Hi Don,
I’d like to clarify that the search box you see is a new security feature of the Norton Toolbar called Safe Search—not a third party application or toolbar. Please rest assured that no third-party toolbar was installed on your PC by Norton Internet Security 2009.
Safe Search is included as part of Norton Safe Web, a new Web site rating feature we have introduced in Norton 360v3 and integrated into Norton Internet Security 2009. Safe Web annotates Google, Yahoo and Live.com search results with site safety ratings to warn users about sites that may pose a danger to them. It also includes eCommerce safety ratings to help users make safer online shopping decisions.
Symantec partnered with Ask.com on Safe Search to offer users a safer search experience. In addition to embedding Norton Safe Web’s site safety ratings directly into the search results, it automatically filters out dangerous sites by default. Users have the option of changing the default settings to view the unfiltered results but will be warned before visiting sites that can infect their PCs. You can find more information about Safe Search here: http://norton.com/safesearch and more about the Norton Toolbar here: http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/toolbar/popup.jsp?pvid=nis2009_ss.
Since we understand that users want to customize their toolbar settings, we have made it easy to configure the Norton Toolbar. To disable Safe Search, simply click on the Norton logo and uncheck “Show search box.” Although we do not recommend it, users can also hide the entire Norton Toolbar using standard toolbar controls—right clicking and de-selecting “Norton Toolbar.” At Symantec we take user privacy very seriously. If you use the search box, Ask.com receives only the actual search query. If you have hidden the Safe Search box, no information gets sent to Ask.com.
Thanks,
KhanhT
dwhanson wrote:
Yesterday, 3/4/09, I spent a long time in a chat session with a Symantec technician trying to figure out how malware got on to my computer. The tech kept telling me that Ask search was not part of the Norton product. That was what I thought, too, which is why I sought help after having no success in solving the problem of removing the Ask search interface from the Norton toolbar. After much troubleshooting, and attempts to figure out how to remove Ask search from the Norton toolbar, the tech finally suggested reinstalling NIS 2009. Check case # 491918186 if you want to see what transpired. Norton tech support personnel didn't even know about Ask search interface. In all, I wasted 4 hours of my day working on my system, trying to figure out how the Ask search interface had attached itself to the Norton toolbar.
I have been a loyal user of Norton and Symantec Enterprise products for over 10 years, but because of this Ask search situation I am rapidly losing trust in Symantec. Having things like Ask search just show up on my computer is precisely why I have NIS 2009 - I want to PROTECT MYSELF FROM having junk like Ask search interfaces on my computer. While some may like Ask search, of all the people I have ever known in the computing world, I have never had anyone express a desire to use, or recommend, the Ask search engine. I don't want the Ask interface. I also noticed that Safe Search was automatically added as a search provider in my IE 7 and Firefox browsers. In IE 7, I deleted Safe Search from my list of search providers, and it has reappeared all on its own. What else is Symantec doing behind the scenes that I CAN'T see?
I would like to know how I can eradicate Ask search from my NIS 2009. And by eradicate I mean totally remove it from my computer, so that it is non-existent anywhere within the NIS 2009 software. I want no traces left. A lot of money changed hands because there are a large number of Norton users, and that means a lot of information could be provided to Ask through Norton users that would benefit Ask. The idea that closing the interface will close down traffic between my computer and Ask search? Ask search didn't spend money on a MAYBE. They'll be getting data, whether I see it happening or not.
And I just had a thought. Does Symantec own, or have an interest in, Ask search? The geniuses thought that it would be a good idea to do this Ask search thing totally misjudged what I desire in SECURITY software.
Don
