‘BIG WARNING’ for internet users searching certain topics on Google or ChatGPT could lead to serious legal trouble
It’s super easy to forget that search engines like Google are “watched” services. Anything that comes to mind and feels like innocent curiosity could actually land you in legal trouble if you Google it in countries like India, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Google search histories have been used to nab suspects in criminal cases, and cybercrime units are always on the lookout for certain types of Google searches.
Before you Googling something, here are some searches that you want to avoid at all costs.
Google Searches That Will Get You Into Trouble:
1. Bombs and Weapons
You might think this is obvious, but Google searches that contain keywords related to bombs and weapons of any kind are being monitored by automated bots that flag these searches. Keywords like “how to make a bomb” have gotten people arrested.
Even if you have the best intentions at heart, Google searches like this can easily implicate you in a criminal investigation. If you want to learn about bombs and weapons, look it up through hard-copy reference materials.
2. Child Pornography
This is another illegal search that most people are aware of. Even unintentional searches with poor keyword choices that stumble across child pornography will have you linked to criminal databases if you view the content.
If you get caught searching for child pornography, there’s a good chance you’ll be fined and/or jailed for accessing illegal material. Don’t take any chances with this GOOGLE SEARCH and move along.
3. Unethical Hacking
Cybersecurity is an important subject these days, but there’s a difference between “how to secure my accounts” and “how to hack into accounts.”
Google searches that lean towards hacking into things or downloading hacking tools are sure-fire ways to get in trouble with the law. There are ethical ways to hack and test the security of websites and software, so do your research. Sign up for courses and stick to legal platforms like Bugcrowd and Hack The Box.
4. Movies, Music, Software
Believe it or not, searching for pirated movies, cracked software, and other copyrighted content is illegal. If you’re caught searching for these terms or using sites that provide access to illegal downloads of content, you could get hit with a fine.
You’ll usually get a warning the first few times (and sometimes not), but if you share that content or are downloading a lot of content, you could face criminal charges.
One GOOGLE SEARCH to rule them all
If you search for anything related to illegal activities on Google, that goes into a database. Along with ChatGPT and similar chat bot services.
Many users have found chats with ChatGPT online and were shocked to find that their chats weren’t as private as they thought. Just because you don’t see it pop up on your end doesn’t mean it’s going away.
You’ve been warned.