Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: William Kenworthy <billk@×××××××××.au>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Google privacy changes
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:39:32
Message-Id: 1327624695.12117.4.camel@moriah
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-user] Google privacy changes by Michael Mol
1 On Thu, 2012-01-26 at 11:14 -0500, Michael Mol wrote:
2 > On Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 11:04 AM, Frank Steinmetzger <Warp_7@×××.de> wrote:
3 > > On Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 09:34:56AM -0500, Michael Mol wrote:
4 > >
5 > >> >>> I guess you mean https://panopticlick.eff.org/
6 > >> >>
7 > >> >> My results from work:
8 > >> >>
9 > >> >> Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 1,939,102 tested so far.
10 > >> >>
11 > >> >> Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that
12 > >> >> conveys at least 20.89 bits of identifying information.
13 > >> >>
14 > >> >
15 > >> >
16 > >> > Funny, I get exactly the same thing except add one to the large number.
17 > >> > I guess you tested before I did. How does one avoid this but still
18 > >> > have sites work?
19 > >>
20 > >> Well, I just went to the same site using a Chrome 'incognito' browser,
21 > >> and got this:
22 > >>
23 > >> Within our dataset of several million visitors, only one in 969,560
24 > >> browsers have the same fingerprint as yours.
25 > >>
26 > >> Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that
27 > >> conveys 19.89 bits of identifying information.
28 > >
29 > > I get almost the same numbers with just using NoScript and Flashblock. (And
30 > > the above result when I allow the Java applet and JavaScript).
31 > >
32 > > This backs me up in using noscript and flashblock. Sometimes I doubt myself
33 > > when I get asked once more why I would use NoScript in times when most of the
34 > > web relies on JS. I then say that privacy and comfort is more important to me
35 > > than having to allow JS on a site from time to time. (Even though some sites
36 > > obviously don't work without it, such as video portals, most of them still do,
37 > > albeit some gt a borked layout from it).
38 >
39 > FWIW, I'm not using NoScript or Flashblock, only an Adblock. And
40 > Chrome blocked the Java applet both in the normal and incognito modes.
41 >
42 >
43
44 To turn this on its head ... rather than hiding, is there a way to
45 create identical browsers that pollute their (google et al.) databases?
46
47 Perhaps a read only VM with a standard fit out? (noscript etc. -
48 basically a sandboxed browser for the paranoid!)
49
50 or does such a thing already exist?
51
52 BillK

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-user] Google privacy changes Michael Mol <mikemol@×××××.com>
Re: [gentoo-user] Google privacy changes Neil Bothwick <neil@××××××××××.uk>