Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

TikTok tracks you across the web, even if you don’t use the app

consumerreports.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

211–214 of 214 posts

Re: TikTok tracks you across the web, even if you don’t use the app

#211

Post by iamsaitam »

dijit wrote: post #40
superkuh wrote: post #33

The TikTok pixel is not actually a pixel like in the old days. It is not a 1x1 transparent image loaded from their servers. It is executable javascript code. All you have to do to stop 99% of the corporate spying is disable unsafe remote code execution. It's hard to believe I have to say that after the many decades of people getting it drilled into their heads "Do not open random email attachments" but here we are in…

I really really wish that I could convince Web Developers that not every website needs to be a web app. I keep bringing up that I don't want JS to execute random code, even if it's sandboxed, it's mostly unnecessary, and I always get the same sort of replies. Everyone calls me out of touch, I'm downvoted to oblivion, everyone suggests that I'm a unique case and everyone wants JS, they say that they don't want fragmen…

Blaming web developers for this is so out of touch.. since when are the developers in charge of product? It's like blaming a construction worker for the poor architecture of a building. Come on..

Re: TikTok tracks you across the web, even if you don’t use the app

#212

Post by dijit »

iamsaitam wrote: post #211
dijit wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really really wish that I could convince Web Developers that not every website needs to be a web app. I keep bringing up that I don't want JS to execute random code, even if it's sandboxed, it's mostly unnecessary, and I always get the same sort of replies. Everyone calls me out of touch, I'm downvoted to oblivion, everyone suggests that I'm a unique case and everyone wants JS, they say that they don't want fragmen…

Blaming web developers for this is so out of touch.. since when are the developers in charge of product? It's like blaming a construction worker for the poor architecture of a building. Come on..

If you are asked to make a news website, and you reach for multiple JS frameworks and heavy analytics engines.

That is not products fault. Take some responsibility.

Re: TikTok tracks you across the web, even if you don’t use the app

#213

Post by iamsaitam »

dijit wrote: post #212
iamsaitam wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blaming web developers for this is so out of touch.. since when are the developers in charge of product? It's like blaming a construction worker for the poor architecture of a building. Come on..

If you are asked to make a news website, and you reach for multiple JS frameworks and heavy analytics engines. That is not products fault. Take some responsibility.

Terrible argument. You're talking about marginal behavior, not average. Sure, there's a % that will do that, but that applies to everything.

Re: TikTok tracks you across the web, even if you don’t use the app

#214

Post by blacklight »

Zak wrote: post #53
blacklight wrote: post #47

Just use NoScript, uBlock and/or a VPN with a PiHole server as a primary DNS and stop whining. Of course I do hate it that the only way to make money on the web today is though ads and trackers. Of course I hate it to be monitored by sneaky pixels, even if I don't use the app. But the solution to the problem is quite simple: does my browser actually render and run the Javascript? If the answer is no (because the trac…

That's harder to do on mobile devices. Good system-wide, every-network adblocking on Android requires root. It's hard to obtain root on some devices, and Google is actively aiding app makers to block rooted devices with SafetyNet. I lack experience with iOS, but I assume the situation is worse there. As a practical matter, this means that while I can tell my mother to install uBlock Origin on her desktop browser, it…

It's doable when without root. In my case I simply run PiHole on a server and use it as the default DNS for my VPN. Install Wireguard on the phone, connect to the VPN, and there you go - all of your DNS requests now go through PiHole.
Post reply on HN