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Americans are using online search engines, especially Google, more than ever before, but an increasing number worry that the tracking of their online activities is an invasion of privacy, according to a new study released Friday.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 73 percent of users said they would not be OK with an online search engine keeping track of their queries even if the data provides personalized results in the future.

And 68 percent said they were not OK with targeted advertising because they don't want their online activities tracked and analyzed.

The report could bolster criticism by consumer groups and government officials over the online privacy policies of companies such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook. President Obama has proposed a "privacy bill of rights" to give consumers control over how their data is collected, stored and shared.

"Search engines are increasingly important to people in their navigation of information spaces, but users are generally uncomfortable with the idea of their search histories being used to target information to them," said Kristen Purcell, author of the report "Search Engine Use 2012."

"A clear majority of searchers say that they feel that search engines keeping track of search history is an invasion of privacy, and they also worry about their search results being limited to what's deemed relevant to them," Purcell said in a news release.

The research was based on a survey of 2,253 adults between Jan. 20 and Feb. 19, with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.

The study said 73 percent of all Americans use a search engine, compared with 52 percent in 2002.

And 59 percent of online Americans use a search engine on any given day, nearly double the number who did so in 2004. The vast majority - 91 percent - said they "always or most of the time" found the information they wanted using search engines.

Google remained the most popular search engine. About 83 percent used Google most often, compared with 6 percent who cited Yahoo. Eight years ago, 47 percent picked Google, and 26 percent chose Yahoo.

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Internet privacy a growing concern, Pew finds