How-Tos

The following are useful tutorials that will help you Leave Google Behind.

How to eradicate Google from Firefox: By default, Mozilla Firefox comes with several “features” that report information about you to Big Brother Google or push you towards making use of Google products and services. It is possible to turn these features off, however, so that information is not sent to Google during a session, and so that you do not end up accidentally using Google for a search.

How to stop Google from spying on you as you surf in Firefox (ad blocking + cookie removal + web bug interception): Don’t want to be bombarded with Google ads while browsing the Net? Don’t want Google to track where you’ve been? Fear not, Firefox users… there is a way to prevent Google from monitoring where you’ve browsed and a way to prevent Google-based junk from being downloaded to your computer.

How to switch away from Gmail: Google has made the allure of its “Gmail” product (which David Brandt justifiably calls “creepy”) so strong that there are a proliferation of tutorials out there promising to show you how to switch to Gmail. But what if you’ve decided you’ve had it with Google’s inadequate privacy controls and want to leave Gmail? What do you do? How do you get your messages out? There are several ways.

How to eliminate Google software from Windows: Chances are, there’s some Google software lurking on your machine if you’re a user of Microsoft Windows. Google’s software, some of it running constantly in the background, will “phone home” to Google’s servers with several bits of information: a unique identification number, your operating system version, default language, and the status of whatever Google software is installed, plus who knows what else. Like an invasive parasite, Google’s “updater” program will remain on your system even after you’ve told it to uninstall. Here’s how to get rid of it.