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The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

standard.co.uk

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Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#331
post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A combination of uBlock Origin + NoScript + Bypass Paywalls Clean + FastForward + ClearURLs as well as a pop-up blocker of your choice, will make your web browsing experience a bit cleaner. Not all of these might available for Chromium, I personally use Firefox for my daily use, with some Chromium browsers as backup. NoScript will break pretty much 50% of the web. It'll take you about a day to whitelist all the sites…

The correct site is https://privacyguides.org The former team left Privacy Tools and that is now just arbitrary recommendations by one guy who mostly spruiks cryptocurrency bullshit. He also has no experience when it comes to auditing, verifying any of what is recommended, not a sysop, not a programmer either. If you want to know specifics about that see https://www.privacyguides.org/about/privacytools Also see https…

Thank you.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIU it's all F-Droid apps that are GPS-free. I rely on a small handful of others installed from the Aurora, Google Play is a requirement for some of those. I may be hallucinating that shim, though I'm pretty sure it actually exists...

what do you mean by gps free? i have lots of apps installed from fdroid that use gps

[deleted]

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#334

I recommend using an ad-blocker while visiting that site :-/ Lately, I find myself using more and more plugins to make the "modern web" tolerable. To list a few: Channel Blocker (lets me block channels from search results on Youtube); uBlock Origin; Disconnect; F.B Purity; Consent-O-Matic (auto fill cookie consent forms); Kagi Search; PopUpOFF; Facebook Container; Privacy Badger; ClearURLs; Return YouTube Dislike Bas…

> Basically, if I visit a website and don't like the experience, I either never go back (Kagi lets me exclude it from search results) or find a plugin to make it tolerable.

If you like a site to go back to it repeatedly don't you think it would be fair to "pay the fee" of seeing the ads, thus supporting that site, however annoying they are?

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#335

FBI must have infiltrated ad blocker servers containing malicious url lists. Never using an adblocker again.

I stopped using adblockers generally when I considered both 1) we get very little visibility on when an extension changes-hands/updates, combined with 2) you have to give it access to all your browsing data.

People sell popular browser extensions to malicious parties all the time and AFAIK there's no systematic way to notify users when this happens.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most F-Driod apps don't require Google Play Services. If you can live within the functionality provided by those apps then you're OK. That said, I know many can't.

AFAIU it's all F-Droid apps that are GPS-free. I rely on a small handful of others installed from the Aurora, Google Play is a requirement for some of those. I may be hallucinating that shim, though I'm pretty sure it actually exists...

[deleted]

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#337

I recommend using an ad-blocker while visiting that site :-/ Lately, I find myself using more and more plugins to make the "modern web" tolerable. To list a few: Channel Blocker (lets me block channels from search results on Youtube); uBlock Origin; Disconnect; F.B Purity; Consent-O-Matic (auto fill cookie consent forms); Kagi Search; PopUpOFF; Facebook Container; Privacy Badger; ClearURLs; Return YouTube Dislike Bas…

> Basically, if I visit a website and don't like the experience, I either never go back (Kagi lets me exclude it from search results) or find a plugin to make it tolerable. If you like a site to go back to it repeatedly don't you think it would be fair to "pay the fee" of seeing the ads, thus supporting that site, however annoying they are?

No. Find another way to monetize your website if you want my money. I’m not enduring ads, they are insidious garbage.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIU it's all F-Droid apps that are GPS-free. I rely on a small handful of others installed from the Aurora, Google Play is a requirement for some of those. I may be hallucinating that shim, though I'm pretty sure it actually exists...

what do you mean by gps free? i have lots of apps installed from fdroid that use gps

If you do mean Google Play Services, which apps?

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#339
The FBI page in question[0] (I hope ic3.gov is legit!) says "Before clicking on an advertisement, check the URL to make sure the site is authentic." But on a mobile device nobody knows how to do that. And the URL will be some kind of ad redirect a mile long.

FBI: "Rather than search...type the business’s URL into an internet browser’s address bar..." I'm not sure about this one. Typos easily happen, and it's the typo'd domain that scammers might own. Risky whatever way you go I suppose. For well known businesses I'd rather search and click on organic links than trust my own typing of a URL.

"Use an ad blocking extension". Third time's the charm. Great to see this advice coming from the FBI.

https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2022/PSA221221

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Man, some people are just crazy. You’re so hell bent on using android you limit the functionality of your phone to it essentially just being a brick. Buy an iPhone, install an ad blocker, disable all the tracking, and be done with it while still being able to use the features of the phone you bought.

Imagine not being able to have root, uBlock origin, or third party Youtube clients. Oh, and now also, sending every one of your pictures to Apple so they can call the cops on you to cover their asses[1]. 1. https://sneak.berlin/20230115/macos-scans-your-local-files-n...

Exactly!

The user isn't in control but Apple is.

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