4 ms·

There needs to be a mechanism to tweak the signal-to-noise ratio. Either 1) stop interact with them and send 0 signal, or 2) have a browser plugin that just pr

by Tobani 8y ago

There needs to be a mechanism to tweak the signal-to-noise ratio. Either 1) stop interact with them and send 0 signal, or 2) have a browser plugin that just provides random interaction on a webpage and increase the the noise. The expensive targeting machines they've built become much less useful.

infinityplus1 8y ago
AdNauseam is a Firefox extension which clicks ads automatically.
- mrweasel 8y ago
  While that seems like a fun idea, I'm not a fan of the permissions the extension requires.
  - Karunamon 8y ago
    It seems sketchy at first glance, but then you pair that with what the addon is actually doing: - Access your data for all websites (anything that interacts with ads, including blockers, will need this) - Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history (these two items are single entitlement in firefox, and provides the ability for AN to store the images for ads it clicks on. You get this nice mosaic view of all the ads its clicked, as well as a running total how much click revenue you've burned) - Monitor extension usage and manage themes (checks if any other incompatible ad blockers installed and notifies the users) - Access browser tabs (I'm not 100% sure what this one does, but you've already given it full access to everything on every page anyways.) - Access browser activity during navigation (Killing popups) The addon itself is GPL3, so I think there's a very low likelihood of shenanigans here. Also compare and contrast with uBlock Origin: - Access your data for all websites - Read and modify privacy settings - Access browser tabs - Access browser activity during navigation
  - SilasX 8y ago
    Mozilla screams bloody murder about security and careless users, but then forces you to choose between "no extensions" and "extensions with unlimited permissions to see everything you do".
monetus 8y ago
I've been told that without more people doing it, fuzzing your browser like that makes you more identifiable. Know if that's true?
- dotancohen 8y ago
  Think of it like fingerprints (it is actually called fingerprinting). Every unique setting you make is a point that could identify you, even settings supposedly intended to increase your privacy. Much like adding a big burn mark to your fingerprint to actual fingerprint to mask its curves, now that big burn mark could be used to identify you even more than the original curves could.

by Tobani 8y ago

infinityplus1 8y ago

AdNauseam is a Firefox extension which clicks ads automatically.

mrweasel 8y ago
While that seems like a fun idea, I'm not a fan of the permissions the extension requires.
- Karunamon 8y ago
  It seems sketchy at first glance, but then you pair that with what the addon is actually doing: - Access your data for all websites (anything that interacts with ads, including blockers, will need this) - Download files and read and modify the browser’s download history (these two items are single entitlement in firefox, and provides the ability for AN to store the images for ads it clicks on. You get this nice mosaic view of all the ads its clicked, as well as a running total how much click revenue you've burned) - Monitor extension usage and manage themes (checks if any other incompatible ad blockers installed and notifies the users) - Access browser tabs (I'm not 100% sure what this one does, but you've already given it full access to everything on every page anyways.) - Access browser activity during navigation (Killing popups) The addon itself is GPL3, so I think there's a very low likelihood of shenanigans here. Also compare and contrast with uBlock Origin: - Access your data for all websites - Read and modify privacy settings - Access browser tabs - Access browser activity during navigation
- SilasX 8y ago
  Mozilla screams bloody murder about security and careless users, but then forces you to choose between "no extensions" and "extensions with unlimited permissions to see everything you do".

monetus 8y ago

I've been told that without more people doing it, fuzzing your browser like that makes you more identifiable. Know if that's true?

dotancohen 8y ago
Think of it like fingerprints (it is actually called fingerprinting). Every unique setting you make is a point that could identify you, even settings supposedly intended to increase your privacy. Much like adding a big burn mark to your fingerprint to actual fingerprint to mask its curves, now that big burn mark could be used to identify you even more than the original curves could.