. Since it's only port 80, the classic > webserver port, it really might just be a harmless redirection to count > the number of hits that Google gets via Netscape 6. > > So who knows more? > > Holger
Just confirms that Netscape is potential spyware. Search on the bar, your ip and search terms get recorded by AOL before going off to google. And with AOL, who knows what they will do with the information. At least google is more trustworthy. -- Kyle
