Gary Kovacs: Tracking the trackers

[Slartybart]

TED
Tracking the trackers

​

As you surf the Web, information is being collected about you. Web tracking is not 100% evil -- personal data can make your browsing more efficient; cookies can help your favorite websites stay in business. But, says Gary Kovacs, it's your right to know what data is being collected about you and how it affects your online life. He unveils a Firefox add-on to do just that. Gary Kovacs is the CEO of the Mozilla Corporation, where he directs the development of Firefox. Full bio »

[I am] not even two bites into breakfast, and there are already nearly 25 sites that are tracking me. I have navigated to a total of four.” (Gary Kovacs)​

 

[Slartybart]

Ted is great - a university in a box.

Avi Rubin: All your devices can be hacked

Tim Berners-Lee: The year open data went worldwide

 

[TVeblen]

TED
Tracking the trackers

​

An interesting video. More interesting that 'Collusion" only shows you that people are tracking you, but does not allow you to do anything about it like the 'Do Not Track Plus' add on for Firefox.

 

[boohbah]

thanks for the vid, im now using ghostery

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/?src=ss

 

[Slartybart]

That's one of the things I appreciate about TED - great lectures on just about any subject w/o promoting anything. I suppose there is some "soft" sell just by being the CEO of Mozilla - but it's still cool that they put together the map. If you ever really delve into cleaning cookies, aside from hitting the button, then you already knew how much tracking there was going on behind the scenes. I would get between 5 and 20 "ghost" cookies when going to one site.

I'm not too worried because besides the "Don't track me" option in FF and deleting history on exit, there's not a whole lot of repeat info about me. I've also opted out on, hmmmm what was that site to wholesale opt out? - I'll have to post an update with that. The trick with the opt-out is you need cookies.

I have tried to clean out only the stale bad cookies, but haven't been successful. cCleaner does the best with identifying and not cleaning cookies, but the browsers seem to delete all or nothing (cookies). I suppose that I could systematically build a safe set of cookies and then always use private browsing - but I'm too lazy and too forgetful (ooops, didn't mean to clean history.... again!)

I'll take a look at the add-ons you and Boo noted - thank... both of for bringing those to my attention:

• Do Not Track Plus
• ghostery

..... More interesting that 'Collusion" only shows you that people are tracking you, but does not allow you to do anything about it like the 'Do Not Track Plus' add on for Firefox

..... im now using ghostery

For anyone interested in the track mapping - the add-on can be found here - as TVeblen mentions, this only maps it for you, it doesn't prevent tracking.

 

[seekermeister]

TED
Tracking the trackers

​

An interesting video. More interesting that 'Collusion" only shows you that people are tracking you, but does not allow you to do anything about it like the 'Do Not Track Plus' add on for Firefox.

I don't know anything about the Firefox add on, but looking at the changelog for Opera, which deals with their DNT provision, it says:

Note that this will only work if the site actually honors the request. Few sites currently do, and the effect of DNT will have to be evaluated to see if it is a viable solution in the long run.

It seems obvious to me that trackers (at least in the USA) aren't going to honor DNT, so it makes me question the value of these types of add ons. Something stronger is needed.

 

[TVeblen]

Keep in mind there are two independent programs here:

The "Do Not Track" option in Mozilla Firefox (asking sites to be nice - agreed - ridiculous!)

And The "Do Not Track Plus" Add On for Firefox which (reportedly) actually blocks the trackers as they pop up.

 

[seekermeister]

Hmm, interesting! I wonder if it could be made to work in Opera?

 

[TVeblen]

It doesn't look like it.

Do Not Track Plus

It doesn't list Opera.

 

[seekermeister]

After thinking about it, I believe that Ghostery will perform this function. It is an extension specifically designed for Opera. I hadn't been using it, because it was causing problems on some websites that I regularly use, but looking at the changelog of the latest update, it may be okay, because it speaks of using dummy scripts on such sites, and I also found a way to disable the extension on particular websites.

 

[carwiz]

How is Ghostery and DNT+ any different than the already built-in feature of IE's Inprivate Filtering? Seems like just another level of bloatware.

 

[seekermeister]

I never use IE, so all I can say is an assumtion...that being it is like using a private tab in Opera, and all that does is to delete any info about the websites and your activity when you are finished...with nothing to do with preventing tracking, as we are discussing. In other words, the private tab is to prevent some that has access to your computer from tracking your activity, but not outsiders.

 

[carwiz]

That's not what Inprivate Filtering does. It doesn't "delete" anything, it's like a blocker. But I know nothing about Opera so we're even.

 

[seekermeister]

Sounds like it deletes it to me:

InPrivate Browsing - Microsoft Windows

I also found some info about handling outside tracking in IE, but it kind of sounds a bit tedious to me:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/products/ie-9/features/tracking-protection

 

[carwiz]

I said Inprivate Filtering, not Browsing. There's a difference.

Here's a screen shot of the options

 

[seekermeister]

Okay, I stand corrected. Reading the comment in that window, it sounds as though it has the same problem that Ghostery had with crippling some websites. Have you had much problem with it?

 

[carwiz]

Only on the NBA site. But I don't get out much.
You can turn it on/off with a click on the icon in the bottom-right of the screen. (Next to Zoom %) The advanced settings allow you to add additional filters via XML but the standard filters are "learned".

BTW - I would rather cripple a website than have it load intrusive scripts. I do the same with Flash Player. I pick what sites are allowed to do. If hit a site while browsing and it's blocked or crippled, I usually don't need to see it anyway.

 

[Slartybart]

I have available to me (x64 HomePrem)
1) Tracking Protection Lists (add-ons),
2) Active X Filtering
3) InPrivate Browsing
--> but no InPrivate Filtering

I said Inprivate Filtering, not Browsing ...

---

How do I turn InPrivate Filtering on and off?

By default, InPrivate Filtering analyzes the websites you visit and the content providers they use, but does not automatically block them. You can choose to allow or block any content provider that InPrivate Filtering identifies as receiving information about your browsing. Alternatively, you can have InPrivate Filtering automatically block any content provider, or you can turn off InPrivate Filtering.

To turn on InPrivate Filtering for the first time, follow these steps:

• Click to open Internet Explorer.
• Click the Safety button
• Click InPrivate Filtering
• then do one of the following:
  • Click Block for me to block websites automatically.
  • Click Let me choose which providers receive my information to choose content to block or allow.

When you're finished, click OK.​

If you've already turned on InPrivate Filtering, follow these steps:

• Click to open Internet Explorer.
• Click the Safety button
• Click InPrivate Filtering Settings.
• then do one of the following:
  • To automatically block websites, click Automatically block.
  • To manually block websites, click Choose content to block or allow.
  • To turn off InPrivate Filtering, click Off.
  Click OK.

There are two things that I don't quite understand
1) Where's the Safety Button (my customization hidden?), I'm looking at the safety menu in tools (gear) instead
2) Is filtering only available on > Home versions?

Anyway, it sounds as though it is the solution I've been looking for, at least in IE. Sorry, I couldn't grab (anyone know a trick to snip a menu that rolls up?) the drop down menu in IE safety that doesn't list InPriv filtering

Delete history
InPrivate Browsing
Tracking Protection (-> add-ons)

Name Privacy Online
Status Enabled
Address http://www.privacyonline.org.uk/downloads/privacyonline-btl.tpl
​

Active X Filtering
.......

 

[Slartybart]

Answering "Where is the safety button?" - yep, I turned off the Command toolbar.

I dunno, I was blonde as a child, but I cannot find InPrivate Filtering

InPrivate: frequently asked questions
This information applies to Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Applies to these editions of Windows Vista:
...Starter
...Home Basic
...Home Premium
...Ultimate
...Enterprise

Internet Explorer 9 features
Fast
...Performance improvements
Clean
...New Tab page
...Notification Bar
...One Box
...Pinned Sites
...Tab enhancements
...Web-focused browsing
...Windows 7 integration
Trusted
...ActiveX Filtering
...Add-on Performance Advisor
...Compatibility View
...Cross-site scripting filter
...Domain highlighting
...Download Manager
...InPrivate Browsing
...SmartScreen Filter
...Tab isolation and recovery
...Tracking Protection

Security and privacy features in Internet Explorer 9

 

[Slartybart]

I couldn't recall which site I used to wholesale opt-out, but I looked (as promised) and found more than I remember being available many years ago. I'm fairly certain that I used NAI or CDT or both. The trouble is that I clean my browser history on exit and that defeats the opt-out which is cookie based. I've looked at some of the add-ons and will try a few (one at a time), but what I've read so far is that many of them depend on cookies as well. More research needed.....

Please read the facts on any or all of the pages listed below. It's a lot, I know, but why trust me? Besides, it's nice to know what the organization intends to do to help you, doesn't it?

Organizations concerned about privacy:

• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI)
  
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC)
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)
  
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
  
• YourOnlineChoices.com Pan-European

Offers tool or add-on: PrivacyChoice.org

Companies in the business of collecting data offering opt-outs:

• Omniture.com (Adobe)
• Google
• Rapleaf