Naked Science Forum

General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: RD on 14/01/2011 07:04:50

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 14/01/2011 07:04:50

https://panopticlick.eff.org (https://panopticlick.eff.org)   [:0]

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: CliffordK on 14/01/2011 08:43:09

EFF should be "safe"

Hmmm
The more I try to shut off..
The more "unique" I appear.

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 14/01/2011 09:47:50

It gets worse ... http://browserspy.dk/

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 16/01/2011 23:03:18

If you've got FireFox this add-on will randomly change the name on the User-Agent string.


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firesomething/ (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firesomething/)

The random name will make you properly unique, but will change every time you open a FireFox browser window,
so theoretically less identifiable, i.e. differently unique every time you open a FireFox window.

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: peppercorn on 16/01/2011 23:40:09

"Not available for Firefox 3.6.13"

- shame. Looked like fun! As well as adding protection.

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 17/01/2011 00:01:18

I was just using Firesomething on the XeroBank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XeroBank_Browser) browser which is a FireFox variant.

BTW  XeroBank browser uses  proxies : see "my" IP displayed in my previous post …

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

(I'm actually in the UK , not USA)

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: peppercorn on 17/01/2011 00:08:53

Quote from: RD on 17/01/2011 00:01:18

I was just using Firesomething on the XeroBank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XeroBank_Browser) browser which is a FireFox variant.

Thanks for the link RD. If I get round to it I might give XB a go [:)]

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: CliffordK on 17/01/2011 00:30:48

One of the Firefox plugins that I use is called "NoScript".

Never fire up your browser without it!!!!!!!!!

http://noscript.net/

You'd be amazed at how many Javascript scripts one runs into.

The problem is trying to determine which ones to allow through, and which ones not to.  But it does cut down on many of the ads.  Keeps my browser from spontaneously blasting me with unwanted music, and keeps my computer from talking to me all the time   [xx(]

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 17/01/2011 02:04:42

Quote from: CliffordK on 17/01/2011 00:30:48

One of the Firefox plugins that I use is called "NoScript".

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=33289.msg318968#msg318968


BTW the search engine StartPage (http://www.startpage.com/) offers a proxy to view each of the links ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]


but it doesn't allow form filling [:-'(] ,
 nevertheless using the startpage proxy does allow you to view a website without the website being able to see your IP (http://www.startpage.com/proxy/uk/help.html).   

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: RD on 27/01/2011 14:09:20

anonymouse.org (proxy) does allow form filling ... http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html

Title: Can you be uniquely be identified from your browser info ?
Post by: CliffordK on 27/01/2011 18:14:44

The big risk, of course, is whether or not these "anonymous" companies collect and sell information on browsing patterns (not necessarily connected to the individuals).