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Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

optimal.com

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Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#21

Post by geuis »

I experimented with this idea back in March, https://github.com/geuis/lead-dns

It turns out to be a pretty bad experience. There are tons and tons of legit domains that serve normal content that also serve ads. I used a subset of urls from a popular ad blocking list (https://github.com/geuis/lead-dns/blob/master/lists/easypriv...).

After only a few hours, using the web normally was near impossible. Just a very broken experience. Sadly, since you can't pass a path to a dns server, there's no finer-grained way to allow certain requests to a domain to go through and block others.

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#24

Post by quickben »

nherment wrote: post #7

Not sure what to think of it: An "ethical" ad blocking service launched Thursday that allows users to pay their favorite publishers not to show them ads. [...] With Optimal.com, users will pay a flat monthly fee (Leathern told Business Insider the exact amount hasn't been released, but it's likely to be a high single-digit number) to experience an ad free web. Source: http://uk.businessinsider.com/optimal-launches-su…

So they are paying for browser.. protection... in advance? Like a Racket?

Is that even legal?

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#25

Post by dingaling »

benologist wrote: post #4

This looks really cool, especially for the bajillion mobile-only people connecting straight through their telco without any ublock/ghostery/hosts/etc blocking. I am using a local DNS server that does this called Pihole [1] supplemented with additional blocklists [2] for malware and privacy. One thing I don't see is any statistics ... you might be surprised at how much software in your home is endlessly communicating…

It would be useful if their website described what exactly it installs. A recursive DNS server with a web UI and big list of null-routed domains? That's my guess.

How does that help mobile users outside their home network without also setting up a VPN back in?

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#26

Post by wpietri »

Retra wrote: post #18
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #13

I'd like to believe that Optimal is being altruistic with their DNS servers and just trying to help rid the world of annoying ads...but I'm also realistic. My VPN provider (Torguard) provides one of these as well. I'm a little more willing to trust them not to do anything malicious with my DNS requests, if only because I'm paying them.

I don't find the "I can trust them because I'm paying them" idea very useful. Nor the "If you're not the customer you're the product." The bottom line is, if your information is valuable, then it will be in the advantage of those who possess it to exploit it whether you pay them or not. The only real non-moralistic consideration is whether you will stop paying if they start selling. Either way, "I have a moral obliga…

The difference is in sustainability. Sure, some people always want more; morality is no barrier for them. But most people run into trouble only when they face a significant conflict of interest.

Thinking about companies I've seen the inside of, when the company is doing ok, it's rare for people to just up and do something sleazy. But if they company could collapse, suddenly the moral calculus shifts. Even if they don't do something dubious, they often will consider revenue sources they would have ignored before. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.

So I'm much more likely to trust a company I'm paying a fair rate for what they're doing. That's not to say that those people don't turn bad sometimes, but it happens a lot less.

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#27

Post by dsr_ »

boodm wrote: post #19

What are the security concerns with a service such as this?

The obvious two: Optimal gets to see every domain name your computer asks for, including personalized domains like yourname.bloggingservice.com; Optimal gets to answer those requests in any way it wants to (MITM attacks).

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#28

Post by josho »

geuis wrote: post #21

I experimented with this idea back in March, https://github.com/geuis/lead-dns It turns out to be a pretty bad experience. There are tons and tons of legit domains that serve normal content that also serve ads. I used a subset of urls from a popular ad blocking list ( https://github.com/geuis/lead-dns/blob/master/lists/easypriv... ). After only a few hours, using the web normally was near impossible. Just a very brok…

I've been using DNS to filter out the worst offenders. I don't mind most ads, so my list of domains is quite small. But, I've found it to be an effective tool.

I agree, however, that anytime a site is broken that I'm left wondering if I'm responsible because I've inadvertently blocked a CDN or something important.

Re: Optimal DNS Ad Blocker

#30

Post by boxfire »

Flammy wrote: post #16

Well this makes me feel a little better... from http://optimal.com/privacy-policy/ WHAT WE COLLECT We get information about you in a range of ways. snip DNS service. If you utilize our DNS-based service, we may receive information about your IP address and URLs requested by that address. DNS requests utilize the UDP protocol which means we do not typically get information on the full URL you are attempting to visit (…

instead of letting the browser grab the dns abstractly all the way down through the os, use your ISP's standard DNS for the exact address in the address bar and/or a white list, and their DNS for implicit requests. Still leaks a picture of you, but a far muddier one.
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