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Interview With Mozilla's Ryan Merkley: Tracking the Trackers

Posted by samzenpus on from the listen-but-don't-track dept.

colinneagle writes "Among the eye-opening statements in his recent TED talk, Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs said, 'Privacy is not an option, and it shouldn't be the price we accept for just getting on the Internet. Our voices matter and our actions matter even more.' After you download and install Collusion in Firefox, you can 'see who is tracking you across the Web and following you through the digital woods,' Kovacs stated. 'Going forward, all of our voices need to be heard. Because what we don't know can actually hurt us. Because the memory of the Internet is forever. We are being watched. It's now time for us to watch the watchers.' I've been using Collusion for some time now and it is jaw-dropping to watch all the sites that still stalk us across the web even with DNT and privacy add-ons. The Collusion page states: 'The Ford Foundation is supporting Mozilla to develop the Collusion add-on so it will enable users to not only see who is tracking them across the Web, but also to turn that tracking off when they want to.'"

7 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Download/Demo here by saibot834 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Collusion Download/Demo. Looks like a pretty nifty tool. And completely without flash!

    1. Re:Download/Demo here by Inda · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You don't need that to see how we're being tracked (although I do have it installed).

      I'd been looking at having laser eye surgery for some time. Money was the only thing stopping me from doing real research.

      There was an advert for an Optical Express laser clinic, with a competition for free treatment, so I clicked. It's probably the only time I've ever clicked, and this was at work with no Ad-block installed.

      I went through the process of consultation, price negotiation and all that stuff. I was happy with everything offered, and went ahead with the surgery (two weeks ago, best thing I've ever done).

      Top of Slashdot today? Adverts for laser eye surgery at Optical Express. In fact, every blinking website I visit at work is trying to show me adverts for Optical Express. This has been going on for nearly two months!

      I'm sure it must happen to everyone, everywhere.

      --
      This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
    2. Re:Download/Demo here by Sviams · · Score: 5, Funny

      And here you are, posting an advert for Optical Express...oh the irony :)

    3. Re:Download/Demo here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Those ads have always been there - maybe you can only see them after you had the surgery!

  2. How long until Google notices? by pegasustonans · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Mozilla Foundation reportedly receives ~$300 million annually from Google.

    Google is certainly an interested party when it comes to tracking user behavior.

    Is this really a good move for Mozilla strategically?

    --
    And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. --Will
    1. Re:How long until Google notices? by Jahta · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Mozilla Foundation reportedly receives ~$300 million annually from Google.

      Google is certainly an interested party when it comes to tracking user behavior.

      Is this really a good move for Mozilla strategically?

      The key issue here is informed consent. The "Collusion add-on so it will enable users to not only see who is tracking them across the Web, but also to turn that tracking off when they want to."

      I've no problem allowing cookies and scripts from sites I trust and who are providing me with a service I want. The problem is the number of "drive-by" cookies and scripts you can get hit with.

      When I started using NoScript I was amazed at amount of content I was being silently served from third-party sites without my knowledge or consent.

  3. Go Ahead, Track Tor Exit Nodes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm just a random Tor exit node, up one day, down the next, replaced by another random exit node.

    Use the Tor Browser Bundle:
    - https://www.torproject.org/

    Read the Tor OPSEC article:
    - http://cryptome.org/0005/tor-opsec.htm
    - https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/01/tor_opsec.html

    "HUGE Security Resource" - enjoy a smart selection of Security
    Blogs and other security related information
    - http://pastebin.com/Cm2ZHuz3