Cookies and other site data

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Running Mint Mate, which includes the Firefox web browser.  Being  increasingly concerned with privacy, at our house we long ago abandoned anything Google-related, including Chrome, Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube.  Of course, many sites, including this one, install data upon being opened.

FF is set to clear this data on closing, and I often clear it manually.  My question is this- with cookies, etc planted, what if any information can be/is typically collected by sites which have planted them?  Do they have “Big Brother is watching you” capabilities when such data is planted on our machines?

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Slowpoke47 wrote:

FF is set to clear this data on closing, and I often clear it manually. My question is this- with cookies, etc planted, what if any information can be/is typically collected by sites which have planted them? Do they have “Big Brother is watching you” capabilities when such data is planted on our machines?

I believe you are referring to “tracking cookies”.

I use the browser extension by EFF called “Privacy Badger” to block trackers, so those types of cookies that get on the system to begin with are minimized. https://www.eff.org/

Deleting cookies should also help, but some are useful, so being selective might be a preferred approach.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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doriel, Bill C., Slowpoke47, Microfix

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We also use Privacy Badger.

When deleting cookies manually, I leave in place those from trusted sites, but as for unfamiliar ones, I don’t know how to distinguish among helpful, harmless, and invasive.

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I also tried Privacy Badger and it worked fine in FF but it got strange when installed in Edge. Lost my sound, couldn’t get Task Manager to open, Start wouldn’t display left or right click, somehow got Edge to open then uninstalled PB, and finally got all my “lost” and “couldn’t” to work. Using Win10 2004, am not trying to solve problem, just passing on info.

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@Slowpoke47, my preference is to (as JohnW suggested) use EFF’s Privacy Badger, which has been a great extension adversary in not only blocking tracking cookies, but also allowing the choice whether or not to allow certain cookies using the slider interface within the settings.
(I use it on Mint Mate 19.3, Win7 and Win8.1)

If debian is good enough for NASA...

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Slowpoke47

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The recent versions of Firefox also have enhanced tracking protection enabled by default. Look in Options at Privacy & Security settings.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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Slowpoke47

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Thanks for the responses- we have already adjusted the FF and PB settings but I’m still mostly guessing as to what to allow/ disallow.  As mentioned, I consider anything Google-related as toxic, and we immediately remove trackers, etc when we exit an online vendor’s site (e.g. Amazon, Ebay) but as for most others, I have little or no idea as to what vulnerabilities we have from them.

My concern is about predators, and we certainly don’t want to leave the door open for them.  Once personal info gets into cyberspace, it can’t be re-privatized.

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We use DuckDuckGo for searches.  This link was included in last week’s email from them- https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-tracker-radar/

Some of this is tech-oriented, but it does give an idea of what’s behind the curtain…

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doriel

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[Cybertooth]

@Slowpoke47, every so often I’ll go into the cookies stored on my PC, using CCleaner’s Options –> Cookies function. I’ll review the cookies listed in each column (“Cookies on Computer” and “Cookies to Keep”), then move cookies around so that the Keep column contains only cookies for sites that I have actually registered for–everything else goes out the window. This is done by putting the cursor somewhere in the “on Computer’ column, then clicking Ctrl-A to select all those cookies, then right-clicking and finally selecting “Delete now” from the context menu. Poof!

UPDATE: On re-reading your posts, I realize you’re now on Linux and not Windows. I don’t think CCleaner is available for Linux. You might be able to accomplish the same thing by using the Linux version of BleachBit, check it out.

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Cybertooth.

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GarthP, Slowpoke47

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Hi there Slowpoke47-

I’m thinking your question is more about surveillance and privacy issues than just removing tracking cookies.

EFF has a thoughtful outline of issues, including how to assess your personal risks and steps you can take to mitigate them, in their section on Surveillance Self Defense.

Educating ourselves is important, and you aren’t going to find the needed info in any corporate ‘privacy policy’.

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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JohnW, SueW, Microfix, Slowpoke47

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Thanks, Elly, that’s exactly my concern.

This forum has constituted the bulk of my cyber education, and sometimes I ask dumb or poorly phrased questions.  Privacy and security are at the top of my list when on line, as there are plenty of bad actors, large (e.g. Google) and small (lone wolf in his mother’s basement), attempting to profit at my expense.  The particulars in the ongoing legal actions against several of the Internet giants have led me to double down on security issues.

Being more or less isolated from any knowledgeable local users, I post here for assistance.  I appreciate hearing from all who responded.

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Elly

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Cookies contains text, not executable code. You can’t do anything with cookies except record details of the data sent between your computer and the web site in question. This allows your browsing to be tracked across the web.

You need to prevent the use of cookies that track you across sites, e.g. doubleclick.net, google-analytics.com etc, if you want to limit cross site tracking.

Limiting / deleting cookies does not prevent individual sites retaining information about you, e.g. delivery address, CC details etc.

Ultimately, you are much more likely to lose valuable information from slack data protection measures of vendors (Equifax) than from having Google etc track your browsing history.

cheers, Paul

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Bill C., Slowpoke47

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Chapter Two of this issue:

Starting about a week or so ago, I get a fistful of cookies by default from dropbox.com and dropboxusercontent.com that seem to be associated with AskWoody.  These cookies are planted if one of the tabs set to appear on opening FF is AskWoody whether I open that specific site or not.  FF is set to block these cookies but some get in anyway.  I looked at the dropbox site and it’s nothing that I want or ever opened.

Anyone else seeing these?

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I get the Dropbox cookies as well so I assume there is a link to Dropbox in here somewhere.

It’s only a few cookie so I wouldn’t be too concerned.

cheers, Paul

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@Elly uses a dropbox signature gif, so that’s where the dropbox cookie is coming from in this thread. I have dropbox blocked via PB (slider) and only allow it when and if I need to use dropbox. YMMV

If debian is good enough for NASA...

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Slowpoke47

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Thanks for the explanation.  The only way I know to block cookies etc. is, in FF, Preferences>Privacy & Security>Manage Exceptions, where I can block specific sites by name.  I have done that for the four dropbox variations, and now get fewer, but I’m antsy about 3rd-party cookies in general.

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If you really want your eyes opened (maybe not?) regarding tracking cookies, just install the browser add-on called “Disconnect”.

Then use the “Visualize Page” view rather than the list view. It will show the site you are connected to plus all of the other sites making connections at the same time as a result of your visit to that site. It’s shocking how many server connections are actually made when you think you are just connecting to a single server.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disconnect/#&gid=1&pid=2

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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wavy, Slowpoke47

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I will give that a look.  Does this app allow for blocking sites?

Maybe I’m paranoid, but it seems to me that not blocking 3rd party cookies is the same as leaving your doors unlocked.  We’re in a safe, suburban neighbor-hood, but the principle is, “trust but verify.”

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I’m on FF 83 and running Disconnect:
List view

Visualize page

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Slowpoke47, JohnW

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Just cruised the page for Disconnect- tells me that it is included in Privacy Badger and HTTPS Everywhere, both of which we use.

Also stumbled on the add-on ClearURLS https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/?utm_source=firefox-browser&utm_medium=firefox-browser&utm_content=discopane-entry-link

Does this seem like a good option?

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I use Firefox ESR (78.5.0), and find this combination works for me in managing cookies:

Cookie AutoDelete removes all non-protected cookies

Cookie Quick Manager allows me to protect those cookies that I want to keep, those that identify my profile to a site (Remember Me)

uBlock Origin allows me to block specific adverts and scripts, which has its own value on various sites that require log-in

Dell E5570 Latitude, Intel Core i5 6440@2.60 GHz, 8.00 GB - Win 10 Pro

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Slowpoke47

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The most current FF in Linux is v.83.  While we have always used ublock, the other apps you mention may be from older versions of FF.

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Slowpoke47 wrote:

Does this app allow for blocking sites?

It automatically blocks the sites that are tracking you, but you can disable blocking if you wish. The best thing is that it shows you visually which 3rd party sites are being contacted.

I’m not an expert on this add-on, as in I set it and forget it. Read up on it if it piques your interest. It is on the Firefox recommended list.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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Slowpoke47 wrote:

it seems to me that not blocking 3rd party cookies is the same as leaving your doors unlocked

This is not true. Cookies do not let others onto your machine.

Use one of the cookie auto-delete plug-ins to clean up the trackers, or set your browser to delete all cookies when it closes, then close your browser regularly.

cheers, Paul

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Slowpoke47

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I’ve been saying “cookies” instead of typing out “…site data and cache” which is the phrase used on the FF Privacy and Security screen.  What sorts of site data support telemetry?

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We have FF set to delete site data and cookies on closing.  Also I clear unwanted site data etc. periodically during a browsing session.

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Slowpoke47 wrote:

Just cruised the page for Disconnect- tells me that it is included in Privacy Badger and HTTPS Everywhere, both of which we use.

I have never seen that info before. Can you please provide a link to the page where you saw that?

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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I misread that line.  But there is some guidance on how to combine other blockers with Disconnect.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disconnect/?utm_source=addons.mozilla.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=search

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JohnW

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Elly wrote:

EFF has a thoughtful outline of issues, including how to assess your personal risks and steps you can take to mitigate them, in their section on Surveillance Self Defense.

Thanks for that link Elly!

One article in particular “Why Metadata Matters” presents the issue of the importance of its use, and the lack of control most of us have over it in today’s world. https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/why-metadata-matters

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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