by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 02/13/2017 at 17:00
by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 02/13/2017 at 17:00
No Tags
STARS: 3
I value my privacy, but I haven’t yet become paranoid enough to use a VPN or Tor all the time. Something happened today that might have me rethinking that. AdBlock is clearly not nearly enough...
Here’s what happened: I opened a Northern Tool link in Pixel’s post just to check them out. A little while later, I got an
email
from Northern Tool about these two specific reels asking me “Are you still interested?”.
What the hell?! I don’t even have a Northern Tool account, and I’m at work on Chrome w AdBlock. How in the hell did they get my old Yahoo email address? I’m not logged into that email account, although I have logged into it from this computer/IP before (sometime last week).
Pixel replied with this when I told him: I looked at stuff from them on my home computer, and the next day my GF got an email at her old Yahoo address from Northern Tool about them. She isn’t logged into that computer, and only browses incognito [which does not hide IP] .
So, is Yahoo selling IPs & email addresses, or were IPs included in one of the massive hacks that Yahoo’s had and Northern Tool is using that data?
Either way, I’m fed up with companies reaching their fingers into places where they’re not welcome. What lengths do you go to to keep your identity private while online?
"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/13/2017 at 17:06, STARS: 1
I use Megaproxy if I need to surpass a firewall or something. Really reliable service, been around since 1999.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
02/13/2017 at 17:06, STARS: 0
No script + VPN?
"facw" (facw)
02/13/2017 at 17:10, STARS: 4
I wouldn’t be shocked if Yahoo is selling your email info, but even if they aren’t the company doing the retargeting could be matching your digital “fingerprint” against some other database that has your email address.
Note also that your IP may not be relevant at all (a VPN might not protect you). IP addresses are bad identifiers, both because they change, but more importantly, because you have many users on NAT (many users sharing the same IP, especially on mobile) which makes them unreliable for targeting a specific individual. This is why advertisers use everything from the standard cookie based approaches to more sophisticated techniques doing things tracking installed fonts and screen and window resolutions (basically anything a webpage can query about the display system can be used to identify it).
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
02/13/2017 at 17:10, STARS: 1
I run adblock and disconnect.me Though I’m not sure how beneficial disconnect is.
"AntiSpeed" (AntiSpeed)
02/13/2017 at 17:13, STARS: 1
I have another spooky story. I was at a bar a few years ago scrolling through my facebook feed. The bartender comes over and I order a Goose Island, mainly because the tap handle is shaped like a goose (haha!). So I go back to my facebook feed and guess that the next add I see is? Goose Fucking Island.
They’re listening...
"boredalways" (boredalway666)
02/13/2017 at 17:16, STARS: 1
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 17:17, STARS: 0
Haha - that’s pretty uncanny...
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 17:18, STARS: 0
That was Lifehacker’s Hive Five top vote-getter. Do you use them?
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
02/13/2017 at 17:18, STARS: 7
I take the Ron Swanson approach.
"boredalways" (boredalway666)
02/13/2017 at 17:19, STARS: 1
On year 4, maybe 5.
Just intergrated into my dd-wrt router.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 17:22, STARS: 0
Cool - thanks!
"boredalways" (boredalway666)
02/13/2017 at 17:23, STARS: 1
I even use it on my phone from time to time. Works great.
"facw" (facw)
02/13/2017 at 17:26, STARS: 0
They definitely are listening, there are definitely things that listen for audio fingerprints (including human-inaudible markers on silent ads) to confirm you are actually hearing/seeing the ad. I haven’t heard of anyone doing speech recognition, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.
"TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy" (thebimmerguy)
02/13/2017 at 17:30, STARS: 0
As a younger person that has accepted technology, I understand that “big brother” will be watching, I don’t do anything illegal so as long a I’m not physically being stalked, I’m not too concerned, but something like that would change my position on that.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 17:39, STARS: 2
I’m 39, so I do remember a world without ubiquitous internet. I understand that “they’re watching”, but I still want to retain as much personal privacy as I can, within reason. While I get the “I’m not doing anything wrong, so I don’t have to worry about it” mentality, I still wouldn’t let anyone search my home without a warrant and would be irate if I found out someone was listening in to my phone calls. I don’t see how this is any different.
"nermal" (nermal)
02/13/2017 at 18:03, STARS: 1
Perhaps it’s time for a new hat after you get your tools?
I turn off cookies and search history, as well as location tracking on my phone, and don’t log into social networking sites on my phone.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 18:07, STARS: 0
Yeah, I do all that, but I do Facebook from my phone...
I’m just going to quit my job, leave my family and live in my Faraday cage in the woods.
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
02/13/2017 at 18:08, STARS: 0
They’re going to be watching no matter what. I’ve given up.
"TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy" (thebimmerguy)
02/13/2017 at 18:21, STARS: 1
Yeah I see where you’re coming from, I do think that personal info shouldn’t be given out willy nilly and that it can be a little creepy at times.
"nermal" (nermal)
02/13/2017 at 18:24, STARS: 1
Facebook is the one tracking you and selling your info. They know as much as or more than Google does about you.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
02/13/2017 at 19:29, STARS: 1
Can I crash there? I’ll bring beer.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:40, STARS: 0
Not ready to concede just yet.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:43, STARS: 0
Sounds good. Make sure you’re not followed...
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:45, STARS: 0
I have no doubt - just don’t think it was them in this particular case.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
02/13/2017 at 20:45, STARS: 1
As others have said, every computer has a somewhat unique fingerprint. Here are some tools to help you discover how unique yours is and make it more generic.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:46, STARS: 1
Oh, it’s not being given out - it’s definitely being bought & sold!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:48, STARS: 0
You’re not helping my paranoia.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:50, STARS: 1
So... different device and service provider for every site I visit?
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:50, STARS: 0
Good stuff - thanks!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
02/13/2017 at 20:51, STARS: 0
Nice - thanks for the tip.
"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/13/2017 at 20:54, STARS: 1
Forgot to mention this, but it does cost money for the full service. For basic browsing you can use it for free and when you reach the bandwidth limit, you just clear your cookies. Looks really dated, but it does the job better than 99% of newer proxys.
"facw" (facw)
02/13/2017 at 21:02, STARS: 0
Sorry, the ad industry is sneaky...
"facw" (facw)
02/13/2017 at 21:08, STARS: 0
Seriously, go here: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ , do the test, and click on the full fingerprinting results.