A firefox solution to flash cookies

Pollmaster · May 15, 2005

http://www.internetweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160400749

is a widely referred to article about the "new cookies"

A Local Shared Object? What's that?

Local Shared Objects are cookie-like data files stored on your computer by Flash movies viewed by the browser. Not every Flash movie creates a Local Shared Object file; in fact, few do. However, once a Flash movie creates a Local Shared Object file, it remains resident on your computer and the data within it can be read by the Flash movie at any point in the future. It therefore can be used in almost exactly the same way as a cookie.
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You can do this http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=52697ee8

or you can install a firefox extension that allows you to selectively clear entries

http://www.yardley.ca/objection/

How's 'objection' work?

The extension adds a 'Local Shared Objects' section to Firefox's Options > Privacy pane, and attempts to local the user's Flash application data directory by looking in the most common locations for that user's operating system. If the application data directory is found, objection will use it automatically; if not, the user has the option of manually specifying its location by pressing the 'Change Directory' button.

objection can delete all Local Shared Objects at once - a bit of a scorched earth approach to privacy - or can delete only the Local Shared Objects you specify. To delete all LSOs at once, select the 'Clear' or 'Clear All' button from the main privacy panel. When either button is pressed, 'objection' does a recursive search for files with .SOL (Local Shared Object) and .FSO (the local half of a Remote Shared Object) and deletes them. To delete individual LSOs, select the 'View LSOs' button to open the Stored Local Shared Objects panel. Then, select and delete away!
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squash · May 16, 2005

Excellent!
I have been looking for such as program for ages!!

Mele20 · May 16, 2005

Isn't this sort of like locking the barn door after the horse escapes?

A worthwhile program would block the cookies before they ever get on your computer.

Otherwise, just don't install Flash. I don't have it installed.

Pollmaster · May 16, 2005

Future versions will add a blacklist and other options available for ordinary cookies. For now just enjoy being able to selectively clear entries.

Isn't this sort of like locking the barn door after the horse escapes?
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Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

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A firefox solution to flash cookies

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Mele20 Former Poster

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A firefox solution to flash cookies

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