The end of online privacy

Hi there,

Here is an article of "the end of online privacy" that explained on a very simple way how difficult it is for the average people to protect their 'online privacy'.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/the-end-of-online-privacy/article1672466/

True north

 

What a mind blowing revelation - Is there such a thing as PRIVACY ?

I am not sure that such a hypothetical commodity ever existed. Ask the Pentagon, they even got busted by a handicapped teenager hacking away for fun in a bedsit.

Well, we live and learn. Just do your best with what is available and unless you have something that somebody else really wants, it does not matter a toss.

John B

 

Along with the world's addiction to the Internet and computers in general, comes issues like this. No, I'm not trying to sound like a grandpa here wishing we went back to doing everything by hand and head (though we and our kids would be a hell of a lot more intelligent). But, the way the world works is that when good things become easier to do, so do bad things. The Internet itself isn't designed for privacy, no matter what VPN you go through, no matter what cookie you block, someone HAS to know who you are, or else the Internet wouldn't function.

 

As always, spoken by the Maestro himself, every word so very true.
I have a special piece of swag for those perpetrators of petty crime.

Under a fictitious bank account name, number, sort code and lots of other booby traps, I have this precious piece of very private information :-

" I am JOHN BULL and the kitty is empty. Go find somebody else. Who`s a lucky boy then ?"

John B

 

I had to laugh with this - so true:

If Ottawa thinks the census is invasive, what about the 64 trackers that popular websites install on visitors' computers?​

 

Of course that's true. I think the entire controversy over online privacy is a question of who needs information (as you mentioned above) and those who only want it for their own uses and profit.

 

The website you go to needs that information, no one else. The extension NoScript has taught me more about online advertising than it has security. Using that extension, I've found that advertisers are EVERYWHERE, infesting all but the smallest of web pages/sites. From Facebook to Doubleclick and so much more, you literally cannot go anywhere there isn't an advertiser waiting to log every click you make, every ad you see. You just want to physically hold down the Internet and douse it with bug spray, but they just keep coming, spreading further, collecting more data. No matter what we do, use ad blocking, deny 3rd party cookies, disable Flash, they keep coming up with ways to get to us, each attempt becoming more insidious.

We not only have them to worry about, now the governments of the world are burying their claws deeper and deeper into our online life as well. We can only count on our tools so much. Websites deny us because they detect script and/or ad blocking, demand more and more of our personal data just to use their services. Small time anonymous services either die off from financial issues or get spooked by governments into spilling the beans on their users, in some countries even without a warrant. It's getting bad out there, increasingly as rights are being dissolved, people are waiting in line to get as much power as they can over information and people. Laws to protect users are becoming rare, and laws to benefit corporations and governments are becoming commonplace.

I'm not certain, at this point, whether there is any going back. Perhaps we can slow the invasion, but I truly believe we as users are just treading water. Yes, that sounds very negative, but one only needs to look at the evidence around us.

 

I have started to seriously consider going offline.

 

Hi dw, just a point about what you so perfectly and fluently say :- Wilders is normally on my NoScript Whitelist. I removed it and NoScript then blocked 7 scripts !

Gosh man - NOT Wilders playing the game you so adequately describe ?
What do THEY want from us ?

John

 

It's a temptation, but think of how much information you would be denied by doing so. You would, for the most part unless you had access to information in another way, be told only one side of a story in the news, lose access to places such as this, where, on the good days, a new person can learn so much about computers and how to protect them, in minutes, instead of hours, days, weeks, or longer. If you're a music lover, and don't feel the need to spend a fortune at brick and mortar stores to gather not only the latest music, but things that you can barely find anymore, simply subscribe to one of many music services and enjoy. The same goes for movies.

There is so much the Internet has given us that we would miss out on if it were suddenly gone. The Internet is truly a blessing, and a curse. There are very few things in life that are not both of those things.

 

I'd have to wonder about that, John. I too have this website white-listed, and the only blocked scripts I see listed are in the "recently blocked" section, showing scripts that were blocked on websites prior to visiting here. I do know of a "Yipes Communications" that connects when coming here, but I only see that in Peerblock, not NoScript, so I assume they do not actually run a script here.

 

Well, sorta, but not really as the Tor project proves. I can visit any website anonymously routing through Tor and there is no known way to back track it (at least no way without the money of an intelligence agency, and even then it's doubtful). Of course, I am assuming I have Tor and my browser configured properly.

 

And your assuming Tor isn't infested with said agencies and other people you'd prefer to not make contact with. I'm not saying it is, of course. But it wouldn't shock me, and Tor has taken heat in the past for not being as rock solid as once thought as far as security.

 

Great post. You're so right.

 

Malicious Tor nodes do exist, but what I think chronomatic's point was that the Tor implementation itself is sound.

 

Wilders uses several scripts. Just look at the page source. It uses them, for example, to track users' forum histories (i.e., "Welcome, hierophant. You last visited ... Private Messages ...) and to run this cool post editor with smilies et alia I trust Wilders. That's a pretty safe bet, isn't it?

 

The only way to even think of privacy is to use an Anonymous proxy program, like Tor or several other IP hiding programs. This subject has been battered to death on this Forum and others. It is a matter of bite the bullet.

There are many sites that can find out everything about you, except your name and home address and I would not be surprised if the more sophisticated don`t even know that.

Example :- Try http://www.ip-adress.com/ip_tracer/209.85.229.18
Just enter your own IP and hit the track button. Then click "Whois". Only ONE lookup per day is allowed for guests.

Every single site you visit on the Internet is able to know this detailed picture of you - just look at it - they know where you are, what supplier you are with and details of your PC set up.

Privacy ? It`s a joke ! Unless you use a good anonymous proxy program - you`re busted ! It can easily become acute paranoia, you can spend big bucks on it and go bananas seeking perfection, but you won`t win, just end up chewing the keyboard in sheer frustration.

Using a proxy, these guy`s are knackered. All they get is the IP and that tells them you are in Bulgaria etc. rather than `lil `ole Chicago.

Just keep taking the pills it will help enormously. Alternatively, just enjoy your Internet activity and let it all hang out. Life is too short.

John B

 

Yes, John

Also, to the extent that it matters, use a different machine and anonymity method (or, at least, account) for each identity. VMs are easy. Segregating financial access on a dedicated machine is also wise. It can be an old machine running Linux. And, if it really matters, maintain that air gap

Don't get me started on the pills

 

Try Potassium Cyanide. I believe it is very efficient in curing our little problems.

John

 

Hey there, Hierophant. I was referring to advertising trackers and such as you would find listed in NoScript most of the time The scripts you refer to are pretty much a given.

 

One of my college classmates suicided with potassium cyanide. It wasn't quick, and it probably wasn't pleasant.

 

I almost forgot to mention. With RefControl (Firefox Add-on) set to forge, that IP Tracer reports the referrer to be http://www.ip-adress.com/ That's much better than just nulling the referrer, because everything seems OK.