YAHOO & Opt-out & HTML email-spies

Check out ...

http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/pixels/details.html

... be sure & read the paragraph that confesses to putting *web beacons* in email from Yahoo AND its "agents."

I think Yahoo's overall privacy policy is [in effect], "If you do not opt-out, you are automatically IN."

Am I correct?

aloha.......bellgamin

 

Hi Bellgamin

It's a well known fact they use webbugs.
By using their free service you explicitely accepted it. There is no opt out AFAIK for that : (

Be sure to set your FW to accept only for your mail client TCP OUT remote adresses ports : 25,110,119,143
and you will be protect against webbugs in any mail.

Cheers,

 

It's been a while since I read up on Web Bugs. They use to only be included on ads; if you blocked the ads you blocked them. Is this still the case? I never see a single ad on Yahoo or their Yahoo email so am I protected or have the bugs evolved past the "only on ads" stage? Thanks.

 

Hello

Not at all : webbugs are small pics (usually 1 pixel) which may be imbedded in any htlm document. I you read you mail in htlm, they can be used to know for instance when you open the mail, to whom you transferred it, etc...

By essence, they are invisible To prevent them doing the nasty job with your mail client you ought to configure your FW to prevent them phoning home.
As for your browser they are more insidious than cookies ; they are different apps, like Proxomitron, WebWasher, etc.... to filter them.

OT : don't forget to configure IE> Security Zone Internet "User data permanence " DISABLE

If you want to "see" them, use for instance IE Booster :
http://www.paessler.com/products/ieb/
ads some functionnalities to the IE context menu.

Cheers,