BetterPrivacy-signed 1.77 firefox
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/betterprivacy/
About this Add-on
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- If you have problems or suggestions please do not post it here but send an email
- This add-on is guaranteed to work only with the official Firefox release branch, meaning nightly-versions or other beta releases are not explicitly supported (even including ESR-versions).
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*Warning about add-ons pretending to care for your privacy but actually selling your personal, (sometimes non-anonymized) user data to third-parties:
*Warnung zu Add-ons die vorgeben die Privatsphäre zu schützen, jedoch Ihre privaten Daten (teilweise in nicht-anonymisierter Form) an Dritte verkaufen:
1. WOT-Web of Trust
- https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/panorama3/Panorama-3-die-ganze-Sendung,panoramadrei2296.html (deutsch)
- http://www.ghacks.net/2016/11/01/browsing-history-sold/ (english)
2. Ghostery
- https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Kritik-an-Werbeblocker-Ghostery-1890879.html (deutsch)
- http://www.businessinsider.com/evidon-sells-ghostery-data-to-advertisers-2013-6?IR=T (english)
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Better Privacy serves to protect against special longterm cookies, a new generation of 'Super-Cookie', which silently conquered the Internet. This new cookie generation offers unlimited user tracking to industry and market research. Concerning privacy Flash-cookies are most critical.
This add-on was made to make users aware of those hidden, never expiring objects and to offer an easier way to view and to manage them - since browsers are unable to do that for you.
Flash-cookies (Local Shared Objects, LSO) are pieces of information placed on your computer by a Flash plug-in. Those Super-Cookies are placed in central system folders. They are frequently used like standard browser cookies. Although their threat potential is much higher as of conventional cookies, only few users began to take notice of them.
BetterPrivacy allows to list and manage Flash-cookies, e.g. to remove those objects automatically on browser start, browser exit or by a configurable timer function while certain desired Flash cookies can be excluded from automatic deletion. So this extension becomes sort of "install and forget add-on". Usually automatic deletion is safe (no negative impact on your browsing), especially if the deletion timer is activated. The timer can delay automatic deletion for new or modified Flash-cookies which might be in use. It also allows to delete those objects immediately if desired. Users who wish to to manage all Flash-cookies manually can disable the automatic functions or exclude certain Flash-cookies from automatic deletion.
Some Flash-cookie (LSO) properties in short...
- they are never expiring - staying on your computer for an unlimited time.
- by default they offer a storage of 100 KB (compare: Usual cookies 4 KB).
- browsers are not fully aware of LSO's, They often cannot be displayed or managed by browsers.
- via Flash they can access and store highly specific personal and technical information (system, user name, files,...).
- ability to send the stored information to the appropriate server, without user's permission.
- Flash applications do not need to be visible
- there is no easy way to tell which Flash-cookie sites are tracking you.
- shared folders allow cross-browser tracking, LSO's work in every flash-enabled application
- the Flash company doesn't provide a user-friendly way to manage LSO's, In fact it's incredible cumbersome.
- many domains and tracking companies make extensive use of Flash-cookies.
This kind of cookies is not harmless.
------------------------- IMPORTANT -------------------------
IF YOU PERMIT DELETION OF LSO's,
THEN COOKIE-STORED INFORMATION LIKE
GAME SETTINGS OR LOGIN DATA (YAHOO SEAL)
MIGHT BE LOST! MAKE SURE THAT YOU EXCLUDED
IMPORTANT COOKIES FROM DELETION (SEE FAQ)
Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
Please scroll to the bottom of the page.
Recommended comprehensive Flash-cookie article (topic: UC Berkeley research report)
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/you-deleted-your-cookies-think-again/
Wikipedia LSO information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Shared_Object
See what Google finds:
http://google.com/search?q=flash-cookie+super-cookie
Other privacy add-ons strongly recommended:
1. Self-Destructing Cookies
2. Decentraleyes: There is a new tracking threat - no longer using any kind of cookies. Tracking companies invented a new and highly effective way to follow web users
