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The ostensible purpose of a “Like” button is to allow site visitors to more easily like the publisher’s content on Facebook. Aside from loading the static asse
by kd5bjo 6y ago
The ostensible purpose of a “Like” button is to allow site visitors to more easily like the publisher’s content on Facebook. Aside from loading the static assets from their servers, there’s no reason for this to involve Facebook until someone clicks on the button.
The contention here is that adding surreptitious tracking code to this utility script amounts to illegal electronic surveillance (“wiretapping”), the same as if you had given someone a painting with a secret microphone and transmitter inside.
- amelius 6y ago> The contention here is that adding surreptitious tracking code to this utility script amounts to illegal electronic surveillance (“wiretapping”), the same as if you had given someone a painting with a secret microphone and transmitter inside. Isn't this true for most advertising code as well? And how about Google Analytics? Or Stripe, which records mouse movements in order to fight fraud [1]? [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22936818 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22936818
- ForHackernews 6y agoYes, most adtech javascript is essentially spyware.
- iamacyborg 6y ago"Isn't this true for most advertising code as well?" Yes. Which is exactly why this ruling is interesting.
- still_grokking 6y agoA real historic example of something similar happened: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device) Not exactly a painting but this case got some fame.