Temptations of an open-source Chrome extension developer (2021)

Post by red_admiral » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 8:31 AM UTC

gmerc wrote: post #271

ummonk wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I worked at Meta, the execs said that many users think they're being spied on when they see ads based on a conversation they've had in real life, but the execs categorically denied that this could be happening, and said it's all just a coincidence. I thought this was a completely unfounded denial, since Meta had no way of auditing 3rd party apps on the user's phone, and it's perfectly plausible for another app t…

In many cases it’s more than simple: You had the conversation with someone and that someone googled/shopped/amaozned/clicked it. Or did before already, you don’t initiate every conversation in your life after all. Now go and try getting a denial that they are not using the fact that you share a wifi with someone as parts of the recipe for the recommendation cake.

Post by captn3m0 » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 9:13 AM UTC

cal85 wrote: post #94

FWIW, and since a few of you probably use it… I own the JSON Formatter extension [0], which I created and open-sourced 12 years ago and have maintained [1] ever since, with 2 million users today. And I solemnly swear that I will never add any code that sends any data anywhere, nor let it fall into the hands of anyone else who would. I’ve been emailed several tempting cash offers from shady people who presumably want…

Post by dieulot » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 10:04 AM UTC

odensc wrote: post #12

Can confirm. A couple years ago, I had a Chrome extension with ~100k users; I was receiving these types of emails every week. One of them straight up offered $10k, whether that was a real offer or not I don't know because I never replied to any of them. I've since taken down the extension as I'm no longer maintaining it, but weirdly I still get these emails, albeit less frequently.

Post by Kbelicius » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 11:06 AM UTC

Chatting wrote: post #173

jefftk wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is what regulations like EU's and CA's should be enforcing. Imagine if the choice was: We have this data about you (a comprehensive list of all the fruits of our creepy stalking: a,b,c,d, etc...), if you let us violate your privacy in a myriad of ways, we will let you have this little trinket for free. Otherwise, it will cost you x. How many people would select privacy violation? Unfortunately under the GDPR w…

It is legal[1] to require users to agree to data collection or pay a subscription. Some news sites have already begun to implement this scheme. [1] At least according to some countries' DPAs, and as long as the price is "fair". https://www.iubenda.com/en/help/24487-cookie-walls-gdpr

Post by seru » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 11:33 AM UTC

ummonk wrote: post #262

ericd wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most galling offer we saw on the mobile app side was something that would turn on the user's microphone, and listen for ads on tvs around them to track what they'd been exposed to offline. Adtech is such a thoroughly gross field.

When I worked at Meta, the execs said that many users think they're being spied on when they see ads based on a conversation they've had in real life, but the execs categorically denied that this could be happening, and said it's all just a coincidence. I thought this was a completely unfounded denial, since Meta had no way of auditing 3rd party apps on the user's phone, and it's perfectly plausible for another app t…