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Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

arxiv.org

21–30 of 239 posts

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#21
post #6

The hentai sites I tend to use are pretty good in this regard I think. Most of them even work with no JS. E.g. https://danbooru.donmai.us https://e-hentai.org Edit: I tried visiting them without adblock and I'm actually surprised they didn't even have ads.

In case it wasn't already abundantly clear, all of these links are not safe for work.

Ah, yes. Hentai means cartoon pornography.

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#22

Looks like everyone - vulnerable population or not - should be using VPN when viewing pornographic content.[1] [1] https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/07/why-you-n...

But most importantly, close the incognito mode once you finished consuming the content, don't just close the lid of your machine. The next day at work might be a bit more awkward than what Google does with your aggregated data :)

Also ask your girlfriend / boyfriend to tag imgur links with NSFW :)

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#23
post #15

Some friends noted that this had been up on HN for three hours with no comments. So I decided to read the paper and note some highlights. > What Jack does not know is that incognito mode only ensures his browsing history is not stored on his computer. Œe sites he visits, as well as any third-party trackers, may observe and record his online actions. > ‘30% of all the data transferred across the internet is porn,’ wit…

The paper is wrong when it says incognito mode only ensures your browser history is not stored. It also ensures that any session cookies are not shared between private mode / regular mode. Obviously that doesn't rule out other browser fingerprinting methods of course (see panopticlick, evercookies, etc) Edit: It seems like they are saying you can be tracked within incognito mode sessions? That seems pretty obvious. I…

> between private mode / regular mode

Or within private mode. (I use private mode by default, and anytime I open a new tab, I need to log into HN again).

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#24

Looks like everyone - vulnerable population or not - should be using VPN when viewing pornographic content.[1] [1] https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/07/why-you-n...

While I don't disagree with using a VPN as you suggest, I would be wary of using an advertisement by a VPN company as a supporting source for that claim.

I think if you use a VPN that doesn't have any of your personal information of file for billing or infrastructure purposes (like your residential ISP does) then at the very least the shady logging VPN will have a dossier on you that doesn't include your name, street address, bank or credit card numbers, etc. Even if the VPN is otherwise a bunch of Mafia scum datamining you as hard as they can, you're still better off than if you were raw-dogging on Comcast.

However I think those VPN companies that throw around suspicious abouts of cash advertising all ask for credit cards or similar. I would never do business with one of them, it's pointless.

I also hate NordVPN's YouTube advertising campaign in particular, in which they pay YouTube creators to mislead their audience. Suggesting among other things that connections to your bank's website are unencrypted if you aren't using a VPN.

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#25
post #15

Some friends noted that this had been up on HN for three hours with no comments. So I decided to read the paper and note some highlights. > What Jack does not know is that incognito mode only ensures his browsing history is not stored on his computer. Œe sites he visits, as well as any third-party trackers, may observe and record his online actions. > ‘30% of all the data transferred across the internet is porn,’ wit…

The paper is wrong when it says incognito mode only ensures your browser history is not stored. It also ensures that any session cookies are not shared between private mode / regular mode. Obviously that doesn't rule out other browser fingerprinting methods of course (see panopticlick, evercookies, etc) Edit: It seems like they are saying you can be tracked within incognito mode sessions? That seems pretty obvious. I…

Also, private browsing in Firefox blocks known trackers by default.

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#26

Looks like everyone - vulnerable population or not - should be using VPN when viewing pornographic content.[1] [1] https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/07/why-you-n...

I read the link you provided, but there wasn't any "OMG yes" light-bulb moment in that article. Do I care if Google & Facebook track my viewing habits? I'm not sure I understand what the potential harm to me might be.

It might be problematic in countries where certain kind of sexual orientation is punishable even with death. If you don't live in those countries, then I don't see much problem with GA in these sites as well.

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#27

I've assumed (without evidence, only deduction) since the 90s that every pornographic thing anyone has ever looked at has been recorded for future blackmail use against social rebellions.

You reach a point where if nearly everyone is blackmail-able for the same thing, that it stops becoming effective. If everyone is cheating on their spouse, then who is anyone to judge?

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#28

I've assumed (without evidence, only deduction) since the 90s that every pornographic thing anyone has ever looked at has been recorded for future blackmail use against social rebellions.

You reach a point where if nearly everyone is blackmail-able for the same thing, that it stops becoming effective. If everyone is cheating on their spouse, then who is anyone to judge?

Yes, the diminishing returns of weaponized social pressure

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#29

Looks like everyone - vulnerable population or not - should be using VPN when viewing pornographic content.[1] [1] https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/07/why-you-n...

VPN protection from site-level tracking is basically nonexistent. Browser fingerprinting is widespread and bypasses anything a VPN might offer. VPN is effective against network-level issues, not against browser-based tracking - it's a different level in the stack.

Re: Tracking Sex: Implications of widespread data leakage and tracking on porn sites

#30

I've assumed (without evidence, only deduction) since the 90s that every pornographic thing anyone has ever looked at has been recorded for future blackmail use against social rebellions.

It might be my age demographic but everyone I know is very open with their choices of pornography and I have the link to several of my friend's favorite lists and playlists. There are also shared accounts of paid websites going around and we can see the "recently watched" lists. There shouldn't be any shame to pornography unless you are consuming illegal content. Unless you are a content creator and wish to keep your…

I agree, but millennials have no power, there's the potential that what they've done (while being tracked and recorded every moment of their lives) could be used to blacklist the entire generation by zombie boomers and their xer children. They've already come of age during a ruined economy, this could just be another strike. Xers will live long enough that they could skip most of the millennials in favor of their kids, who may take their parents' experiences as a cautionary tale and be more careful and contrived about their public faces (I think there's ample evidence of this wariness.)
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