I don’t use google stuff rn so…
Not even Google maps since I had an ad placed in my route so it clicked the ad while I was selecting which route to take. Bu bye
Me neither, but I guess the tracking will also take place when you just browse the internet and visit websites, that have Google Ad Tracking technologies implemented (which could be the majority of websites). Tracking and Ad-Blockers like uBlock might help a bit, though.
The specifics are complex—these are the algorithms that ingest all the data signals you give off when browsing the internet on any device, some based on who you are—device, IP and credential identifiers, but also the sites you visit and apps you use as a map to be followed and analyzed.
I’ve been using Noscript on firefox for a while. It basically blocks any JavaScript (and other stuff) unless you specifically allow it. It’s not something that I would recommend for a casual user, because it breaks lots of sites. By using it, I’ve discovered how much nonessential stuff is jammed into your browser. Most of it is analytics and tracking. One home improvement store has over 25 scripts when less than a quarter are needed for a functioning site.
Some of the biggest offenders: offenders:
- home improvement stores
- car dealerships
- some big box retailers
Also, a shoutout to decentraleyes, a plugin to use local copies of JavaScript code so that it’s not downloaded (and reported back to) Google.
Same here. I was a uMatrix user for a long time and I was astonished sometimes how bloated some sites were with scripts and tracking domains. Nowadays I mostly use Edge on my work machine which is somehow ad-free but all sites work.
Firefox with uBlock / uMatrix needed often too much fine tuning to make sites work properly.
What’s scary is all of the ways they can track you even without your browser actively cooperating. For example, they can create an HTML5 canvas, render a bunch of shapes, and then probe individual pixels to get a read on your graphics card and drivers. The EFF has a very educational test you can subject your browser to in order to see how easy it is to fingerprint it based on these kinds of things.
Kind of surprised to see that Brave does much better in this test than Firefox with extensions (on Android)
What are realistic ways to protect ourselves?
Use alternative browsers (Safari, Firefox) and alternative platforms (iOS, GrapheneOS).
If it is the Android that comes with the phone, it comes with Google Play and Google Services libraries installed. It is tracking you already. If you use Duckduckgo at least they will not know what you search for (and you will get better search than AI-ridden Google search…).
If you want an Android that doesn’t track you all the time, listens to you and those around you, etc etc, you need to use a vanilla android like https://lineageos.org as it comes, and not install the Google Services packages. This means that you may not be able to use some bank apps or popular apps such as Uber, etc that heavily depend on Google Services. Some chat apps may also have a delay in receiving messages.
Yes it sucks. It’s doable though. Welcome to the future. If we do nothing it will get even worse.
Edit: some governments are pushing for apps to not depend on Google propietary libraries. For example in the EU transit apps (city, trains ticket planners etc) are being migrated away from using Google Maps and into OpenStreetmaps, and those apps run nicely with a vanilla LineageOS. We need to keep this momentum.
I’ve had some internal struggles on this. Have used graphene for a long time and the last phone completely avoided using any G products (not even sandboxed) but still worry about the hardware, especially with the new AI chips. Can’t imagine that the ability to fingerprint using their hardware isn’t available.
So I vacillate between Fairphone/PinePhone with Linux or just anonymity through the masses with iOS. It sucks, the whole turn. Either get a fully functional smartphone and pick your poison or use a limited or dumb phone but know your smart TV/car/computer/etc will still be there for vulnerability.
Thing is, then you stand out as one of the very few people using that alternative.
Not sure there is. Dimensionality of the trackble elements is very high. All of them have to either be the same or fuzzed across large groups of users.
it can be fixed but would require herculean engineering efforts, the biggest problem atm is the canvas. most of the other things can be fixed via defaults that are returned to the webapps unless explicit permission to access them is granted. like there is never a reason to return errors for session storage if its disable. just return a memory implementation that doesn’t persist beyond the window life. little changes like that would go a long way to removing the bits of information.
Use browsers like Cromite, Iridium, Waterfox, Betterfox, Firedragon, Tor, Vanadium. Disabke fingerprinting in hidden settings or in about:config. Don’t install too much extensions, if you can, none. That can be used to fingerprint you. If you don’t have the need, disable javascript and webassembly. Change your useragent to something very common
I thought they were already doing this… what’s new now?
I wouldn‘t know, but could be it says something about that in the attached hyperlink.
Also in the EU?
Probably. Very little will stop a mega from making money. Fines are budgeted as the cost of doing business.
Well, EU at least start to fine above a billion: https://www.enforcementtracker.com/
