Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
No matter what the website I visit, the website wants to plant tracking cookies on my computer. It's so dumb and self-centered on the part of the visited website. I just wish they would stop it. Leave me alone.

Bad news, I'm afraid...

First, as Ken pointed out, local website cookies aren't the problem.  It's the advertising "cross website" cookies (that track your travels around the Internet) that are the ones that people are trying to block.

But blocking those cookies won't stop them tracking you.   Google and the advertising networks all KNOW that this type of cookie will be blocked more and more.  So Google has made sure they can still profile you WITHOUT using any cookies.   There are all sorts of identifiers that, when combined together, make you and your particular computer fairly unique.  So your internet travels are now tied to that particular data.

Google is happily telling everyone that they're going to phase out advertising cookies for the sake of "Privacy".  But when you dig into it more, they concede that they are still building a profile of you and will continue to customize the ads that advertisers are able to target you with.

So how can they claim it's better for "privacy"?   Well their "out" is that they are not letting advertisers identify exactly who you are (although Google does have that info), but they are still selling blocks of users for advertisers depending on the profile details that particular advertiser wants to target.    I.E.  Without identifying you specifically.

They get rid of personal advertising tracking cookies, simply because the public is demanding it and they've realized they can now do the same thing without them.   Google makes a stunning amount of online advertising money based on what they know about you.   Does anyone really think they were going to give that up?   Or do they just want to make it harder for advertising networks that want to compete with Google for online advertising "Profile" services.  Oh and while, apparently, "protecting your privacy"...

rfordphotos wrote:
This stuff goes beyond my "knowledge base".... Although I do understand internet privacy is mostly an illusion.

Question: Would using a VPN randomizing your IP confound Google's attempts to track you?

In some small ways, yes, but generally Google still recognizes your profile and tastes.

Your general location info is one part of the profile options that advertisers can target.  That is what the VPN changes.  So advertising profiles based heavily on the "claimed" general location can be affected.

But Google's data set identifying you, is pretty seriously specific.  For example, when I'm in Europe, I still see some very precisely targeted ads, including some for local Vancouver businesses.   And my browsers are set to routinely delete all advertising cookies at the end of each session.

So can VPNs fool some geographic location stuff?  Yes.  Will it seriously hide you or your activities?  No.

LightDreams wrote:
[...]

So can VPNs fool some geographic location stuff?  Yes.  Will it seriously hide you or your activities?  No.

Thank you!

LOL as I suspected, the only way to stay private on the internet seems to be to never log on.

rfordphotos wrote:

Thank you!

LOL as I suspected, the only way to stay private on the internet seems to be to never log on.

As long as you also don't need a smartphone!

I.E.  Apple's iPhone or Google's Android operating system... 

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
No matter what the website I visit, the website wants to plant tracking cookies on my computer. It's so dumb and self-centered on the part of the visited website. I just wish they would stop it. Leave me alone.

whats the difference if it happens or not?
you dont have any more or less privacy.
curious what your perception is if you want to share that insight.

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
No matter what the website I visit, the website wants to plant tracking cookies on my computer. It's so dumb and self-centered on the part of the visited website. I just wish they would stop it. Leave me alone.

Second the motion!

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
Thanks, everyone. I just needed to rant.

It's a cleansing experience FL  .  .  .  kinda like an enema  .  .  .  but different  .  .  .    Hope you're doing well!

SOS

LightDreams wrote:
First, as Ken pointed out, local website cookies aren't the problem.  It's the advertising "cross website" cookies (that track your travels around the Internet) that are the ones that people are trying to block.

But blocking those cookies won't stop them tracking you.   Google and the advertising networks all KNOW that this type of cookie will be blocked more and more.  So Google has made sure they can still profile you WITHOUT using any cookies.   There are all sorts of identifiers that, when combined together, make you and your particular computer fairly unique.  So your internet travels are now tied to that particular data.

I'm no expert but the combination of Firefox and DuckDuckGo want me to believe that they block this kind of tracking.

I don't have Facebook, Google, or Youtube accounts. I do watch Youtube videos but I can't subscribe to any channels as I don't have a Youtube account.

Mark Salo wrote:
I'm no expert but the combination of Firefox and DuckDuckGo want me to believe that they block this kind of tracking.

I don't have Facebook, Google, or Youtube accounts. I do watch Youtube videos but I can't subscribe to any channels as I don't have a Youtube account.

Prepare yourself for a bit of a shock...

First, yes you are making Google's job more difficult and you're making use of some smart practices.

But here's how Google can still uniquely identify "you".

First, (using all of your precautions) go to:
https://www.deviceinfo.me/

Don't worry, this site ONLY uses the same information that is publicly available to Google or any other website.  It's purpose is solely to show you all the "public" details about your particular computer system.

That includes everything from your particular graphic card (in great detail), how many fonts you have installed (with a complete list of each one), your screen resolution, is it a handheld device, a touch device, what screen orientation are you using, do you have a webcam or a microphone, what plugins are installed, do you have WebGL (and exactly what versions, how many cores are on your motherboard, and (in some cases) how much battery power do you currently have left, etc.  And on and on and on.

To "fingerprint" your particular computer, consider a database of all of this available information.  Now start thinking about the items that are more "unique" to each particular computer.  Then combine a bunch of unique aspects into a profile.  The more unique aspects you combine, the more likely they are to identify "just you".   Start combining that with what "local" sites your are more likely to visit (for LOCAL news, Craigslist ads, local stores / services or movie theater listings, etc, etc) and you can narrow down the region, regardless of where the VPN CLAIMS that you are located.   Then combine those fairly unique characteristics with your fairly tight "regional" behavior.

As you can see, it becomes more and more likely that they are identifying "just you".

Now, if someone actually also logs on at anytime to Gmail, or YouTube, or uses an Android phone, that Google already has a list of all that information assigned to that particular person.  They also can easily know how many different computers or devices (and all the identifying signatures of those devices) that access the same Gmail or YouTube accounts.

They even can identify if multiple family members are sharing the same computer to access different Gmail accounts.  Or if you are accessing your Gmail account from another country or location (you're travelling and if so where and how often).

Etc, etc, etc.

So even if you block the Google cookies that are estimated to be on 75% of all websites, AND you never use a Google log-in service or never use an Android phone (Apple does their own thing with iPhones), And you're blocking your real IP general actual location information, then they STILL can pretty effectively narrow down you as being "you".

I am NOT defending this tracking in any way.  But that's the current state of the art tracking, and why they really aren't that concerned any more about "cookies" or "VPNs", etc, etc.
Anyway, you get the idea!