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IE8 Will Contain an Accidental Ad Blocker

Posted by kdawson on from the inprivate-blocking dept.

JagsLive sends in a Washington Post blog post reflecting on one privacy-enhancing feature of the upcoming Internet Explorer 8, the so-called "InPrivate Blocking" that has privacy advocates quietly cheering, and advertisers seriously worrying. Here is Microsoft's description of the feature. From the Post: "The advertising industry is bracing for trouble from the next version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, details of which were announced today, because it will offer a feature that blocks some ads and other content from third-parties that shows up on Web pages. A Microsoft spokesman said that the feature, to be known as 'InPrivate Blocking,' was never designed to be an ad blocker, though 'there may be ads that get blocked.' Instead, it was designed to stop tracking 'pixels' or pieces of code that could allow third-party sites to track users as they move around the Web."

19 of 437 comments (clear)

  1. They just don't get it do they by QuantumG · · Score: 3, Informative

    The two are one and the same.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:They just don't get it do they by Vectronic · · Score: 3, Informative

      You have tried adding something like *.google-analytics.com/* and/or http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js or maybe *urchin*.js directly...into Opera's 'Blocked Content' right? (as well as http://*.googlesyndication.com/*, etc)

      Or you can set your options for cookies, java, etc using the google-analytics "Site Preferences", just right-click an empty area of a website (or go to Google-Analytics directly?), "Edit Site Preferences" then change the URL from that one, to goo~-anal~ (heh)... then set your prefs...

      Works for me, as much as I need it to, but, as for blocking it outright, you'll have to use your HOSTS (or equivalent) file, router, or firewall, etc... to block it.

    2. Re:They just don't get it do they by Lachlan+Hunt · · Score: 5, Informative

      If by header, you mean , it's probably because that's where Javascript should be kept. All my webpages validate as xhtml strict, and placing the tag in is the only way for it to validate.

      Wrong! The script element can be placed within either the head or body of a page, so placing it near the end is perfectly fine.

      --
      By reading this signature, you hereby agree with the content of the above comment.
    3. Re:They just don't get it do they by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      All my webpages validate as xhtml strict, and placing the tag in is the only way for it to validate.

      Sorry, but you're incorrect. The applicable block of valid XHTML, with the Google Analytics code where Google advises to put it:

      <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

      [snip]

      <script type="text/javascript">
      //<![CDATA[
      var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
      document.write("\<script src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'>\<\/script>" );
      //]]>
      </script>

      <script type="text/javascript">
      //<![CDATA[
      var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3044339-1");
      pageTracker._initData();
      pageTracker._trackPageview();
      //]]>
      </script>
      </body>

      Posting anonymously, because I don't want to waste the moderation points that I've already applied to this thread.

    4. Re:They just don't get it do they by unick · · Score: 2, Informative

      Use Firefox with the NoScript add-on. http://noscript.net/ It blocks/unblocks javascript exactly the way you want it. And makes surfing safer in general.
      Another interesting add-on is CustomizeGoogle. http://www.customizegoogle.com/ It can block cookies being sent to Google Analytics and it can anonymize the Google UID.

    5. Re:They just don't get it do they by Vectronic · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yeah I am aware of those, however, the OP, as well as myself seem to prefer Opera, and dont deem this as worthy of switching browsers entirely. If he had said "In Firefox" then I would have suggested those...

      However, Opera is capable of the same thing, disable JavaScript (or Java entirely if you want) then enable it on a per-site basis, even so far as allowing or disabling specific content/scripts within a certain page via Opera's built in stuff, or using custom (or ones people have made) CSS and JS's, etc etc...

      The easiest is usually just using the "Block Content" (per-site basis on the context menu, different from 'Blocked Content' main settings) option, where it dims the stuff that can't be blocked, then you just click on anything you want to block.

      Plus, there is various plugins and widgets that can do the same, or different (albeit a much smaller userbase/community than Firefox)

    6. Re:They just don't get it do they by Demiansmark · · Score: 3, Informative

      Content will delay loading until the analytics JS is processed which is dependent upon the reliability of google's servers.

      I'm as big of a standards junkie as the next but validation is just a pat on the back and validators are good for highlighting something you may have overlooked but it's perfectly fine to ignore errors if you know why you're doing it (and of course have a good reason for doing so).

    7. Re:They just don't get it do they by RupW · · Score: 2, Informative

      As I recall, Google Analytics uses Javascript to do the tracking, I don't think it uses the 1x1 pixel image method... though I could be wrong, it's been almost a year since I last played with it.

      It uses script which inserts a trivial image into the page. All the data is passed back to Google as query string parameters on the image request.

    8. Re:They just don't get it do they by Bryansix · · Score: 3, Informative

      If you and your wife are in cars commuting home and you are both stuck behind a gravel truck wouldn't you get in the fast lane and go around it? The gravel truck will still get to its destination just as fast but now you are home faster too. Google Analytics is like the gravel truck and you and your wife are the content of the page.

  2. Firefox Anyone? by fishyfool · · Score: 5, Informative

    Install Firefox, whack in AdBlock , NoScript, and FlashBlock and you have more privacy and security than with IE.

    --
    Enjoy Every Sandwich
    1. Re:Firefox Anyone? by rm999 · · Score: 5, Informative

      I think you mean Adblock Plus... Adblock hasn't really been updated for about 4 years

      I've found all I need is Adblock Plus with a subscription to "EasyElement+EasyList"

    2. Re:Firefox Anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Umm, yeah, and you might find that 60% of your websites don't work.

    3. Re:Firefox Anyone? by Gewalt · · Score: 2, Informative

      Umm, yeah, and you might find that 60% of your websites don't work.

      Actually its more like 2% of websites stop working right, and even those will work again with 2 simple clicks of the mouse. (most defective behavior is caused by sites that store their static content on a separate domain from their dynamic content, simple allow scripts from that particular domain as well, and BOOM, everything works, including privacy)

      --
      Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999
    4. Re:Firefox Anyone? by Gewalt · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sorry, I should have specified. I allow all first-party scripts, and block all 3rd party scripts. (and flash-block is redundant and useless, so I don't use that)

      --
      Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999
    5. Re:Firefox Anyone? by inviolet · · Score: 3, Informative

      Install Firefox, whack in AdBlock , NoScript, and FlashBlock and you have more privacy and security than with IE.

      Opera 9.52 (the latest version) has popup site preferences that allow you to control whether each site can: set cookies for itself, set cookies for other sites, run java, run javascript, run flash or other plugins, use sound, use animated gifs, etc. And there are popup global settings as well in case you just need to toggle them on for a minute. Combined with the latest HOSTS file from those anti-advertising guys, it is teh lovely internets.

      --
      FATMOUSE + YOU = FATMOUSE
  3. FYI (heads up) Privoxy by blahplusplus · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.privoxy.org/

  4. Re:Who the hell is drinking this cool-aid? by Your.Master · · Score: 1, Informative

    http://www.ie7pro.com/

    Despite the name, it works in IE6 and IE8 beta 1.

    It's a rather big extension that slows down IE launch because it also does a bunch of other things (inline find, spellchecking, etc.).

  5. Re:Does it bother anyone else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    There is no legal recourse nor should there be.

    There are no legal requirements for a browser to render a page in any manner.

    At most, you could try claiming it as an anti-competitive monopoly suit... but even then, you'd have to show how they are competing against you, which would be difficult to do as web Advertisements is not a Microsoft revenue model.

  6. Re:Who the hell is drinking this cool-aid? by ikkonoishi · · Score: 2, Informative

    A more accurate analogy would be someone walking up behind you and attaching a tracking chip to your backside without you noticing.