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Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

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Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#61

Post by htx80nerd »

applfanboysbgon wrote: post #4

> Meta must face a lawsuit alleging that it secretly tracked Android users' browsing activity on mobile websites that embedded Meta's analytics pixel, and linked that activity to users' identities, a federal judge ruled Monday. > The decision, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco, grew out of a class-action complaint initially brought last June by California resident Devin Rose (and later joi…

im failing to see the connection

>standard pixel tracking, linked to meta (js , web)

>Meta exploited Android's localhost (os level)

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#62

Post by Retr0id »

istumbler wrote: post #60
Retr0id wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not at all to defend Meta but "a feature that allows software developers to test applications" is a dubious definition of localhost. I also can't come up with a better one.

“A network interface which allows processes on the same internet host to communicate without the need for a network connection”

There's a lot of layperson-unfriendly words in there! Iterating on that:

"A feature that allows multiple programs on the same device to communicate without the need for an internet connection"

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#64

Post by apitman »

I've recently been exploring options for allowing web apps to access LAN services. For example, a WebDAV server so you can watch local videos in the app without streaming them through a server.

You can actually achieve a form of discovery if your service registers itself using mDNS for something like `service.local`. Browsers will allow direct navigation/redirection to `http://service.local`, but they'll block any fetch/XHR requests due to mixed content rules, even if you have CORS configured. And of course you can't get a cert for `.local` domains.

Newer things like Chrome's LNA[0] are actually really helpful, because (for now at least) if the user grants the permission, fetch/XHR will go through, but you'll get a bunch of mixed content warnings in the console.

It seems like the only way to fully support this use case currently is with WebRTC, which is pretty sad.

[0]: https://developer.chrome.com/blog/local-network-access

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#65

Post by lukan »

SoftTalker wrote: post #18
pezgrande wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess that's why I am getting so many "Allow to find devices on your network" alerts. Good feature overall.

Only a good feature if users have a clue what that question means. Most will click "Yes" because they want to get on with whatever they want to do. Change it to something like "This website is trying to spy on your local devices, do you want to allow this?"

Since I can see legitimate use case (complex web apps, one sharing data with another) - I would not use the word spying.

But still make it clear what can happen.

"Attention! This website wants to get access to other web apps running on this device, do you want to allow this?"

And then a link explaining some more. But better words are surely possible.

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#66

Post by FergusArgyll »

Retr0id wrote: post #62
istumbler wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“A network interface which allows processes on the same internet host to communicate without the need for a network connection”

There's a lot of layperson-unfriendly words in there! Iterating on that: "A feature that allows multiple programs on the same device to communicate without the need for an internet connection"

a pty fits that definition though

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#67

Post by thewebguyd »

Retr0id wrote: post #62
istumbler wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“A network interface which allows processes on the same internet host to communicate without the need for a network connection”

There's a lot of layperson-unfriendly words in there! Iterating on that: "A feature that allows multiple programs on the same device to communicate without the need for an internet connection"

Some concepts just can't (or shouldn't) be broken down to the level of lay person friendly though. There are just some technical concepts that have a complexity floor that if you drop below you are no longer explaining the actual concept but a fantasy.

For a judge trying to rule on a technical case, a poor layperson analogy and lead to a confidently wrong legal conclusion that has serious negative consequences. Thats why court appointed neutral experts are important.

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#68

Post by d1sxeyes »

thewebguyd wrote: post #67
Retr0id wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a lot of layperson-unfriendly words in there! Iterating on that: "A feature that allows multiple programs on the same device to communicate without the need for an internet connection"

Some concepts just can't (or shouldn't) be broken down to the level of lay person friendly though. There are just some technical concepts that have a complexity floor that if you drop below you are no longer explaining the actual concept but a fantasy. For a judge trying to rule on a technical case, a poor layperson analogy and lead to a confidently wrong legal conclusion that has serious negative consequences. Thats…

A way for computer programs to talk to each other on the same device as though they were running on different devices connected over a network.

I agree with you by the way, I just don’t think this is one of those cases.

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#69

Post by ryandrake »

d1sxeyes wrote: post #68
thewebguyd wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some concepts just can't (or shouldn't) be broken down to the level of lay person friendly though. There are just some technical concepts that have a complexity floor that if you drop below you are no longer explaining the actual concept but a fantasy. For a judge trying to rule on a technical case, a poor layperson analogy and lead to a confidently wrong legal conclusion that has serious negative consequences. Thats…

A way for computer programs to talk to each other on the same device as though they were running on different devices connected over a network. I agree with you by the way, I just don’t think this is one of those cases.

Computer talky no pluggy

Re: Ask HN: So what happened to Facebook "localhost" tracking?

#70

Post by Aachen »

SoftTalker wrote: post #18
pezgrande wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess that's why I am getting so many "Allow to find devices on your network" alerts. Good feature overall.

Only a good feature if users have a clue what that question means. Most will click "Yes" because they want to get on with whatever they want to do. Change it to something like "This website is trying to spy on your local devices, do you want to allow this?"

I need to turn on location access for all software on my system globally to read the battery status of a device over Bluetooth. These "could be used for" warnings are nice and all, but usually goes beyond what makes sense. Proposing that we need to press "be spied upon" just to view photos stored on your NAS is way out there

I'm sorry if people don't know what "access local devices" means but actively lying to them about the mechanisms is not going to inform anyone

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