See Who Google Knows You're Friends With

Google knows a lot about you. But do you know what Google knows about you?

BoingBoing has highlighted a helpful link that allows you to see "who Google knows that you know."

Last year, the search engine launched Social Search, a feature designed to showcase content from your social circle, defined as "a set of online friends and contacts." The Social Search results show up at the bottom of your query results under the heading "Results from people in your social circle." (Note: To turn off the Social Search feature, you must sign out of your Google Account.)

Here, Google will tell you who it considers to be in your social circle. Google explains how the "snapshot" of your online acquaintances was compiled:

This is the network of connections Google uses to identify relevant social search results. It is based on a combination of the following:

* Direct connections from your Google chat buddies and contacts
* Direct connections from links that appear on your Google profile
* Secondary connections that are publicly associated with your direct connections

In addition to web pages from your social circle, posts from your Google Reader subscriptions may also appear in your social search results.

Check it out and tell us what you found--were you surprised by who Google knows that you're friends with? Do you enjoy the Social Search feature or does it make you uncomfortable? Weigh in below.

Comments

[midnightwriter]

11:56 AM on 08/12/2010

Nobody knows me. I'm fine with that.

[grimcity]

09:21 AM on 08/12/2010

Google found my Gmail contact list!

BUT HOW?!?!?

Dah Dah Duuuuuuunnnnnnn!!!

[tribilin219]

05:05 PM on 08/11/2010

This most be the sign they talk about in the Bible? You know 666.

[Brett Glass]

04:53 PM on 08/11/2010

Google is creepy. They want to make money on your personal information, so they do not like the idea of personal privacy.

They also don't like the idea of anyone challenging their multiple Internet monopolies (Internet search, Internet search advertising, Internet video, Internet banner advertising, and soon mobile advertising), which is why they are pushing so-called "network neutrality" regulations which in fact would prevent competitors from arising to challenge them. Even some of the bloggers here on The Huffington Post who advocate "network neutrality" regulation, and who claim to be from "public interest" groups, have money trails that lead right back to Google.

This is a scary corporation. Don't use its services or give it your personal information.

[Pippa70]

02:58 PM on 08/10/2010

According to google, I only have two friends. :(

[mmmhmmm]

01:46 PM on 08/10/2010

Here's a tinfoil hat for u guys!

[disprovit]

01:36 PM on 08/10/2010

It is not just google, looks like any entity that reaches that level start doing the stuff.

Yahoo , facebook, microsoft within their reach.

the main problem is OUR OWN curiosity about everything and everyone which in many cases it is honest but it can also be abused in many ways.

[alieninvader]

01:27 PM on 08/10/2010

If you want anonymity, stay off the internet entirely. Don't open a bank account or have credit cards. Don't own a phone. Live off the land as much as possible. Pay only cash. If that's not an option, welcome to the 21st Century. I take the "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. I'm a writer who buries all my personal information with online content that I control. You can do it too...just start a blog.

[merryons]

01:22 PM on 08/10/2010

Again, Google and the CIA are collaborating, we just don't know it yet. http://2su.de/cAs

[CadOps]

01:19 PM on 08/10/2010

How Sad...nobody knows me...I wanna be infiltrated too.

[alieninvader]

01:17 PM on 08/10/2010

Really? That's it? I see the same thing every time I open gmail.

[angry expat]

01:15 PM on 08/10/2010

This is just my address book. Don't see what the big deal is.

[Trenlin Hubbert]

01:07 PM on 08/10/2010

what an incredibly inaccurate picture this provides. LOL. If this is the best they can do: go for it.

[cordyc]

01:07 PM on 08/10/2010

I will never use social networking. It is a total invasion of privacy.

[ljmck]

01:07 PM on 08/10/2010

Google, thy name is EVIL.