Seven ways to keep your search history private

The greatest threat to your privacy may not come from cookies, spyware or Web sites tracking and analyzing your Web surfing habits. Instead, it may come from search engines, which collect and store records of your searches. Search engines track your search terms, the sites you visit as a result of your searches, the times you conduct your searches and your IP address. This makes it possible to figure out who you are, what your likes and dislikes are, and what you do online. Search records can be subpoenaed by the federal government and used in any way the government sees fit.