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

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

#61

Post by CharlesW »

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…

> I lack experience with iOS, but I assume the situation is worse there.

I use NextDNS (sort of "Pi-hole-as-a-Service"), which provides a "configuration profile […] that will make your device use NextDNS natively using the Encrypted DNS feature". I can't imagine it being any easier, really.

https://apple.nextdns.io/

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

#62

Post by eek2121 »

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…

A "web app" can be a web app without including crap like this. Policies like these are usually set by sales and management.

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

#63

Post by eek2121 »

wackget wrote: post #41
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…

It's a shame uMatrix is no longer actively supported because it was the silver bullet for this kind of shit.

uBlock has all the functionality of uMatrix and more, FYI.

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

#64

Post by tomnipotent »

jjeaff wrote: post #58
Ozzie_osman wrote: post #42

No surprise. Every company with an ad platform uses a pixel. Meta, Google, Reddit, Microsoft. Advertisers add it to their site to get access to things like tracking of performance if their ads, and custom audiences for retargeting or look-alike audiences. In exchange, that ad platform gets your browsing data. It's not great, but everyone is doing it so I wouldn't consider the fact that TikTok, one of the biggest soci…

Do all the ad companies require this pixel on every page of your site? In other words, could you not have an ad platform specific page that embeds the pixel and acts as the landing page for any of your ads? If so, I don't see any problem with that. The only customers accessing that page would be incoming ad clicks.

Facebook and Google let marketers re-target audiences using on-site activity.

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

#65

Post by eek2121 »

sfvegandude wrote: post #55
Ozzie_osman wrote: post #42

No surprise. Every company with an ad platform uses a pixel. Meta, Google, Reddit, Microsoft. Advertisers add it to their site to get access to things like tracking of performance if their ads, and custom audiences for retargeting or look-alike audiences. In exchange, that ad platform gets your browsing data. It's not great, but everyone is doing it so I wouldn't consider the fact that TikTok, one of the biggest soci…

Apple has an ad platform. Do they use this?

Apple's ad platform does not track users or their behavior.

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

#66

Post by secondcoming »

sfvegandude wrote: post #55
Ozzie_osman wrote: post #42

No surprise. Every company with an ad platform uses a pixel. Meta, Google, Reddit, Microsoft. Advertisers add it to their site to get access to things like tracking of performance if their ads, and custom audiences for retargeting or look-alike audiences. In exchange, that ad platform gets your browsing data. It's not great, but everyone is doing it so I wouldn't consider the fact that TikTok, one of the biggest soci…

Apple has an ad platform. Do they use this?

They don’t need to do this if they’re routing all your traffic through their servers

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

#67

Post by ThalesX »

mcast wrote: post #19

When you share a video link on TikTok, it’ll append a bunch of tracking data to know who opened it and notify you. That’s not really a surprise, but what’s more sneaky is they shorten the “shared” video links into a few unique characters without visible tracking data and parameters in the URL (AFAIK they used to visibly expose tracking data on the URL a few years ago but recently started using a URL shortener). ie. h…

I’ve been wondering how TikTok knows to suggest me friends of friends of friends with me having the most basic profile with no connections and my friends not actually having Tik Tok. But now it makes sense, and apart from evil, it’s brilliant.

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

#69

Post by EGreg »

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…

Shouldnt this have been rendered impossible with Apple and Google’s crackdown on third-party cookies? Whether it a 1x1 tracking pixel or a full-blown Javascript, Apple’s ITP protection would seem to render it unables to track people across websites.

The key word is SEEM. I have no idea regarding all the contradictory news coming out of all the camps. I posted a question on StackOverflow with a significant bounty that expires in 5 hours and so far no one has even showed up to answer it:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/73794780/what-exactly-do...

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

#70

Post by eek2121 »

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…

iOS is better than you think. allows limited adblocking in Safari, think of it as 'uBlock lite'. Due to limitations regarding size, etc, not everything can be blocked, however, do not track provides a bit more in this sense. Beyond that? Yattee blocks 100% of Youtube ads + sponsorships (I personally do not have an issue with sponsorships, but YouTube can eat it with their ads), Apollo does not show ads for Reddit, etc. (Note that Apollo is the absolute best way to view Reddit on the internet. period.)

I suspect Apple will improve things in the future. Media/News companies have attempted to vilify Apple by saying they are 'getting into the ad business', however I suspect that Apple will (as usual) take a user centric approach with expanding their ad business. I am absolutely not the person to defend Apple 24/7, however their privacy practices have been great.

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