Artwork by Jean-naeJ
Facebook can keep on monitoring internet users’ activities even if they have logged off its website.
Using Facebook Connect, and some other social plug-ins, Facebook can
launch a cookie on any website that has a "like" or "share" button,
which provides Facebook access to an amazing amount of user information,
the Business Insider website reported on Thursday.
The plug-ins are used to verify users, but the program also has the
ability to gather personal information, such as the IP address of the
internet user’s computer, browsing data, outside login information,
phone numbers, and so on.
Using a cookie called the "datr" cookie, among other things, Facebook
can get information on what the internet user has read on a webpage,
even if the user did not click the "like" button. According to the Wall
Street Journal, "for this to work, a person only needs to have logged
into Facebook or Twitter once in the past month. The sites will continue
to collect browsing data, even if the person closes their browser or
turns off their computers."
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and internet users can still evade the ubiquitous eyes of Big Brother.
Abine, Ghostery, and some other companies have developed tools that
allow users to block Facebook social plug-ins, cookies, and other
trackers and that help users control how and when their information is
tracked and distributed.
The Business Insider identified five practical options for
consideration, including an option for website publishers that will help
protect their customers from trackers while keeping their websites
running smoothly.
Do Not Track Plus — A browser add-on that will identify and block trackers
As the Business Insider previously reported, Abine's DNT+ tool is a
FREE add-on that monitors, tracks, and allows users to block any
trackers and requests that may be following their internet activity. It
is compatible with MAC or PC for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet
Explorer. It is currently able to block more than 600 trackers, and
automatically updates to catch new trackers.
Ghostery -- similar to DNT+ but this add-on is also available for Opera
Similar to DNT+, Ghostery is a browser add-on, owned by Evidon, that
protects consumer privacy while online. By giving the consumer
visibility into who is tracking their online activity and allowing them
to block all or specific trackers, it empowers users with the ability to
stop third parties from collecting their personal information without
permission. It currently has more than 16 million monthly users and
pulls data from over 26 million web domains via an opt-in service of 7
million users.
Ghostery is free to download, free to use, and does not contain any
adware or spyware. It is available for all major browsers: Firefox,
Safari, Chrome, Opera and Internet Explorer.
Disconnect and Collusion for Chrome -- A robust tool that will identify and block trackers, but is only available for Chrome
Similar to DNT+ and Ghostery, Chrome Disconnect allows you to stop
third parties and search engines from tracking your web activity.
Specifically, this tool focuses on allowing users to disconnect from
sites such as Facebook, Digg, Google, Twitter, and Yahoo without risking
the performance of the sites. The tool blocks identifiable cookies
while allowing you stay logged into various sites.
Collusion for Chrome
This site allows users to then see which third parties are tracking
them by graphing the spread of the data from sites to tracks, exposing
them, and giving users the ability to block the trackers.
Safari's Do Not Track Option
Before downloading yet another piece of software on your computer, consider simply adjusting the settings on your browser.
Firefox: Firefox> Tools> Options> Privacy> click the box
that says, "Tell websites I do not want to be tracked." Then you should
set it to "never save your history" and remove cookies frequently.
Chrome: Chrome> Preferences> Settings> Advanced Settings>
Privacy> Content Settings> Click, "Block Third Party Cookies and
Site Data."
Safari: Safari> Preferences> Security> Accept Cookies>
select "never." You might also want to consider browsing privately so
your history and passwords are not stored, and thus accessible.
Internet Explorer 10: Microsoft's latest version of Internet Explorer
10 will default to a "Do Not Track" position. The browser will send a
signal to advertisers altering them that users do not want to be
tracked.
Evidon — A blocking and tracking tool for web publishers
Evidon Encompass Revenue Protection: This product is designed for
website owners who want to keep the intentional tracking code on their
sites from spawning additional code from third parties. It allows
websites to see all trackers and how they are affecting the site's
performance, while securing the site's customer data.
Evidon Encompass Privacy: This is a tool designed specifically for web
publishers to help them both comply with privacy regulations, ePrivacy
Directive and “AdChoices” self-regulatory programs, and protect the
private information of their customers. In addition to showing all of
the trackers on a site, and where they are originating from, this tool
also alerts web site owners of everything that needs to be disclosed to
consumers about how their information is being used.
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