HTML5 local storage could track your surfing habits

User Comments: 5

1. September 23, 2010 7:20 PM
   Guest said:

   In the PrivacyChoice Index of Tracking Companies, we show when we've seen an ad network use html5 local storage.

   http://www.privacychoice.org/companies/all

   To contribute a report of this practice, let us know at contact@privacychoice.org

   Reply
2. September 24, 2010 10:26 AM
   Flannelwarrior said:

   Looks like Apple wants to take a page out of Google's book, and could you blame them? :P

   Reply
3. September 24, 2010 11:03 AM
   

   jobeard, TS Ambassador, said:

   Google for LSO Flash Cookies and you'll see one approach.

   For the Firefox browser, google BetterPrivacy extension

   Reply
4. September 25, 2010 3:43 PM
   Guest said:

   And this is different from Flash Cookies how?

   Currently the only 100% method of deleting Flash Cookies, is to:

   ~ be a Linux or Unix user; (Can you do this with Mac OS X?)

   ~ using a browser that does not put tracking stuff in other places that you can not control (Firefox is one, not Google Chrome or Internet Explorer, fyi there are over 100+ other browsers);

   ~ use a soft link and redirect the Flash Cookies to /tmp (gets deleted when you reboot and/or turn off your Linux PC), (i.e. ln -s /tmp/linfl ./.macromedia and ln -s /tmp/linfl ./.adobe )

   Still in that situation the Flash cookies are there tracking your surfing between reboots. Here is the link on how to do this with Linux, (/tmp is mentioned in the comments and worked great for me.):

   http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1725591/banish-flas
   -cookies-forever-linux

   So for HTML5 we will be required to determine where they put any "spy-ware-cookies-flash-or-html5" and delete them as well. What else is new.

   Just say "No" to "security through obscurity" and/or "false senses of security" by tools that say they delete things (flash cookies) but do not delete them 100%!

   Reply
5. September 28, 2010 3:20 PM
   

   jobeard, TS Ambassador, said:

   awe gee; sadly, as you know, Windows is not Linux. Yea symlinks (or hardlinks) allow some need stuff for sure.

   The point is, GIVEN a specific system,

   • is the user aware of cookies
   • or where they ARE stored

   so that they may be managed on that system.

   An F18a is faster than a Piper Cub too, but that's not germane is it?

   Reply

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