Referral data has been available since the beginning of Google. You get the referrer, extract the search terms of the URL and link it to the visiting IP.
This doesn't show up if you're using HTTPS search. The URL is encrypted and the terms can't be extracted IIRC.
So, the only problem is a tracker (which I never heard of) giving out that referral data. And it's publicized by a site who ends up promoting its VPN (and not mentioning the HTTPS solution).
HTTPS doesn't pass the referrer to non-HTTP sites, but will to HTTPS sites. What Google does on top of that, I don't know. They could easily bounce you through an HTTP redirect that does pass the search terms.
Referral data has been available since the beginning of Google. You get the referrer, extract the search terms of the URL and link it to the visiting IP.
This doesn't show up if you're using HTTPS search. The URL is encrypted and the terms can't be extracted IIRC.
So, the only problem is a tracker (which I never heard of) giving out that referral data. And it's publicized by a site who ends up promoting its VPN (and not mentioning the HTTPS solution).