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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

#91

Post by jacooper »

bilsbie wrote: post #21
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…

Wow that’s scary. Is there a way to share a video without that?

Maybe use a proxy/private frontend? Proxitok.

https://github.com/pablouser1/ProxiTok

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

#92

Post by jacooper »

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…

It just like twitter, but even more sneaky.

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

#93

Post by jacooper »

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…

Brave + a VPN with DNS block for ads get you pretty far.

On iOS VPNs are a joke, and everything is a limited WebKit reskin.

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

#94

Post by 1vuio0pswjnm7 »

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…

Seems like automatic loading of resources (hosted by third parties) by popular web browsers is beyond question.

I access the www everyday using a browser that does not auto-load resources. It would be dishonest to claim it is not useful.

I recall a brief period of time in the early www where web pages could contain "Java applets" and the browser would prompt the user if they wanted to run the code.

Web developers have become so dependent on all this control they have been given over unsuspecting computer users, how would they react to removing/reducing any of these "features".

The "modern" web browser feels like a Trojan Horse.

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

#95

Post by novok »

jxramos wrote: post #78
andrewflnr wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look, I do run uBO. It doesn't even completely block JS, yet it still routinely breaks very basic pages, and I have to use a lot of webdev and industry knowledge to even try to unbreak them without entirely turning off blocking. So no, for most people who want to use mainstream websites, just turning off JS is not a real option. That this is a dystopic scenario does not change the practical reality.

this may be daydreaming too shallowly, but I wonder if basic Javascript UI patterns could be identified by some tool. Something along the lines of a new pane showing up in the Developer Tools that semantically identifies the roles of certain Javascript. * This block of code ensures these UI elements are synched among each other. * This block of code sends this UI data to this server address. Something that gives a ro…

That is behavior based malware analysis.

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

#96

Post by jacooper »

EastSmith wrote: post #71

The title should be TikTok (like Google, Meta and other ad companies) now too tracks you across the web. Side question: uBlock Origin + Brave should be enough for this type of tracking, right?

Yes, since its a JS script that will get blocked automatically.

And you don't need UBlock with Brave, Nrave shields do the same thing while being faster(rust and integrated in the browser itself) and not being dependent on any extension updates.

There is a noticeable performance hit when using uBlock + shields.

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

#97

Post by novok »

eek2121 wrote: post #65
sfvegandude wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has an ad platform. Do they use this?

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

Lol yes they do: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-advertisin...

Here are a couple:

   Apple News and Stocks: The topics and categories of the stories you read and the publications you follow, subscribe to, or turn on notifications from.
   Advertising: Your interactions with ads delivered by Apple’s advertising platform.

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

#98

Post by novok »

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…

I basically want a browser list that bans specific 'big providers' systematically and then access those providers via a provider specific sandbox limited to just them. Kind of like firefox account containers, with a premade set, without the bad perf / bugs of firefox.

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

#99

Post by cwillu »

ronsor wrote: post #32
nthitz wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can disable the link tracking thing in settings, bit buried but settings > privacy > suggest your account to others > people who open or send links to you

The fact that they let you disable it is a miracle

The miracle would be that disabling suggesting your account (as an account to follow) would disable the tracking. And I don't believe in miracles :p

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

#100

Post by tomrod »

1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #94
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…

Seems like automatic loading of resources (hosted by third parties) by popular web browsers is beyond question. I access the www everyday using a browser that does not auto-load resources. It would be dishonest to claim it is not useful. I recall a brief period of time in the early www where web pages could contain "Java applets" and the browser would prompt the user if they wanted to run the code. Web developers hav…

More than feels -- it is a Trojan horse.

More and more of our lives are conducted interacting through the web. The vast majority of the tooling is focused on eye candy.

What is given up completely if we leave javascript? Or, how can we lock down browsers to stop this nonsense without completely disabling it?

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