The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets

[Swede]

The Journal conducted a comprehensive study that assesses and analyzes the broad array of cookies and other surveillance technology that companies are deploying on Internet users. It reveals that the tracking of consumers has grown both far more pervasive and far more intrusive than is realized by all but a handful of people in the vanguard of the industry.

• The study found that the nation's 50 top websites on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning. A dozen sites each installed more than a hundred. The nonprofit Wikipedia installed none.

• Tracking technology is getting smarter and more intrusive. Monitoring used to be limited mainly to "cookie" files that record websites people visit. But the Journal found new tools that scan in real time what people are doing on a Web page, then instantly assess location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Some tools surreptitiously re-spawn themselves even after users try to delete them.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703940904575395073512989404.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

[guruoo]

1. My recommended list of privacy protecting browser add-ons....

These are the add-ons that I am currently using.

NoScript
The NoScript Firefox extension provides extra protection for Firefox, Flock, Seamonkey and other mozilla-based browsers: this free, open source add-on allows JavaScript, Java and Flash and other plugins to be executed only by trusted web sites of your choice (e.g. your online bank), and provides the most powerful Anti-XSS protection available in a browser. NoScript's unique whitelist based pre-emptive script blocking approach prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even not known yet!) with no loss of functionality.
Download: http://noscript.net/getit#devel

Flashblock
Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content.
Download: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433/

BetterPrivacy
Super-Cookie Safeguard (protects from LSO Flash Objects, DOM Storage Objects).
Better Privacy serves to protect against undeletable 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- and DOM Storage objects are most critical.
Flash-cookies (Local Shared Objects, LSO) are pieces of information placed on your computer by a Flash plugin. Those Super-Cookies are placed in central system folders and so protected from deletion. They are frequently used like standard browser cookies. Although their thread potential is much higher as of conventional cookies, only few users began to take notice of them. It is of frequent occurrence that -after a time- hundreds of those Flash-cookies reside in special folders. And they won't be deleted - never!
BetterPrivacy can stop them, e.g. by allowing to silently remove those objects on every browser exit. 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.
With BetterPrivacy it is possible to review, protect or delete new Flash-cookies individually. Users who wish to to manage all cookies manually can disable the automatic functions. BetterPrivacy also protects against 'DOM Storage' longterm tracking, a browser feature which has been granted by the major browser manufactures.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6623/

Abine is a browser add-on that makes it easy to control your online privacy. The Abine Suite lets you control the information you provide to websites, protect your email address when you register at new sites, and manage all your accounts and passwords securely. You can also easily fill checkout forms, all while securely controlling what personal information you want to share. It makes user the web easier, faster, and more private.
Download: http://download.cnet.com/Abine-for-Mozilla-Firefox/3000-11745_4-10969825.html

Ghostery
Ghostery sees the invisible web - tags, web bugs, pixels and beacons. Ghostery tracks the trackers and gives you a roll-call of the ad networks, behavioral data providers, web publishers, and other companies interested in your activity. After showing you who's tracking you, Ghostery also gives you a chance to learn more about each company it identifies. How they describe themselves, a link to their privacy policies, and a sampling of pages where we've found them are just a click away. Ghostery allows you to block scripts from companies that you don't trust, delete local shared objects, and even block images and
iframes. Ghostery puts your web privacy back in your hands.
Download: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9609/

Adblock Plus
Annoyed by adverts? Troubled by tracking? Bothered by banners? Install Adblock Plus now to regain control of the internet and change the way that you view the web. You can also choose from over forty filter subscriptions to automatically configure the add-on for purposes ranging from removing online advertising to blocking all known malware domains.
Download: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865/?src=oftenusedwith

Anonymouse
Open links anonymously using Anonymouse.org. Created by TechRaga.
Download: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?q=Anonymouse&cat=all&lver=any&pid=1&sort=&pp=20&lup=&advanced=