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Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

vivaldi.com

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Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#61

Post by untog »

Yizahi wrote: post #59
novaRom wrote: post #3

From their privacy policy: "When you install Vivaldi browser, each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the…

Yes, it is enough: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ PS: my result Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 1,852,797 tested in the past 45 days. Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 20.82 bits of identifying information.

I'm pretty sure Panopticlick gathers a lot more information than Vivaldi is claiming to here.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#62

Post by untog »

vntok wrote: post #18
thecopy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But how how they identify me?

Statistically, if they geolocate you once per 24h, they will find you either at home or at work. Once both locations are known, determining which is which does not strike me as very hard.

But their only method of location is IP, with the last octet removed. No way that's accurate enough to identify your home and work location.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#63

Post by rjvbk »

ealhad wrote: post #53
rjvbk wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're talking about the same Firefox that displays ads on my home page by default, sends analytics to them by default, and is owned by a foundation that is owned by a for-profit company?

You've got it backwards, the Mozilla Corporation is owned by the Mozilla Foundation (non-profit).

Yes sorry. The browser is directly owned by a for-profit, then.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#64

Post by jonmccull »

Yizahi wrote: post #59
novaRom wrote: post #3

From their privacy policy: "When you install Vivaldi browser, each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the…

Yes, it is enough: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ PS: my result Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 1,852,797 tested in the past 45 days. Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 20.82 bits of identifying information.

Just putting this out there but... does any browser pass the fingerprinting test?

Quick look with Firefox, Brave, Safari and all has similar results for me.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#65

Post by ailideex »

lucideer wrote: post #50
morganvachon wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox is becoming more user hostile with each revision, though. I've been using Waterfox as a more privacy-conscious alternative, but long term I'd like to see a new, fully open source, privacy focused, user-first browser that doesn't phone home for any reason. Waterfox is 99% there, but I feel the developer is having issues moving it to the Firefox Quantum release due to all the extra crap Mozilla shoveled into th…

> the Firefox Quantum release [...] all the extra crap Mozilla shoveled into that release. Hadn't heard about extra user-hostile stuff in this release? What things are the Waterfox guys having trouble with?

It is not really user hostile - but it is developer hostile IMO. The person you replied to did not claim the Firefox Quantum stuff was user hostile either.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#66

Post by JdeBP »

MaxBarraclough wrote: post #35
drchaos wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not open source per OSI criteria, however they claim the source is available and can be inspected: https://help.vivaldi.com/article/is-vivaldi-open-source/

Interesting. > This means that for all practical purposes the Vivaldi source code is available for audit. Acid test: can I build it myself and expect to see identical binaries to what they ship?

Actually the acid test in this instance is whether, source in hand, you can prove https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17564964 wrong. (-:

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#67

Post by lucideer »

ailideex wrote: post #65
lucideer wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the Firefox Quantum release [...] all the extra crap Mozilla shoveled into that release. Hadn't heard about extra user-hostile stuff in this release? What things are the Waterfox guys having trouble with?

It is not really user hostile - but it is developer hostile IMO. The person you replied to did not claim the Firefox Quantum stuff was user hostile either.

I'm just curious about what they're referring to (user- or developer-hostile). What is it that you find developer-hostile?

They mentioned user-hostile in their first sentence and then went on to say the Waterfox devs were having difficulty with Quantum, so I'm really just asking about either.

I am generally just curious, as a user of Firefox. I currently trust it more than Chrome but I'm concerned if there's a trend of disimprovement.

I've commented on HN before about my concerns with some Mozilla initiatives (mainly Test Flight, but others too), but I was under the impression that Firefox core work was of a better standard.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#68

Post by novaRom »

jonmccull wrote: post #64
Yizahi wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it is enough: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ PS: my result Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 1,852,797 tested in the past 45 days. Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 20.82 bits of identifying information.

Just putting this out there but... does any browser pass the fingerprinting test? Quick look with Firefox, Brave, Safari and all has similar results for me.

I did read once that Tor should pass, but never had a chance to try

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#69

Post by thunfischbrot »

thecopy wrote: post #5
novaRom wrote: post #3

From their privacy policy: "When you install Vivaldi browser, each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the…

>Is this information enough for them to uniquely identify and track each user? No. How could they identify who i am based on that information alone?

Identifying a user does not have to mean that they can know your home address and name. Identification can mean that one is able to determine whether a user is the same across two separate instances of usage/visit.

Re: Vivaldi now includes Qwant, a privacy-focused search engine based in Europe

#70

Post by MaxBarraclough »

JdeBP wrote: post #66
MaxBarraclough wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. > This means that for all practical purposes the Vivaldi source code is available for audit. Acid test: can I build it myself and expect to see identical binaries to what they ship?

Actually the acid test in this instance is whether, source in hand, you can prove https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17564964 wrong. (-:

The ID-generation code should be inspectable, right?
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