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IP Address Tracing and Privacy
An IP address uniquely identifies your connection to the internet. These articles discuss what information that may or may not reveal about you or the person at the other end of an IP address, how much you can or cannot get, and who has the power to get it all.
Can I get someone's name and address from their IP address?
Getting someone's name and address from their IP address has some legalities.
Can someone get my IP address?
Establishing a direct file transfer in an instant messaging program can expose your IP address. I'll discuss whether that's a problem or not.
Can you disguise an IP address?
IP addresses are fundamental to the way that the internet works. Spammers use botnets to send from hijacked machines and thus from their IP addresses.
Does Google's new privacy policy mean they know everything about me?
Google's new privacy policy pulls together their existing policies into one place. There's nothing really new; they already have a lot of data on you.
Getting all worked up over IP tracing
How long do ISPs keep data on you?
ISPs and websites can keep logs of your activity. There's no standard retention period, and whatever period that is used is kept private by each provider.
How much of my search history could be recovered?
Web searches are stored in your browser history, but even deleting that may not be enough to prevent the discovery of what you've been searching for.
What can people tell from my IP address?
People can tell very little from your IP address. They cannot, for example, tell who or where you are. How much they can tell varies a great deal.
What happens to my IP address if I cancel my Internet service?
When you cancel your Internet service, your IP address is released and made available to others. But, in reality, that may have already been happening.
Why do I get obviously wrong locations from IP addresses?
It's no surprise that locations from IP addresses often come out wrong. In fact, Google has mapped us in a way that might surprise you.