Turning off the AI feature on my search engines

Automatic, AI driven search results are annoyingly sneaking in all over the place.

I haven’t experience of turning off AI in Chrome as I avoid it, and Google, where possible. I know Google generally gives the most comprehensive results.

I changed my default search engine to DuckDuckGo a while back, because it prevents most annoying advertisements popping up and I can choose whether or not to ask AI during each search. If I need to do a comprehensive search I switch to Google and back again.

I wonder if anyone here constantly clears their search history and clears cookies? I do it every day and sometimes several times a day. I don’t know if it’s being obsessive or keeping safe.

ArchaeC said:

I wonder if anyone here constantly clears their search history and clears cookies? I do it every day and sometimes several times a day. I don’t know if it’s being obsessive or keeping safe.

My desktop is set up to clear history and cookies whenever I shut down the computer. Sometimes I use private browsing for a site and I use a VPN 95% of the time, only disconnecting it for the occasional irritating site that refuses to load while the VPN is running. I use a secure European VPN, password manager, email and cloud, and for sites like eBay, Amazon etc I use a security key rather than relying on anything stored on my desktop or laptop. I don't use my phone for email or payments. Nerd security. 

You too! I suspect we use the same European VPN, password manager, email and cloud. 

Unlike you, I use my phone for payments, but I have security protocols in place for that — a dedicated payments only bank account and debit card. I transfer the minimum amount of funds needed from my income bank account to the payment card, to cover purchases. Most of the time, there is little money in the account.

Interesting that we share the same habits. 

I don't fully trust my mobile service but I'm afraid convenience has overruled my security concerns. I think e-sims have slightly strengthened security but if someone is really determined, they will find a way to hack. 

Heh, I also keep two bank accounts and will use the payments only one (which only has a small amount of money in it) for some things although I mostly use a credit card for online purchases. My CC company  blocks anything they think is suspicious and send me a text message asking me to confirm the payment.

In theory, my mobile service provider won't permit a scammer to duplicate my sim card due to requiring a special passcode. I haven't checked out mobile phone companies' security for a couple of years and hope they have generally improved. Some of the tales of handing criminals a duplicate sim have been shocking.

Heh, I also keep two bank accounts and will use the payments only one (which only has a small amount of money in it) for some things although I mostly use a credit card for online purchases. My CC company  blocks anything they think is suspicious and send me a text message asking me to confirm the payment.

In theory, my mobile service provider won't permit a scammer to duplicate my sim card due to requiring a special passcode. I haven't checked out mobile phone companies' security for a couple of years and hope they have generally improved. Some of the tales of handing criminals a duplicate sim have been shocking.

Interesting that we share the same habits. 

I don't fully trust my mobile service but I'm afraid convenience has overruled my security concerns. I think e-sims have slightly strengthened security but if someone is really determined, they will find a way to hack.