Screenshots - Google Toolbar Continues Tracking Browsing Even When Users "Disable" the Toolbar via Its "X" Button
Google Toolbar Tracks Browsing Even After Users Choose "Disable" - Ben Edelman

This page gives screenshots showing that Google Toolbar continues tracking a user's browsing even after a user specifically disables the Google Toolbar via the Toolbar's "X" button. All testing occurred on January 21, 2010.

See also discussion in main article, as well as a screen-capture video.

 

The Google Toolbar - Installed

Consistent with modern browser plug-in standards, the current Google Toolbar features an “X” button to disable the toolbar. See the left edge of the Toolbar stripe. (Screenshot taken from video at 0:04.)

Google Toolbar features an

 

Clicking "X" to Disable the Google Toolbar

Clicking the “X” yielded a confirmation window: I accepted the default option and pressed OK. (Screenshot taken from video at 0:05.)

 

Google Toolbar Disappeared from View and Seems to Be Disabled

The Google Toolbar disappeared from view, indicating that it was disabled, just as I had requested. I requested the Whitehouse.gov site. (Screenshot taken from video at 0:12.)

Google Toolbar disappeared from view, as instructed. Google Toolbar seems to be disabled.

 

Google Toolbar Continued Tracking My Browsing

Although I had asked that the Google Toolbar be "disable[d]," and although the Google Toolbar disappeared from view, my network monitor revealed that Google Toolbar continued to transmit my browsing to its toolbarqueries.google.com server. (Screenshot taken from video at 0:29.)