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LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

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Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#41

Post by stevenicr »

and,

recently while trying to decipher why computer was at 98% memory and 65% cpu

one of the culprits is https://li.protechts.net taking 2GB ram and 8% cpu.

DDG searches say this is something for linkedin. - I had two tabs for linkedin open but left behind as I opened other tabs to research.

So I had not reopened these tabs in over 9 hours and they are still just humming along sucking down almost 10% of cpu and a couple gigs of ram for what?

This is firefox with ublock origin - quick searches saw malwarebytes browser guard considered it (protechts.net) malware for a bit and then took it off the list of things it blocked / warned about.

Not sure this is related to the scan mentioned, but it may be related to the overall concerns about data and unknown usage of resources.

I'm considering blocking this at the dns hosts level at this point.

repost of my comment 28 days ago

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#42

Post by WD-42 »

echelon wrote: post #29

Can someone here please create a LinkedIn replacement for developers that 1. Doesn't have the spam 2. That doesn't look like it's from 2008 3. That only developers / engineers / tech folks can join 4. Doesn't try to log into your email to steal your contact list 5. That doesn't track you or your extensions / browser fingerprint 6. That doesn't have a bunch of fake "linkedinmaxxing" garbage content 7. that doesn't hav…

I feel like Github became this in the last 10-15 years.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#43

Post by zeafoamrun »

echelon wrote: post #29

Can someone here please create a LinkedIn replacement for developers that 1. Doesn't have the spam 2. That doesn't look like it's from 2008 3. That only developers / engineers / tech folks can join 4. Doesn't try to log into your email to steal your contact list 5. That doesn't track you or your extensions / browser fingerprint 6. That doesn't have a bunch of fake "linkedinmaxxing" garbage content 7. that doesn't hav…

Seriously. We need some kind of federated replacement. Who is building this?

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#44

Post by cxr »

kmeisthax wrote: post #18

Wasn't this specifically some lame-ass attempt to combat some click fraud or something these extensions were doing? And aren't these articles specifically coming from the person doing the fraud (which is why they know about the extension scanning)? To be clear, LinkedIn shouldn't be scanning your browser extensions, but still. The ultimate problem is that browser extensions are a powerful malware vector and there's a…

> Wasn't this specifically some lame-ass attempt to combat some click fraud or something these extensions were doing?

No. That you believed that was just an unfortunate consequence of HN's kneejerk tendency to upvote middlebrow dismissals to the top comment, which resulted in people rushing to craft apologetics for what is in reality bonafide scumminess on LinkedIn's part, which itself resulted in confabulations like the claim that, "It was all extensions related to spamming and scraping LinkedIn last time this was posted"—which is simply untrue.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#47

Post by echelon »

recursivegirth wrote: post #32
echelon wrote: post #29

Can someone here please create a LinkedIn replacement for developers that 1. Doesn't have the spam 2. That doesn't look like it's from 2008 3. That only developers / engineers / tech folks can join 4. Doesn't try to log into your email to steal your contact list 5. That doesn't track you or your extensions / browser fingerprint 6. That doesn't have a bunch of fake "linkedinmaxxing" garbage content 7. that doesn't hav…

IRC has existed for decades.

And it's a ghost town.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#48

Post by gdulli »

lucb1e wrote: post #27
gib444 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chrome is a browser produced by an advertising company. Its reason for existence is to track you.

Not that I disagree but Google's tracking motivation in making the browser seems irrelevant to why it lets competitors do this fingerprinting

They want fingerprinting to work for everyone because the more effective it is, the higher the value of the ad inventory they sell.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#49

Post by WJW »

kyleee wrote: post #24
un-nf wrote: post #2

[flagged]

And certainly fingerprint you right?

I guess that's what they're hoping for. With my admittedly biased opinion of the average linkedin user, about 99% will have the default set of extensions installed and so will not be very useful. Those users might have other identifiers of course, so who knows.

Re: LinkedIn is scanning browser extensions

#50

Post by WJW »

zeafoamrun wrote: post #43
echelon wrote: post #29

Can someone here please create a LinkedIn replacement for developers that 1. Doesn't have the spam 2. That doesn't look like it's from 2008 3. That only developers / engineers / tech folks can join 4. Doesn't try to log into your email to steal your contact list 5. That doesn't track you or your extensions / browser fingerprint 6. That doesn't have a bunch of fake "linkedinmaxxing" garbage content 7. that doesn't hav…

Seriously. We need some kind of federated replacement. Who is building this?

Be the change you want to see mate.
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