PrivacyFinder aims to help people take an active role in protecting their privacy while searching online, reports the Electronic Freedom Foundation.

PrivacyFinder is a project of the CMU Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory. The website, free to use, boasts a number of features that privacy advocates have publicly advocated as crucial:

• It only retains data on user behavior for a week. Data is used to research search engine preferences and use.
• It clearly displays the privacy policy of the sites users visit, which helps when considering whether to make an e-commerce transaction at that destination, or share personal information with the site for other reasons.

PrivacyFinder has so far found that people intending to make an online purchase are more likely to do so on sites with greater privacy protection. This discovery mirrors findings from a recent study on mobile P2P payments by Javelin Strategy and Research.

PrivacyFinder provides access to both Yahoo and Google.