Snowden Says It's Your Duty To Use an Ad Blocker (for Security)

AmiMoJo writes: In a long interview about reclaiming your privacy online, ex-NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden states that it's not just a good idea to use ad blocking software, it's your duty: "Everybody should be running adblock software, if only from a safety perspective. We've seen internet providers like Comcast, AT&T, or whoever it is, insert their own ads into your plaintext http connections. As long as service providers are serving ads with active content that require the use of JavaScript to display, that have some kind of active content like Flash embedded in it, anything that can be a vector for attack in your web browser — you should be actively trying to block these. Because if the service provider is not working to protect the sanctity of the relationship between reader and publisher, you have not just a right but a duty to take every effort to protect yourself in response." Other recommendations include encrypting your hard drive and using Tor to keep your internet use private.

Comments

Well then

[The Real Dr John]

at least one person thinks I'm not a bad person because I don't want to see flashing ads and videos while I am trying to read a story.

Completely Agree

[TheCarp]

Absolutely. I don't block ads, but ads get blocked, because my browser security package (noscript+requestpolicy) just doesn't load anything from a 3rd party site unless I approve it, and then doesn't run javascript unless I approve it.

Its generally a bit annoying but.... I put up with it for the same reason I wouldn't have sex with someone I just met without condoms. However, that isn't really even an apt comparison....because sex with a random person is, mostly a pretty rare event, even if you are trying.

Browsing the web is like.... if we replaced the social custom of saying "hello" with anal sex, and browsing a website is like going to a dinner party with your friend, and 20 of his friends that he brought along; and they are all anxious to greet you, and quite offended that you even brought up the word condom.