Ask HN: Is Google cataloging my girlfriends?
However, another spoke off of my girlfriend's name was surprisingly my ex-girlfriend's name. Now, of course, this might make sense if they had any related search results, but they don't. There's absolutely nothing on the web that directly links one to the other or contains both of their names. Moreover, there's nothing on the web that links me to my ex, so it can't even be an indirect connection of that sort through me.
Point is, I'm concerned as to how Google came to link the two. Since my current girlfriend and ex have never, to the best of my knowledge communicated online in any way (publicly or privately), the only explanation I can come up with is that Google has taken note that my girlfriend and ex may have done Google searches on each other. Has an invasion of privacy gone on here? Can you think of any other possibilities?
UPDATE: If we don't come up with a reasonable explanation, how should I take this up with Google?
FURTHER UPDATE: Anyone interested in trying the search from themselves can leave contact info for me somewhere. As long as you seem trustworthy and will not share them with others, I'll send you an email with our names so you can confirm/investigate.
39 comments
[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 87.6 ms ] threadBut yeah, for now, please see if you can come up with any other explanations.
I am unaware of whether my ex uses GMail or not. We were in school when we met and had uni email addresses.
I also searched through the contacts and conversations for both my GMail account and my girlfriend's (she consented, of course) - result: in neither did my ex show up.
I have found that the results change when you are and it will promote things that you have search for and emailed about before.
Looks like it's definitely not a personalized result.
Maybe it takes into account words that show up frequently in your email?
1) When I do the search described, I do it without being logged into any Google account.
2) To the absolute best of my knowledge, no email correspondences to my ex or about my ex have ever come out of my GMail account or my girlfriends.
I would consider email tracking more sinister for sure, so in some ways I'm glad it's not that.
That said, it's definitely not the volume of searches people are doing on anyone's names that have created the association (we all have a fair amount of individual web presence). So again, my only hunch is that Google has taken note that my girlfriend while logged in has searched for my ex (I have this confirmed) and that my ex likewise may have done the same.
If that is the case, I definitely 'feel' privacy violation going on since they're not using queries on aggregate to craft results, but instead are considering low-volume queries between users as a sign of association.
What it could be is your girlfriend Googled her name while logged in (i.e. rather than matching the two it just recognizes it as something she searched for). Even that seems unlikely - how does Google know you mean that person when Googling her - does she even have her name registered with Google. and so forth.
There are so many variables I really think that, using Occams razor, it is a highly unlikely solution :)
Also; Wonder Wheel has always given very slap dash to me. I've not observed this level of sophistication in it before...
Would you consider giving the name(s) to someone you trust (but not nearby) for them to perform the same search. That might give us some better data to figure it out.
EDIT: email is on my profile if you want me to check.
My concern first arose when I searched for my girlfriend and surprisingly spotted my ex as a spoke. The only other search I had done was for myself.
I'm not sure whether that should be considered a privacy violation,
That seems.... unlikely. Mostly for logistical/practical reasons than anything else.
Were you logged in at the time? That seems more likely.
Did the name pull up actual results on your ex? Is there a more reasonable explanation (i.e. could it be someone else your GF is interested in).
I am not.
> Did the name pull up actual results on your ex?
It does not.
> Is there a more reasonable explanation (i.e. could it be someone else your GF is interested in).
Of course some other connection between my girlfriend and ex may be possible, but none exist or are record online to the best of my knowledge. The problem with this answer is that all of us have considerably more readily associated information, and even if there is a rare case of indirect connection, it seems unreasonable that Google would weight it so greatly so as to make it one of the 8 Wonder Wheel connections.
Don't even know what that means!
For example, an old friend may be curious if you are married so they search for you and your old GF names to see if you have a wedding website. Then by talking to a mutual friend at a later date they get your new girlfriends name and do a search for your new girlfriend.
And that is all it takes to make the connection.
Yes, the title on this post was a bit facetious, I don't think Google is actually cataloging my girlfriends, but I still don't buy your explanation. There is so much more info out there on each of us, and so many easier and better connections to make, that I am left to suspect that Google is not using the method you described to connect us because it is weaker than other possible connections.
Worse, even if I did accept infrequent GET requests to a search engine as an explanation for Google's connecting the names on the Wonder Wheel, I don't take it as a justification of that act. If a search engine is okay with drawing and publishing connections from just a few searches made, than wow is that a loop hole for fairly private information (especially about lesser-known people) to get out.
One of the names (the ex's) is the same as a reasonably high profile writer (2K google hits) on the internet so there is a possibility that it is something she visited (perhaps Google reader?) has triggered the link. Edit: it seems his ex is that writer. So the Google reader etc. idea is a red herring :)
The link is one way (it seems) from the current gf to the ex.
(I know that reiterate as lot of what he already said..)
But it does appear somehow Google has linked his ex's name to his gf by some algorithm/process.
You might have overlooked that your ex could have posed information about you online. Google probably figured out that you were related to her in some way and it's why she shows up as a "personable" (and similar way you're linked to your current gf) link to you.
That should lead you to an explanation that'll ease your paranoia.