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Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

theguardian.com

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Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#111

Post by j_s »

hiq wrote: post #29
benevol wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't opening several "Private Windows" achieve the same situation? What are the differences?

I don't think so: I'm currently logged in on HN. When I open a new private window, I'm logged in as well. This is really annoying when you always use your web browser in private mode, but don't close it regularly. It means that e.g. youtube already builds a profile about me from my previous searches even though I'm not logged in. If I were that concerned I would close Firefox, but the usability issue is just too big…

I use QupZilla, a random Chrome-based browser because it starts a new session for every new window (not tab).

Even Internet Explorer has File > New Session.

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#113

Post by pbuzbee »

j1f4 wrote: post #105
lucb1e wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like my Linux user agent is nearly trackable across IP addresses, so few people I know run Linux with Firefox version whatever... but yeah same here: cookies are a non-issue for me. I use a different solution though: self-destructing cookies. Once you closed a tab for more than X seconds (I configured 90 seconds I think), it deletes all cookies (and localstorage etc.) from that domain.

As a Firefox on Linux user I checked one of those sites that tries to estimate how many bits each public aspect of your setup reveals about you. It turned out available fonts was by far the most unique aspect of my setup.

Could you share a link to this site?

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#114

Post by roblabla »

sametmax wrote: post #78
lucb1e wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like my Linux user agent is nearly trackable across IP addresses, so few people I know run Linux with Firefox version whatever... but yeah same here: cookies are a non-issue for me. I use a different solution though: self-destructing cookies. Once you closed a tab for more than X seconds (I configured 90 seconds I think), it deletes all cookies (and localstorage etc.) from that domain.

There are add ons to change the user agent to something more generic. You can even randomize it but it breaks many more sites than I was expecting.

I think randomizing the UA might actually be worse, since it would allow services to fingerprint you across calls more precisely.

The point is to not ever be different from others. Act like the rest of the crowd. By changing your UA every now and then, you stand out, and become easier to identify.

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#115

Post by brainfire »

decasteve wrote: post #24
brainfire wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use the Tor browser for just Facebook. Stymies IP tracking, and I expect it to do more of the right things to deal with fingerprinting too. Plus it's super slow, encouraging me to not spend too much time on Facebook...

Do you use facebookcorewwwi.onion? Before I deleted my Facebook account last year that was the only way I connected to it.

Yes, although I'm not sure if there's any reason to.

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#116

Post by hobarrera »

benevol wrote: post #27
m_eiman wrote: post #15

Firefox has a pretty neat feature I discovered recently: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Contextual_Identity_Projec... It lets you run multiple sessions in one window, where each tab belongs to a specific session with separated cookies and such. I've got a bunch of tabs where I'm logged in to Facebook, another set where I'm logged in to Google and the rest of them where I'm not logged in to either. Of course they c…

Wouldn't opening several "Private Windows" achieve the same situation? What are the differences?

Not exactly. I've a "work" container that retains my work-related sessions (on gmail, issue tracker, etc). So if I come back yesterday, I open a work container and I'm back to work.

Meanwhile, my personal container won't log me with my gmail/work account when I watch cat videos on youtube.

If I used facebook, I'd have a facebook-specific container. Just open a tab in it, and I'm logged in, but no cross-container tracking.

Also, history is retained, and all in one big pool (unlike having actual separate profiles).

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#117

Post by hobarrera »

LiquidFlux wrote: post #43
xz0r wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Several private windows share the cookies. Try logging into a website in a private window and open that website in another private window and you will be logged in.

What about separate Chrome profiles?

Not quite the same in that saved history, password, etc are in separate profiles. Also, you can have tabs from different containers in a same window.

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#118

Post by brainfire »

kerkeslager wrote: post #23
brainfire wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use the Tor browser for just Facebook. Stymies IP tracking, and I expect it to do more of the right things to deal with fingerprinting too. Plus it's super slow, encouraging me to not spend too much time on Facebook...

Why not just quit Facebook?

Because it provides a useful service- for the first five or so minutes of a visit anyway.

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#119

Post by kafkaesk »

pbuzbee wrote: post #113
j1f4 wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Firefox on Linux user I checked one of those sites that tries to estimate how many bits each public aspect of your setup reveals about you. It turned out available fonts was by far the most unique aspect of my setup.

Could you share a link to this site?

I suppose it was https://panopticlick.eff.org

Re: Facebook can track your browsing even after you've logged out, judge says

#120

Post by andrewaylett »

m_eiman wrote: post #15

Firefox has a pretty neat feature I discovered recently: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Contextual_Identity_Projec... It lets you run multiple sessions in one window, where each tab belongs to a specific session with separated cookies and such. I've got a bunch of tabs where I'm logged in to Facebook, another set where I'm logged in to Google and the rest of them where I'm not logged in to either. Of course they c…

Privacy Badger is also good for things like this: you can be logged into Facebook, but Privacy Badger will block requests to Facebook from third-party sites.

https://www.eff.org/privacybadger

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