[HN Gopher] Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On
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Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On
Author : mitchbob
Score : 26 points
Date : 2023-09-24 19:36 UTC (3 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (tools.google.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (tools.google.com)
| neilv wrote:
| I think this is a much better solution for that problem and many
| others: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-
| origin...
| Obscurity4340 wrote:
| That's cute, it should read" "opt"-"out" "
| makeitdouble wrote:
| This is probably an good thing if you're in any situation where
| you'd want an official, perfectly identifiable entity providing
| the blocking extension.
|
| For instance this could be easier to convince a school board to
| introduce this extension than another one with a weird name, made
| by some gorhill guy they've never heard about.
| mhasbini wrote:
| source code: /* Copyright 2010 Google Inc. All
| Rights Reserved.
| http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/intl/en/eula_text.html */
| (function () { var a = document.createElement("script");
| a.type = "text/javascript"; a.innerText =
| 'window["_gaUserPrefs"] = { ioo : function() { return true; } }';
| document.documentElement.insertBefore(a,
| document.documentElement.firstChild); })();
| tech234a wrote:
| Notably it still uses Manifest V2 so it will likely break if it
| isn't updated before Manifest V3 becomes required.
| lapcat wrote:
| Here's a Manifest V3 extension to block Google Analytics. First,
| the _manifest.json_ file: { "name": "Block
| Google Analytics", "version": "1.0", "description":
| "Blocks Google Analytics.", "declarative_net_request": {
| "rule_resources": [{ "id": "ruleset_1",
| "enabled": true, "path": "rules.json" }]
| }, "permissions": [ "declarativeNetRequest"
| ], "manifest_version": 3 }
|
| And the _rules.json_ file: [ {
| "id": 1, "action": { "type": "block" },
| "condition": { "domainType": "thirdParty",
| "requestDomains": [ "analytics.google.com",
| "google-analytics.com" ],
| "resourceTypes": [ "ping",
| "script", "xmlhttprequest" ]
| } } ]
| brucethemoose2 wrote:
| Do I even need this with a "blocking" browser like Cromite?
| Obscurity4340 wrote:
| I love that spelling for some reason. Can't put my finger on
| why
| JadeNB wrote:
| It's so cromulent.
| sphars wrote:
| Don't need it if you're using Cromite, as it uses AdBlockPlus
| filters by default: https://easylist-
| downloads.adblockplus.org/easylist.txt
| pacifika wrote:
| That's GDPR evidence for not having informed consent isn't it?
| 0ct4via wrote:
| Not even remotely.
|
| The Google Analytics JavaScript (gtag.js, analytics.js) runs on
| sites using Google Analytics, to share site-usage data (which
| can be gathered from either consented cookies, or "legitimate
| interest" exceptions) with Google Analytics.
|
| The EU-mandated cookie box/popup literally lists Google
| Analytics on sites that use it, and this categorically states
| you can control refusal of that by using the browser add-on --
| which is clearly informed consent, because you can choose not
| to install it, knowing the data (which could be gathered by
| other means anyway) will then be passed on to Analytics.
|
| Of course this is for the average non-technical end user, who
| hasn't -- for example -- already used something like NoScript
| to block the JavaScript from running in the first place...
| SahAssar wrote:
| > which is clearly informed consent, because you can choose
| not to install it
|
| I don't even know if you are sarcastic but:
|
| That is not how that works, legally or otherwise.
| 0ct4via wrote:
| The information can be collected anyway under legitimate
| interest provisions, which is (a) already listed and
| discussed, and (b) the relevant cookies have their own opt-
| outs.
|
| The GA add-on is purely about that same data being passed
| to GA - and the very same cookie pop-up literally tells you
| what information is sent, why, and tells you how you can
| opt out (by either blocking the JavaScript, or installing
| the add-on) -- it literally meets the requirements for
| informed consent, as you put it, "legally or otherwise."
|
| Might want to go check that out before trying to make
| baseless claims, "legally or otherwise."
| flangola7 wrote:
| [flagged]
| SahAssar wrote:
| The "information" you speak of vary. Some site plumb
| everything into GA, some just use it for pageviews. Some
| send all data, some use their own proxy backend to strip
| all remotely personal data. For examples of different
| ways to use it and their varying legalities see recent
| cases in sweden: https://edpb.europa.eu/news/national-
| news/2023/imy-orders-cd...
|
| The "legitimate interest provisions" are for certain
| purposes. You can for example collect IP adresses for
| providing a service (eg. routing a request) or security
| (rate limiting to prevent DDoS) or fulfilling a contract
| or fraud prevention, but you cannot without consent use
| it for market analysis.
|
| Consent must be given affirmatively:
|
| > Silence, pre-ticked boxes or inactivity should not
| therefore constitute consent.
|
| See here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
| content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A... secion 32
|
| The above section also makes any "opt-out" not valid. You
| can either have opt-in or make opt-in and opt-out equal
| choices. You cannot only have opt-out. You also cannot
| provide a service based only on opt-in, in other words
| you cannot make customers pay with their data.
| Karellen wrote:
| Because if you don't want Google analysing what you do on the
| internet, of course you're going to trust a Google-supplied add-
| on to manage that in your interests, and not in Google's.
|
| Wat?
| Jensson wrote:
| If it didn't do what was advertised someone would have already
| posted it here, it isn't that hard to analyze these things.
| Karellen wrote:
| The current initial version might very well be innocuous.
|
| Are you going to analyze every update? Or even remember to
| check online to find the results of someone else's analysis
| of every update?
|
| Or do you trust Google to never change their priorities with
| regards to how this extension operates?
| ianlevesque wrote:
| Not a googler but sometimes the paranoia on this forum is
| really over the top. Even in the barren privacy wasteland
| that is the United States you can't provide a product that
| is advertised as an opt out mechanism and then make it not
| do that! Even burying that in the terms of service won't
| fly. They would have to just discontinue it.
| redder23 wrote:
| Just use Brave or install uBlock origin Firefox or other Chromium
| based browsers. And god forbid do not use Chrome. And make sure
| you have the Easy-Privacy list active. Brave actually uses the
| list internally without showing it to the user on the filter list
| screen.
|
| If you would like to block tracking this way you would need to
| install thousands of addons for every company/domain/... its a
| pretty shitty solution. Is Google by law somewhere required to
| provide this or why is this an actual official extension?
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(page generated 2023-09-24 23:00 UTC)