Covert online "snooping"!

[Ghostrider]

Okay,

 

When it happened once, I ignored it, but I've now experienced several examples, and I'm getting a bit hacked off with it.

 

Firstly it happened with Facebook. I did not permit them to "search" the email account I used to register with them, to let them find others already registered with them. Yet a goodish percentage of the folk who made it on to my "suggested friends" list pretty much straight away, were folk I'd exchanged emails with in that email account. I let it slip, as I had no way of knowing that it wasn't on account of the people involved, having allowed Facebook to "search" their email accounts and they'd linked the addresses that way.

 

However, lately a Viking Direct advert has been appearing on here, mostly on the side bar. I thought it kinda weird that the items it was rotating were all things I'd viewed on Viking's site at some time or other in the past, but whatever. This morning I was on Viking's site again pricing some things....and what do I find when I check through here? Hey Presto! The items rotating on their banner have changed to be the self same ones I was looking at on their site a few hours ago!

 

I'll readily admit to not knowing a whole heap more about technology than I do know, but if anyone is going to try and tell me that somehow Viking's Ad on here isn't data mining info from (I'm guessing) cookie(s) I picked up when I was on their site, they're going to have a hard time convincing me of it.

 

Most importantly though, how do I stop this happening short of deleting cookies multiple times in a day (if that is how they're doing it). Its just a tad freaky to say the least, and in practical terms its downright annoying. I'm the kind of person who if I've been to a site like Viking have either bought what I was looking at, or have decided to buy it elsewhere. Keeping having the self same stuff shoved in my face for god knows how long afterwards, when its a done deal and already otherwise forgotten hits all the wrong buttons in this head.

[Fjool]

I cannot answer for sure on the advertiser that Shetlink uses because I'm not party to the technical details. All I can suggest is to run Spybot and / or Antibytes to purge that kind of thing.

[Ghostrider]

^^ Am I going to have to run that though after every time I visit any site like Viking, who seem to have the capability of reading cookies already on my computer with ads they have on other wholly unconnected sites? I'm assuming re-visiting and collecting a fresh batch of cookies will just restart it again.

 

Okay, with the likes of Viking it would be no big deal, I only visit there occasionally. But if the habit spreads to other sites, there are a few that I'm on so often that I'd be collecting quicker than I could delete them most days.

[Njugle]

This is very interesting, in a morbid sort of way. The only data-mining of the sort you describe I've personally seen was through using gmail, with google being the supremos of discreet privacy invasion.

 

I didn't think the the ad system here was that sophisticated, and is not affiliated to google. PB looks after the ad side of things, if he happens by it would be interesting to find out the technicalities of the ad servers used.

 

Edit - you don't use Chrome do you GR?

[Fjool]

Am I going to have to run that though after every time I visit any site like Viking

I'm not certain about that. But with Spybot you can 'immunise' yourself against things, which seems to prevent issues like those you describe from reoccurring. I guess it stops certain, known types of datamining/advertising cookie from being lodged on your system in the first place.

[Ghostrider]

^^ Thanks. As it has a blocking capability of some sort, it's worth a try. I'll take a look at it.

 

@ Njugle: Nope! Firefox at the moment, though seriously considering trying something else. Its for this very reason that I've never so much as considered either Chrome or Google Mail, they're just a tad too ready for my liking to "abuse" the data which by default flows through such things, for their own purposes and probably profit.

[Rivlins]

Use some adblocking, then you won't be faced with the distressing Viking adverts any more. Plus of course every page will load noticeably quicker.

[Ghostrider]

^^ I'm kinda reluctant to block ads on here, especially as there is some local content, occasionally one or two can be useful.

 

Not seeing is only solving part of the problem. If ads on third party sites are actually acting as a gateway for the main site of whoever is placing the ad to read cookies their main site has put on that computer, I'd much rather block those cookies at source.

 

It kinda feels like you've been virtual tagged or chipped, and whenever you get near a "sensor" (a third party site with one of the ads) you're in effect being "tracked" on your travels around the web by whoever placed the ad. A tad "Big Brother-ish" and invasive for my liking.

[Spinner72]

The google adserver used on the gaming sites I work with is configured to place targeted ads at certain sequences in the rotation.

 

Some of these are targeted to the sites nature, some user specific. These depend on the site itself dropping a cookie specifically for googles adserver to pick up on.

 

Though initially I wasn't a fan of this, I would now far rather see adverts more likely to appeal to me than random hellery.

 

It is far better to accept that all your web traffic is already being monitored and archived anyway no matter what, so if the most anyone is picking up on is what weight of copy paper you last bought then I wouldn't bother worrying.

 

Ad blockers generally do much more harm than good (its yet another program installed, running, scanning for updates etc), not to mention breaking the T&C's of most free online resources..

 

If I want to visit ad/popup heavy sites for any reason, my current preference is Opera 2.12 (yes, as supplied by Zetnet), with the images turned off, its a really quick and effecient way of making sure malware doesn't run

[DizzyKipper]

I didn't realise there are any ads here! I use a Firefox addon called Adblockerplus, which is awesome. I have 4 blocked items for this page.

 

I have Firefox set to ask me every time regarding cookies. If you shop at the Viking site, try accepting session cookies only. They are the ones that keep track of what is on your shopping basket as you buy stuff. They should go when you have finished. The settings are flexible so places I know are OK I can set them as always accept seesion cookies.

 

Also, you can use Page info in Firefox Tools menu to show you stuff like what cookies are from the site and other security stuff. Shetlink has 7 cookies.

 

If I was you, I would delete all the Viking cookies and have a look at your privacy settings. Disable third party cookies.

[mogling]

Ghost- did they ever get to launch that 'Phorm' thing I read about ages ago, do you know?

 

I seem to mind that was all about data-mining- allegedly matching ads to your browsing habits?

 

Nice avatar, by the way

[Spinner72]

Read all about it : http://www.phorm.com/

[Ghostrider]

Uh Oh! I'd forgotten all about Phorm. Seems my ISP have decided it looks good.

 

TalkTalk will press ahead with its controversial anti-malware system which records URLs.

 

http://www.itpro.co.uk/628927/talktalk-to-trial-controversial-anti-malware-system

 

Not really studied the pieces on them properly to know if I can blame them for Viking's ads or not, but whatever, its another good reason to ditch them ASAP.

[mhutch]

brings the old saying of "trust nobody" up to date by adding "trust nobody or anything" i doot

[Lost]

I thought this might be relevant to this thread, its a bbc article on websites tracking your web history. It does go on to say not all browsers are susceptible.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11899092