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Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

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Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#61

Post by currysausage »

blub wrote: post #22
Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

Why block them? It's good that websites have to be more transparent with how they are tracking users. It is however inconvenient for the websites. They could always stop using privacy-invading ad networks and external services which track users and then they wouldn't have to show any message.

> Why block them?

Because the web becomes unusable with those "helpful" cookie notices when I actually do block cookies browser-side.

Those "TRUSTe" JavaScript solutions are the worst. They fade the whole page to black, then take whole seconds to load and make the browser sluggish.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#62

Post by mtgx »

Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

This reminds me there was a push for a 451 error that would represent censorship. Whatever happened to that?

https://boingboing.net/2012/06/13/error-code-451-an-http-err...

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#63

Post by Kequc »

scrollaway wrote: post #43
Kequc wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cookies are integral to the operation of every modern website. They offer security in the form of features like csrf protection or maintaining login state between visits. There is sufficient protection for cookies in the form of encryption and a laundry list of further details which have been added over the years. There are far larger security related concerns on the web. The cookie warnings are on par with if you ha…

It's a misconception that you need to show this warning if you use cookies. You only need to show it if you use tracking cookies. Which means Google Analytics. Don't use GA and you don't need to show it. Your login cookies etc and anything "essential to the operation of the website" are all explicitly excluded. The law is absurd, but it's not braindead.

I honestly wasn't aware that was the law. I thought it was all cookies, that's what the warning messages are worded to sound like they are saying, thank you for correcting me. My question then is, websites are phoning home through use of iframes? Because those cookies aren't accessible on different domains than the ones they were issued.

Am I to understand companies are loading their own domain in hidden iframes that phone home when I visit a website? Like it checks the iframe's top window location and tracks what pages I'm on? Now you have me feeling paranoid.

What can be done about that. Google analytics arguably is a very useful service.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#64

Post by aw3c2 »

4lun wrote: post #48
mstade wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Frankly, the requirement of notice could (and should) be pushed on to user agents – not sites. For one, it would help standardize both the user experience of notices – and leave the UX of website specific notices alone – but also it would improve the current state of things where many (most?) sites in the EU simply don't care or know about the legislation. The last thing we need is more cruft sent across the wire.

This is what I like about the lynx text browser[0], on navigating to a new host it prompts you to reject or accept cookies: http://i.imgur.com/GEpYVVs.png [0] http://lynx.invisible-island.net/

You can make Firefox prompt too, unless they removed it in favor of Pocket or video chat.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#65

Post by redredred »

coob wrote: post #42
dom96 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn't agree more with this. The fact that the cookie law is forced on websites is absolutely idiotic. The browsers know what cookies are being set.

Is it actually enforced? Has anyone been taken to court over it?

Not in court but this is a resolution from the spanish data protection agency: http://www.agpd.es/portalwebAGPD/resoluciones/procedimientos... (in Spanish) From the year 2013, this was the first sanction in Spain (3500€ to a jewelry).

You can search for more sanctions here: http://www.agpd.es/portalwebAGPD/resoluciones/procedimientos... Search for "Articulo 22.2 LSSI" or similar

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#66

Post by scrollaway »

Kequc wrote: post #63
scrollaway wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a misconception that you need to show this warning if you use cookies. You only need to show it if you use tracking cookies. Which means Google Analytics. Don't use GA and you don't need to show it. Your login cookies etc and anything "essential to the operation of the website" are all explicitly excluded. The law is absurd, but it's not braindead.

I honestly wasn't aware that was the law. I thought it was all cookies, that's what the warning messages are worded to sound like they are saying, thank you for correcting me. My question then is, websites are phoning home through use of iframes? Because those cookies aren't accessible on different domains than the ones they were issued. Am I to understand companies are loading their own domain in hidden iframes that…

I don't understand how you make that logical jump?

You can look at how GA tracks users with a bit of googling:

https://developers.google.com/analytics/resources/concepts/g...

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2992042?hl=en

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#68

Post by kwhitefoot »

liam_ja wrote: post #15

Hi HN, I'm the creator of this filter list. If anyone can spare 5-10 minutes a week to help me and a couple of others maintain this list (testing and merging pull requests, closing issues, etc.), I'd be very appreciative! You can contact me here or send an email to cookies[at]prebake[dot]eu

Could you explain what this would entail? You might get more interest if people knew in advance what they would be in for.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#69

Post by andrewaylett »

I've been using a different filter list[1] for more than a year, and it's really useful as I already use self-destructing-cookies[2] to exercise control over which cookies my browser will remember, meaning that pretty much all sites think I've never visited before and therefore try to annoy me with their cookie banner.

[1]: https://github.com/r4vi/block-the-eu-cookie-shit-list

[2]: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/self-destruct...

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#70

Post by cpeterso »

facepalm wrote: post #33
Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

Well browsers could send an "allow cookies" header, like the "don't track" header?

The Do Not Track HTTP header would work:

  DNT: 1 (Do Not Track; don't show cookie notice)
  DNT: 0 (Allow tracking; don't show cookie notice)
  No DNT header (Ask before tracking)
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