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I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

privacyinternational.org

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Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#121

Post by samatman »

avs733 wrote: post #71
HumblyTossed wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are sites (like wwe.com) where after you have successfully located the preference to opt out from everything it shows a "processing" screen which is stuck at 98% for about a minute. But accept is "processed" in an instant. How desperate does one have to be to work as a developer on projects like this?

you assume the people doing this see a problem with it. They could easily... * just be a nihilist and not give a damn * Think its fine because they are encouraging people to do something they see as good. * Think its fine because 'its just ads' * Think it's someone else's responsibility to make decisions about ethics (as an engineering prof, I see this all the time...students who say engineers' jobs are technology no…

> Think it's someone else's responsibility to make decisions about ethics (as an engineering prof, I see this all the time...students who say engineers' jobs are technology not ethics/morals)

The problem is that they're correct in a practical sense.

The company they work for might get fined, but all the engineers see is the performance review. This system encourages engineers to think of compliance and morality as someone else's problem because: it is.

Many will justify this as "if I don't do it, someone else will" and again: absolutely correct.

Pass a law where engineers themselves may face fines or jail time for implementing immoral code, and they will suddenly discover a keen interest in the ethics of what they do.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#122

Post by ma2rten »

fitzrocks wrote: post #115
WoefullyInept wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is explicitly false. Mastercard or Experian might know her name but this would not be shared for an audience. Its simply cookie123 is in audience456.

This is the correct answer. It's done by cookie matching. Source: I worked on these products at Quantcast.

Thanks for clarifying that. I had no idea that Credit Card companies even that information about cookies.

Many people (especially on HN) think that this kind of data collection is unethical. How do you feel about that and did you like working on it?

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#123

Post by rtx »

ascorbic wrote: post #85
bluntfang wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

earning your food and housing tokens is way better doing something like this than a lot of other things.

I guarantee that any engineer working on that product could get another equally well-compensated job which is not so morally bankrupt.

There are engineers working at Facebook.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#124

Post by jacobwilliamroy »

drewmol wrote: post #102
crawlcrawler wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this comment and that website [0] sarcasm? What exactly are you automating? The theft of my PII or the opposite? On this matter your privacy policy[1] confuse me. Sorry if I'm being a daft punk. [0] https://www.privicy.com [1] https://www.privicy.com/legal/privacy-policy

>The theft of my PII or the opposite? Please consider referring to it as spying over theft and PII about you, as opposed to your PII? Part of the server logs may be about you but are not yours per say.

They're mine. It's stolen. If this is a grey area, then let's clear the air. Always forwards, never back.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#125

Post by hansvm »

nerevarthelame wrote: post #72
wasmitnetzen wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a form[1] linked in their privacy policy[2], which doesn't work and tells me I'm not inside the EU or California, which I am. [1]: https://www.quantcast.com/privacy/data-subject-rights/ [2]: https://www.quantcast.com/privacy/

Send an email to the address specified (privacy@quantcast.com) with your information and what you're trying to accomplish (typically either a disclosure of what personal information they have on you, or erasure of any said information). They will almost certainly satisfy your request (even if you don't truly live in California or the EU) because there are significant regulatory repercussions for not responding to leg…

Depends on the company. Atlassian for example thinks they've found a loophole by not allowing access to your account -- California allows a business to use logins to verify identity if you already have an account, but if they turn a blind eye and don't let you in with valid credentials then they supposedly don't have to respond to data access or deletion requests. I haven't cared enough to get a lawyer involved (which is what they're banking on I'm sure), but it seriously pisses me off.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#126

Post by sroussey »

WoefullyInept wrote: post #97
throwaway8443 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually e-mailed to the author a year ago to ask that very question. Her answer was that she provided her cookie ID to Quantcast and then asked for any data associated with that ID. She also promised me to include that information in the article to prevent confusion, but she never did. Ironically, Quantcast only knew her real identity after the request.

This is why I cringe when I read articles like this. To Quantcast she was just a cookie with some events that ultimately indicated she might like x and has shown interest in buying y.

A cookie to take to live ramp and they tell you all the other “anonymous” ids you have, including those that can identify you. Which is how ads follow across devices, for example. But can be used for any purpose.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#127

Post by sroussey »

fitzrocks wrote: post #115
WoefullyInept wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is explicitly false. Mastercard or Experian might know her name but this would not be shared for an audience. Its simply cookie123 is in audience456.

This is the correct answer. It's done by cookie matching. Source: I worked on these products at Quantcast.

Can you help with getting a contact there? In reference to: https://www.privicy.com/privicypal/about

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#128

Post by sroussey »

crawlcrawler wrote: post #100
x0x0 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The data quantcast collects and stores is associated with cookies in the browser. Generally, you would have to visit their site to allow their code to query the data associated with their domain from your browser.

What to me _seems_ to be much more likely though is that multiple cookies are connected to a classification ID that multiple other users may also be connected to and that to identify your PII within their system you'll need to provide your user name.

A third party is used for that so everyone thinks they are legit.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#129

Post by sroussey »

dade_ wrote: post #62
motohagiography wrote: post #38

It occurred to me that if you want to see fewer ads and be generally left alone by marketers, get your IP and online data footprint associated with pariah topics like fringe news sites, weird subcultures, edgy politics, drug use, and privacy. Basically like being a hacker in the 1980s and 90s, or even part of early rave culture, where the sort of people who work in marketing would be afraid or uncomfortable with bein…

Until you travel to the US. I am sure the DHS uses this data as well.

Why limit to US. I’m sure they just buy the data and skip warrants.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#130

Post by crawlcrawler »

sroussey wrote: post #117
crawlcrawler wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this comment and that website [0] sarcasm? What exactly are you automating? The theft of my PII or the opposite? On this matter your privacy policy[1] confuse me. Sorry if I'm being a daft punk. [0] https://www.privicy.com [1] https://www.privicy.com/legal/privacy-policy

I’ll look at the PP today. Not sarcasm, we issue GDPR requests from an app on device, and you can request data (back to your device and not through us unless stated). Deletion requests are done as well. Data brokers, as a group, are obviously very anti-consumer, and getting them to comply in CA has been a huge headache (most simply do not). Prop 24 should help, so it’s going to be a long burn for consumers to take co…

>> Not sarcasm

Alright, that's good, because I would really love for there to be a service that would streamline the way I request data from service providers or request the deletion of data connected to my account, as well as the account itself.

However, your site says:

>> We import and analyze all of your data across your online accounts and give you an audit and a plan of action.

Doesn't that mean that apart from all the, possibly bad, actors out there that have gotten their hands on my activities _you_ are now also in possession of PII connected to me? How does that improve things for me?

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