Live data from Hacker News

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

arxiv.org

51–60 of 239 posts

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

#51

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?

That's why you don't spend your ammunition on everyone, but only on people of high profile or interest.

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

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Are you claiming that in those countries there have been cases where people are identified and rounded up with some mass sweep identification by online viewing habits?

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

#54
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think a VPN is enough, it will mask your location but there are so many ways your browser can be fingerprinted so you would need to have fingerprint resistant browser profile, maybe with JS off is possible.

>so you would need to have fingerprint resistant browser profile easy. use firefox, open about:config, and set privacy.resistFingerprinting => true.

As others said it is not as easy, you probably need a special browser profile that is very "extreme" with the privacy settings. I would suggest not over selling that Firefox setting.

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

#55
post #49
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve met their head of data science. They’re doing all that stuff and have been for many years. Porn has always been leaders in technology. They were the first to embrace home video and can arguably be credited for VHS winning over BetaMax despite being inferior, because it was cheaper and all the porn was VHS only.

> Porn has always been leaders in technology. This is typically repeated but I question if there is actual proof of it rather than one of those '8 glasses of water a day' which just keeps getting passed along or some kind of plausible and believable anecdote.

Given the bandwidth porn has consumed since literally the beginning of the internet, I think it's fair to say that they can be credited with significant technology gains too.

As a recent (but maybe not too important) example, PH created hover-to-autoplay-gif for video thumbnails and then YouTube copied it.

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

#56
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Are you claiming that in those countries there have been cases where people are identified and rounded up with some mass sweep identification by online viewing habits?

If being outed means possible death than with this info it's only a data leak away.

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

#57
post #49
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve met their head of data science. They’re doing all that stuff and have been for many years. Porn has always been leaders in technology. They were the first to embrace home video and can arguably be credited for VHS winning over BetaMax despite being inferior, because it was cheaper and all the porn was VHS only.

> Porn has always been leaders in technology. This is typically repeated but I question if there is actual proof of it rather than one of those '8 glasses of water a day' which just keeps getting passed along or some kind of plausible and believable anecdote.

I don't know about formal studies, but I've read many an article (insert appropriate "reading for the articles" joke here) talking about how demand for porn influenced early adoption of most new forms of media:

printing, broadsheets, photos, different forms of film, and definitely computer video. (Here in Seattle I recall reading about some form of early adult film that shows up notably in local laws...some form of -scope, though I don't recall the name)

DVD-HD vs blu-ray? Adult industry influence was not small. When HD rolled around, the adult industries had notable influence. Where did the makeup techniques for dealing with such high def come from? Porn.

I think the comparison to the "8 glasses of water" standard might be off because unlike that, here no one is claiming a precise measurement, merely an observation of trends.

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

#58
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

How does that factor in with locked-down platforms like iOS? Can you effectively fingerprint one of those devices?

I'm not in that business but I'd be surprised if you couldn't. Mobile devices are usually more trackable, since they are always at the forefront of browser/hardware integration in ways that increase the fingerprint surface ("does it support geolocation? does it support battery-related apis?" etc etc).

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

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> If you don't live in those countries, then I don't see much problem with GA in these sites as well.

Countries can change. There are plenty of examples in history.

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

#60
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Porn has always been leaders in technology. This is typically repeated but I question if there is actual proof of it rather than one of those '8 glasses of water a day' which just keeps getting passed along or some kind of plausible and believable anecdote.

Given the bandwidth porn has consumed since literally the beginning of the internet, I think it's fair to say that they can be credited with significant technology gains too. As a recent (but maybe not too important) example, PH created hover-to-autoplay-gif for video thumbnails and then YouTube copied it.

Is that why YouTube thumbnails seem to focus on segments with a woman wearing little clothing, even though it’s a small part of the video?
Post reply on HN