"Google Alarm" browser plugin alerts you when any of your personal data sent to Google

F.A.T.'s new "Google Alarm" browser addon alerts you with sound and visual notification whenever your personal information is being sent to Google servers. Gmail and YouTube gather some user data, but so do "tracking bugs": Google Analytics, Google AdSense, YouTube embeds, API calls. Currently available for Firefox and Google Chrome.

• [pa]

  I tried it out and had to uninstall it immediately. Very bad design. It puts some sort of invisible overlay on the right upper corner of your browser window so it can show you the information, but now you can’t click on anything that’s under this overlay. Many websites put their login-links in the upper right corner which are now unclickable. This add-on is unusable at best and not very informative.

  • [Anonymous]

    How do you uninstall the software? Its interesting, but I grow tired.

• [Anonymous]

  Anon • #10 • 11:38 AM Wednesday, Jul 28, 2010 • Reply
  pa =-how did you uninstall it? I can’t even locate the thing on my computer to adjust and/or eradicate it. Please advise.
  **********************************************

  Hey Anon#10
  Just go the the “Google Chrome” toolcase upright on the page.Then to “Extensions”
  you will find all the installed plug-ins.
  Just delete the “Google Alarm” Plug In

  Done !

  Greetings!

• [Anonymous]

  You could also install the analytics blocker plugin that google provides:

  http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

  Doesn’t block all the other ones but, hey, it’s something.

• [Anonymous]

  You should see all the web bugs that come up for Boing Boing!

  Like 7 of them!

• [Grey Devil]

  And? if all it does is alert me when my personal info is sent but not prevent it then what good is it?

  It’s like an alarm that tells me when my car is in a crash in progress but doesn’t alert me beforehand to prevent it.

• [CC]

  Meanwhile Ghostery does the same job for many more trackers without a hideous sound and allows you to block the data.

  http://www.ghostery.com/

  • [teapot]

    I was squeezing my morning brain trying to remember what the blocker I have at home is called, but CC’s brain is obviously in a better working order. I can second the recommend on Ghostery.

• [Anonymous]

  pa =-how did you uninstall it? I can’t even locate the thing on my computer to adjust and/or eradicate it. Please advise.

  • [Sis B]

    Anon #10–It took me a while to find it, but in Firefox: Tools -> Options -> General -> Manage Add-ons

    You will see it in the add-on menu and will be able to uninstall from there.

• [Anonymous]

  I’ve invented a tomato that automatically ejects itself from the car when an accident is immanent!

• [Anonymous]

  Just wondering if this add-on is completely legit, why it’s not downloadable from the Firefox site.

• [Anonymous]

  No mention of NoScript? Yeesh.

• [Anonymous]

  Boy, you try to share a helpful plug-in and people complain. I appreciate this information and may give it a try. Thanks.