Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#1

Post by bmcmanus » Fri, Jul 29, 2011, 11:48 PM UTC

Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged
wired.com

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#2

Post by _delirium » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:02 AM UTC

The article focuses mostly on legal measures (e.g. lawsuits, regulation), but my guess is that those would only deter the largest companies. What I'm more worried about is why 'incognito' modes in current browsers don't appear to stymie this tracking, and how likely it is that that can be fixed.

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#3

Post by cleverjake » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:08 AM UTC

is there any indication on where the data is stored?

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#4

Post by Joakal » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:10 AM UTC

Can it be dodged by emptying browser cache as well blocking iframes which I assume is causing such content to be stored in browser?

Edit: seems so: snip ... the persistent tracking can only be avoided by erasing the browser cache between visits.

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#5

Post by thirsteh » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:13 AM UTC

cleverjake wrote: post #3

is there any indication on where the data is stored?

Haven't looked at KISSmetrics, but I assume it's some manifestation of evercookie: http://samy.pl/evercookie/

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#6

Post by achille » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:14 AM UTC

Looks to be using the individual etags associated with each cached object. Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/FhUYuRsb

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#7

Post by Joakal » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:18 AM UTC

cleverjake wrote: post #3

is there any indication on where the data is stored?

Yes, but not easily seen unless you have a tool like FireBug to see.

It works by setting a unique cache tag (etag as in screenshot) for each user of a resource such as HTML, JPG, GIF, etc files. The later requests can then be extrapolated of what the user views per site. It's in effect, a cookie.

I think it's quite brilliant as an alternative to cookies but unfortunately I can't use it as a form of cookies as they are not a HTTP standard.

More: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/HTTP_ETag

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#8

Post by trotsky » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:50 AM UTC

That Can't Be Dodged

Very interesting article, but the proclamation you can't avoid it seems a bit too far. When my browser exits it both deletes cookies and clears the cache, which looks like it's enough to break the tracks.

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#9

Post by maukdaddy » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:53 AM UTC

There is nothing more evil in modern business than marketers. Between real life experience and MBA classes I have come to despise most everything involved in modern marketing, especially in the technology space.

Re: Researchers Expose Cunning Online Tracking Service That Can’t Be Dodged

#10

Post by mtogo » Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 12:56 AM UTC

_delirium wrote: post #2

The article focuses mostly on legal measures (e.g. lawsuits, regulation), but my guess is that those would only deter the largest companies. What I'm more worried about is why 'incognito' modes in current browsers don't appear to stymie this tracking, and how likely it is that that can be fixed.

From what i gather it's basically just an evercookie. Block kissmetrics with a host file, firewall, Ghostery (Not the chrome version, though), RequestPolicy, etc or defeat evercookie through usual means and you'll be fine.