TrackMeNot is a browser extension that protects web-searchers against surveillance and data-profiling. It does so not by means of concealment or encryption (i.e. covering one’s trail), but instead, paradoxically, by the opposite strategy: noise and obfuscation. With TrackMeNot, actual web searches, lost in a cloud of false leads, are essentially hidden in plain view.

I thought this Firefox extension was a great idea. The only problem was that it had a pretty limited word lists and it’s searches weren’t very human. What it really needed was a database of real search engine queries. Where could you find such data? Oh yes, AOL. So I’ve made a new version which uses about 40,000 AOL queries (you need to uninstall any previous TrackMeNot first).

It also uses the sequence which AOL searchers used, which looks realistic (eg “john smiht” and then “john smith”). I have also changed it to only target Google rather than MSN, Yahoo and AOL.

Note that it may search for anything an AOL user searched for, including many things you do not wish to be associated with, and the search will come from your computer! It is also incomplete and not very tested so use it entirely at your own risk.