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Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

noiszy.com

131–140 of 165 posts

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#131
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't read webcomics, and somehow I don't think people like gwern who write long-form content do it for the ad revenue. And even if there are ads on the website, if they respect the DNT header, AdNauseam won't auto-click them. (I'm not sure what the tipping anecdote is supposed to mean, but I don't understand why US customers put up with tipping either, the business is responsible for it's operating budget, and the…

How do you determine if a server is respecting a DNT header?

You don't.

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#132
post #51

It's kind of funny their website includes TypeKit, SquareSpace, and Google Tag Manager scripts - all of which can (and probably are) tracking various things. They may not be connected to "you", may be anonymized, may be unique number representing you.

Hi - Noiszy creator here. You're right about the scripts - we're using GTM and Google Analytics. I think it's 100% legit for sites (like mine) to want to know how much traffic they're getting - this to me is a good use of data. I work in the analytics field and actually I love data - I just don't like AI using data in creepy ways. The thing is, there is a big moral grey area between "count visits" and "creepy targeti…

It's not about your own intentions. You are using third party services which track and collect data for their own purposes.

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#135
Hello all! Recent creator of a similar tool that has been getting a lot of buzz, I am here to throw some constructive thoughts out there!

These ideas are useless from a technical level (for all the reasons that have been mentioned already.)

Where they are useful is at a social level. People are energized and ready to fight. Many of them didn't know about this issue. Many of them didn't know that there are things they can do as individuals to fight back. Your tool (and mine) are getting attention because they open eyes and tap into pain.

As useless as noise might be, people understand the idea and that makes it accessible. That means people will try it, get it, and share it.

We need to leverage that attention in order to teach those people things they need to understand about privacy. Our tools should be seen as a gateway into impactful approaches like Tor, VPN, HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Badger, and the EFF at large.

Tooting my own horn: that's what I've been doing with https://slifty.github.io/internet_noise/index.html

In all interviews I make sure to explain that while this is an amusing form or protest, it is not effective and people who care need to go take the steps outlined on the project page.

A website can do this. A chrome plugin, however, risks being harmful with minimal benefit. It minimizes the potential for communication to your audience, it is also harder to access which means you are touching a more narrow audience.

Here's the good news! The project I linked to is open source -- https://github.com/slifty/internet_noise/ -- you could contribute to it directly and then update your plugin so that instead of generating noise and hijacking their browser information you just direct them to the website version of the concept.

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#137
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get it. Everyone, everywhere, is collecting data - whether it's CNN.com or Noiszy.com or Google Analytics. While you may be using Google Analytics for basic tracking of anonymous visitors, Google may be using it for "creepy targeting based on everything you do". I'm really not opinionated (I think the plugin is interesting and am completely ok with being tracked) I just found it a bit hypocritical to create a produ…

I think of it as a product to deter AI processing of your data, not a product against data itself. I, too, am ok with being tracked - but being ok with data collection =/= blanket approval of all data processing & use. Thanks for raising this point.

Google Analytics most certainly does feed user data into "an AI" and use it to track users and sell ads targeting them. I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#138
post #26

Distributed spidering for a community-fed search engine index would provide comparable end-user benefits while being considerably more socially useful.

Or a local meetup group for subscribers to a compatible ISP (all DOCSIS 3.x cable modems, e.g.) where you bring in your cable modems throw them in a pile and then take home a random one. Do it monthly.

Combine that with a script that takes all non-sensitive browser history and cookies and does the same -- swap out with a random stranger.

Neither is practical and the former would require (at least for my provider) that I go through a sometimes cumbersome process of registering the new device's MAC address.

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#139
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

VPN commonly only hides your IP for the time you're using it. There are many other factors that can be used to track you. First is cookies. Say you log in to Facebook with your browser from your own IP address and a hour later you fire up VPN to browse the web. One of the websites you load has Facebook's tracking pixel and - unless you cleared your cookies - boom: Facebook knows you have visited that site. Even if yo…

Well, for the first part, just restrict internet access without turning the VPN on. (For me, I can not access any website when the VPN is not active). The last part of which you wrote is incredibly interesting. I had no idea they could find out the CPU power or the enabled plugins. Though, to be fair, I think I'd fall in a pretty large pond to match. And either way, that information does not seem very useful (to me)…

The EFF lets you see all the fun ways you can be tracked by your browser fingerprint:

https://panopticlick.eff.org/

Re: Noiszy – A Chrome plugin that creates meaningless web tracking data

#140
IMO this is taking the wrong approach. Why spread your data accross more site, when the problem is the individual sites you visit - not random ones you don't? This (dead) project of mine sends similar data to the site you are currently on - but instead of noise it is purposely malicious and will ruin the website owners tracking abilities if used at scale.

https://hello-kill.github.io

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