Filed under: Blogging, web 2.0, Browsers
Think your browser history is private? Think again.
While it might not be news to some of our readers, more casual computer users might want to take note.Pay web2.0collage a visit, and you'll learn just how easy it can be for a website (any website) to poke around and see what sites you've been visiting. The app limits itself to displaying polite websites, but it's safe to say it could just as easily display all the NSFW sites you've been visiting as well.
This isn't exactly a new trick. How web 2.0 aware are you? does the same kind of sniffing, comparing the sites you visit against a list of popular websites to see how savvy a surfer you are.
Both sites should serve as a reminder to everyone that unless you take steps to protect your privacy, there are sites on the Internet that will gladly help themselves to your data.
How can you prevent this from happening? I echo the suggestions from several Slashdot commenters and recommend using Firefox and the NoScript addon.
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So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh said 2:08PM on 7-02-2009
You actually suggested the NoScript addon after the developer turned it into Malware? Even if they quickly changed it back, there's no reason to believe he wouldn't do it again.
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Kururugi said 8:37PM on 7-02-2009
I just read up on that situation and I'm pretty miffed that downloadsquad didn't cover it.
Any response guys?
William said 2:45PM on 7-02-2009
I went to the website and after a minute or two of scanning my history, it came up with a square black image. Does that mean my browser history is private or that the website had an error on their side?
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Medlir said 3:11PM on 7-02-2009
Someone should update the SafeCache addon...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1474
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Jon said 3:22PM on 7-02-2009
Did not work for Mozilla Minefield 3.6a1pre
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Jason said 3:58PM on 7-02-2009
Well, the large black square I was presented with was veeeerrry interesting I'm sure.
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soniiic said 6:17PM on 7-02-2009
That site uses javascript, i know a way using just css with the a:visited tag for a website to identify what sites you've visited using a whitelist.
it's demonstrated here: http://ha.ckers.org/weird/CSS-history.cgi
there's no way of protecting yourself from that one even with noscript
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BugMeNot said 12:31AM on 7-03-2009
Shows nothing.
I guess my browser if private. History disabled, cache at 50MB, clear all on exit (but a few cookies, like saved games on a website) and that's it.
hmm said 8:37AM on 7-03-2009
doesn't seem to work in Opera
aanidaani said 9:12PM on 7-02-2009
Might want to note that this site can freeze your browser while it scans, as it did mine. I had to kill the process to get control back.
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James said 11:59PM on 7-02-2009
Really clever CSS hack -- I hadn't thought of that, but it's kind of like a 1px hit tracker. No one is safe!
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AndrewNoNumbers said 12:52AM on 7-03-2009
Maybe we should use Google Web History then..
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hmm said 8:34AM on 7-03-2009
startpanic.com does similar sniffing and its aim is to force the browser vendors to correct this.
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hmm said 8:35AM on 7-03-2009
startpanic.com does similar sniffing and its aim is to force the browser vendors to correct this.
Reply