undefined | Better HN

0 pointsSkunkleton6y ago0 comments

For anyone considering the above, this is a failing battle. The only way to stop this sort of tracking is if we have a cultural shift, start putting laws in place, and actually enforce them.

For example, did you know that many shopping malls track you with license plate readers? Did you know that your credit card transactions are up for sale? Or that your cell phone provider will give up your location to a third party with a flimsy consent?

0 comments

ignoramous6y ago

You are absolutely right that we need laws and regulations to govern all the tracking that's going on, much like how call-tapping is illegal.

Bruce Schneier has written a book on the topic, and you can view him speak on it here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkJCI3_jbtg Highly recommend it.

I'm no expert but I do not agree with the 'failing battle' part... still quite a way to go in that regard, I think, specifically because the Math behind crypto hasn't failed us yet (ocassionally, the implementation has) and because the government agencies themselves need tech that helps them stay underground (Tor, for instance, continues to get funding from the US Government).

Is it getting difficult? Yes, absolutely. People still hold the 'nothing to hide' stance and most are okay giving up privacy esp if it means their life becomes a little more secure and things get more convenient (most would support AI powered street surveillance that helps keep tabs on criminals, for instance).

SkunkletonOP6y ago

Its a failing battle to try and outsmart the people who are _professionally_ prying into your private information. You might make it harder for them, even harder to the point where you partially fall out of their datasets, but you will never truly escape. These days it isn't even enough to stop using privacy comprising technology. As I said above, the only real solution is a social one. If you try a technological solution you will always lose because you are significantly out funded.

Also: vote with your wallet. If you see a technology that aligns with your ethical goals, pay for it. To that end I will probably buy a Librem 5, even though I don't expect it will actually do much for my privacy.

DavideNL6y ago

In the end unfortunately none of the ad/tracker blocking solutions are solid; All an app developer has to do is use an IP address to fetch ads (avoiding dns resolution and thus dns based blocking won't work.)

Or, fetching the ads from the same hostname as also used by the app itself to provide whichever service the app provides, which means that hostname can't be blocked even by a firewall because the app itself will stop working.

So i agree, the only proper solution is laws to stop the privacy abuse.

crankylinuxuser6y ago

The laws won't work.

The internet isn't a "US" thing. It's not a "EU" thing. It's not even a "China" thing (GFoC aside).

The internet's a worldwide thing. And that means, sure your puny law may say you can't do X (ad tracking). Ok. I'll just make a shell company in shithole country, pay some protection money, and run tracking or whatever. And that data I generate will be sold to anyone who wants to buy. I'll make it so everybody has to buy to compete - even if against the law.

And it too is a failing battle in the US. Experian, Equifax, and Transunion... If what happened regarding Equifax didn't bring the corporate death penalty either by fines or dissolution of their corporate charter, nothing will.

2 more replies

ignoramous6y ago

One could do a reverse DNS lookup and firewall the IPs too (admittedly, the IPs would have to be refreshed, and there might be issues with multi-record DNS enteries). See discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19258717

s3krit6y ago

>did you know that many shopping malls track you with license plate readers?

As well as cell-phone tracking to analyse footfall around the shopping mall (i.e., high-traffic areas, low-traffic areas).

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

ignoramous6y ago

You are absolutely right that we need laws and regulations to govern all the tracking that's going on, much like how call-tapping is illegal.

Bruce Schneier has written a book on the topic, and you can view him speak on it here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkJCI3_jbtg Highly recommend it.

SkunkletonOP6y ago

DavideNL6y ago

So i agree, the only proper solution is laws to stop the privacy abuse.

crankylinuxuser6y ago

The laws won't work.

The internet isn't a "US" thing. It's not a "EU" thing. It's not even a "China" thing (GFoC aside).

2 more replies

ignoramous6y ago

s3krit6y ago

>did you know that many shopping malls track you with license plate readers?

As well as cell-phone tracking to analyse footfall around the shopping mall (i.e., high-traffic areas, low-traffic areas).

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse