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Sites Guilty of Hijacking History

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the break-out-the-foil-hats dept.

Gunkerty Jeb writes "A recent study launched by the UC San Diego Department of Computer Science to determine the scope of privacy-violating information flows at popular websites shows that popular Web 2.0 applications such as mashups, aggregators, and sophisticated ad targeting are teeming with various kinds of privacy-violating flows. Ultimately the researchers determined that such attacks are not being adequately defended against."

2 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. Are people retarded? by the_raptor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How do people think that all these "web 2.0" social media sites make money? They do it by selling tracking data about you to research companies and the like.

    It is like super market "loyalty" cards. They aren't primarily handing those out to keep customers loyal they are doing it to gather information about buying habits.

    TANSTAAFL: If you can't figure out the cost of something you are probably being played.

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    CINC, 4th Penguin Legion
  2. Said it before, I'll say it again by Pojut · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If a site offers up ads on subjects I'm interested in, I have no problem leaving them unblocked. I learn about products I care about, the site gets ad revenue, and the company gets word-of-mouth. Everyone wins.

    So long as sites show me ads relevant to their own subject, I have no problem with them (excluding fly-over ads or ads with sound...those are NEVER ok.)

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    Living With a Nerd