Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking • Hacker News Board

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#11

Post by plinkplonk » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:03 AM UTC

"KISSmetrics tracking techniques worked even if a user had cookies turned off and private browsing mode turned on"

Where can I read more about this 'unstoppable tracking'? (how) can one counter such attempts?

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#12

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:06 AM UTC

davidpayne11 wrote: post #9

Since my other comment got downvoted, people forgot the point. Read how strong this man defended and pretended to be so innocent when he was first accused: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9lN3hH-... Kissmetrics is a very shady company, just stay away from them!

[deleted]

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#13

Post by majke » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:07 AM UTC

btipling wrote: post #10

Forever cookies are pretty bad. I know someone made a library as a proof of concept, but yeah, don't actually use this.

This one? http://samy.pl/evercookie/

Can you explain why one shouldn't use this? Is there a law in US forbidding using Etags for cookies?

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#14

Post by SoftwareMaven » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:07 AM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #4

[deleted]

I don't recall ever reading anything by Eric Ries saying you should track your customers no matter how hard they try to prevent you from tracking them.

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#15

Post by jonah » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:07 AM UTC

plinkplonk wrote: post #11

"KISSmetrics tracking techniques worked even if a user had cookies turned off and private browsing mode turned on" Where can I read more about this 'unstoppable tracking'? (how) can one counter such attempts?

"evercookie"[1]

[1] http://samy.pl/evercookie/ etc.

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#16

Post by evoxed » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 5:40 AM UTC

jonah wrote: post #15

plinkplonk wrote: post #11

"KISSmetrics tracking techniques worked even if a user had cookies turned off and private browsing mode turned on" Where can I read more about this 'unstoppable tracking'? (how) can one counter such attempts?

"evercookie"[1] [1] http://samy.pl/evercookie/ etc.

Interesting:

> PRIVACY CONCERN! How do I stop websites from doing this? Great question. So far, I've found that using Private Browsing in Safari will stop ALL evercookie methods after a browser restart.

I wonder if Safari is the only one or if it's just the only one the creator put to the test (i.e. what about Chrome Incognito).

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#17

Post by eps » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 6:29 AM UTC

Well, have they stopped doing that or have they not?

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#18

Post by dchuk » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 6:42 AM UTC

Why was this title changed to not include kissmetrics anymore?

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#19

Post by TeMPOraL » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 6:47 AM UTC

evoxed wrote: post #16

jonah wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"evercookie"[1] [1] http://samy.pl/evercookie/ etc.

Interesting: > PRIVACY CONCERN! How do I stop websites from doing this? Great question. So far, I've found that using Private Browsing in Safari will stop ALL evercookie methods after a browser restart. I wonder if Safari is the only one or if it's just the only one the creator put to the test (i.e. what about Chrome Incognito).

I can confirm that Chrome Incognito doesn't do much. After setting the cookie, and then closing the Incognito window and starting a new one, I could see:

  userData mechanism: undefined
  cookieData mechanism: 677
  localData mechanism: 677
  globalData mechanism: undefined
  sessionData mechanism: 677
  windowData mechanism: 677
  pngData mechanism: 677
  etagData mechanism: 677
  cacheData mechanism: 677
  dbData mechanism: 677
  lsoData mechanism: 677
  slData mechanism: undefined

(where 677 was the number assigned to me and stored in the evercookie)

Re: Online Analytics Firm Settles Suit Over Unstoppable User Tracking

#20

Post by buro9 » Thu, Oct 25, 2012, 7:11 AM UTC

TeMPOraL wrote: post #19

evoxed wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting: > PRIVACY CONCERN! How do I stop websites from doing this? Great question. So far, I've found that using Private Browsing in Safari will stop ALL evercookie methods after a browser restart. I wonder if Safari is the only one or if it's just the only one the creator put to the test (i.e. what about Chrome Incognito).

I can confirm that Chrome Incognito doesn't do much. After setting the cookie, and then closing the Incognito window and starting a new one, I could see: userData mechanism: undefined cookieData mechanism: 677 localData mechanism: 677 globalData mechanism: undefined sessionData mechanism: 677 windowData mechanism: 677 pngData mechanism: 677 etagData mechanism: 677 cacheData mechanism: 677 dbData mechanism: 677 lsoDat…

The important part is restarting the browser after using Incognito.

Works fine.