Mastodawn

THT May 9, 2024

Jan Wildeboer 😷

What happens when every time your browser sends data to a tracker it makes a beep sound? Well, @bert_hubert did just that. And it sounds like you are listening to an old school modem. Creepy stuff! https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/tracker-beeper/

Tracker Beeper - Bert Hubert's writings

A week ago, I finally got round to implementing an idea I’d been toying with for years: what if your computer made a little bit of noise every time it sent data to Google? From studying logs, I’d long known just how many sites send all your visits and clicks to (at least) Google, but a log that you have to manually create first and then analyze is not very dramatic.

Bert Hubert's writings

Jan Wildeboer 😷

To all the commenters explaining how to make this go away: That's not the point. At all. The majority out there has to deal with this stuff and they don't even know. That's what this experiment is about.

Jan Wildeboer 😷

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) the real question is: Why do browsers share all of this? (And it's not just Chrome. These are Web Standards, so all browsers share this) Why isn't there a simple option to say "Read-Only, send no data back except for which page I want to see"? The web is not we want it to be, IMHO.

Julius Schwartzenberg - Юліус Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer in a way it relates to why do popular browsers do this and why are these browsers popular. I would say it relates to what ships with popular operating systems. (In my world the popular operating systems are Ubuntu, RHEL etc. ;) and they ship Firefox by default.)

Maybe it would interesting from a RedHat perspective to look with the Fedora project what a default browser should be doing.

dexternemrod Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer
I like that idea.
But from my understanding the browser cannot know if the content a page delivers is necessary content or trackers. So without having a database of trackers to blog or some heuristics this seems not possible.

LautreG Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer @Gon0s
That is why you need use Ublock Origin, and don't allow JavaScript.

Many good websites works fine without JavaScript.
Many spy websites need JavaScript.

With Ublock Origin you can mitigate some part if JavaScript is still needed.

It's also safer to surf on Internet without advertising or trackers. Virus can be propagate by them, or promoted by them.

Genders: ♾️, 🟪⬛🟩; Soni L.Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer we could redesign the URI.

does it need to be universal?

Nina "Erina" Satragno 💫Apr 24, 2024

Ignoring the technical (how would it be implemented?) and ecosystem (breaking the existing web) challenges, there are perfectly legitimate reasons to identify yourself to a website, mostly around accessing data that belongs to you.

You can get close to what you want by disabling all cookies, and only visiting low enough entropy URLs. Most of the web will stop working though.

Private browsing modes are a compromise where site data is sent only if it was generated during the session

Nina "Erina" Satragno 💫Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer of course, avoiding cookies and identifying URLs only gets you so far since those two we can detect and decide what to do about. The really evil tracking is fingerprinting which the industry doesn't have a good response for.

If you haven't heard about it, there's a wired article here https://www.wired.com/story/browser-fingerprinting-tracking-explained/

What Is Browser Fingerprinting and How Does It Track You?

Cookies are on the way out—but not enough is being done about browser fingerprinting. So what is it?

WIRED

Irve Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer to me the most woke one is the internal ip address that's given out. That's just poor sabotage, Firefox

Haelwenn /элвэн/

@jwildeboer You could try to address this on the software side but trying to fix social problems with technical solutions is a red herring.
For example you'd just get even more first-party trackers instead, or everything being done behind the user's back. What this shows is an easily visible part of the iceberg.

Mostafa Hussein Omar Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert now run it with ublock origin installed and enabled!

Enrico "meldrian" Michaelis Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert
Oh!
Ooh!!
Give it that Geiger counter tick sound instead!!!

@meldrian @jwildeboer @bert_hubert

GhostOnTheHalfShell Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

So at the Google search bar, they are raiding your home.

Fartsy McFart Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert I wonder what would happen if he didn't accept tracking on the pop up. Suspecting, not much would change

Maurice Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert I know why there is a pi-hole running in my network. Although I wish this wouldn’t be necessary.

MadeInDex Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert
Haha good work!

Sounds like my first computer 😂

Tomi the Slav and 1024 others Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

Thomas. 🐧🇩🇪| wörk ™️Apr 23, 2024

@po3mah @jwildeboer @bert_hubert

Cache is king #pihole #tracking

telefuzzi Apr 28, 2024

@po3mah @jwildeboer @bert_hubert what is the drop?

Tomi the Slav and 1024 others Apr 29, 2024

@telefuzzi Probably one of the kids gradually switched from tiktok to homework.

Harry Wood Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert Sounds a bit like you're loading the web page off a 5¼" floppy drive

Bernard Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert 2 weeks ago i started using a dashcam app on my smartphone. It called out so frequently whilst being blocked by duckduckgo's app tracking protection that my smartphone drained battery and shut down overheated. Lesson learned: app tracking protection works

Jiří Eischmann

@SchepBernard @jwildeboer @bert_hubert Consider a DNS based blocker such as AdGuard DNS. It blocks trackers without having to run anything on the phone.

إلينا Apr 24, 2024

@sesivany @SchepBernard @jwildeboer @bert_hubert how to do that?

Jiří Eischmann

@Lulukaros @SchepBernard @jwildeboer @bert_hubert This is for AdGuard, but works similarly for others, too: https://adguard-dns.io/en/public-dns.html

AdGuard DNS — ad-blocking DNS server

Create your ad-blocking DNS server that will protect your personal data, prevent tracking and allow you to control access to specific content on the Internet.

Connect to public AdGuard DNS server

Bernard Apr 24, 2024

@sesivany @Lulukaros @jwildeboer @bert_hubert Thanks, Jiri. I tried to but backed of since it only supports Yandex and Samsung browser. Why no Firefox for instance?

Laurie Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert like the internet is not getting annoying enough anymore with the dam cameras kids think will make them rich, good looking and happy…yes I bought into it at first also back in 1994..

🌸 lily 🏳️‍⚧️

θΔ ⋐ & ∞Apr 23, 2024

@Ottolaurie6 @jwildeboer @bert_hubert ah yes, as if taking selfies is the issue and not the predatory corporations hosting the platforms they're posting them to

Hmark Apr 23, 2024

@Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange: @bert hubert 🇺🇦🇪🇺 can I have this tracker-beepr as a "Geigerzähler" as a radiationmeter pls? It would be much more fun.

Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange: (@[email protected])

11.9K Posts, 1.22K Following, 11.7K Followers · My private account. Posts/Opinions are my own. Focused on #Open and TCP/ID, identity ownership in the real and digital world. 3D printer. Can solder and repair. Antifascist. European. Policy hacker. Rambles around at times. He/Him/His $argon2id$v=19$m=512,t=256,p=1$SWmoDffV/hOu+/Vii5Nxsw$zYZ5n+cXxZLKoLnXZJjll1JWcCFyiRVli7xOPqu63GM Blocks threads.net Works at Red Hat.

social.wildeboer.net

Tofu Musubi Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer
This is brilliant! #privacy

BrianKrebs Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert If you change the tone played to a "cah-ching" you can get an idea of how value is being generated from your mere browsing.

Mgrrl Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert Per has written a blogpost about this very thing https://axbom.me/objects/87db3bcb-8ff4-4748-a44f-609eeab21574

Per Axbom (@[email protected])

And whenever people wonder about trackers I always want to play them the sound from @[email protected]’s googerteller: https://axbom.com/the-creepy-sound-of-online-trackers/

Happy Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert scary...

catgirl-techsupport

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert Its like a Geiger counter

Jes - Hedgehog Edition Apr 23, 2024

@saragon @jwildeboer @bert_hubert it's radioactive

Jes - Hedgehog Edition Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert what's the difference if you use something like firefox with UBO, I'd be willing to see that lol
maybe when it's more polished I'd like to see for myself

Jes - Hedgehog Edition Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert would be funny if they allowed you to import an ad-block list and just get every single tracker ever. it would probably be even more loud

Kilroy_Was_Here Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

Sounds like a Geiger counter in an area you want to run as fast as you can from!

Astian, Inc Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

With Midori you will never have that problem 🙂

https://astian.org/midori-browser

Midori Browser light web browser

Midori Browser is a lightweight, fast and secure browser that protects users’ privacy, available for Windows, Linux and Android, coming soon iOS & MacOS

Astian, Inc

Patrick Leavy Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert amazing way to show up #surveillancecapitalism
!!

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert yeah it's not a surprise that chrome gives a modem look anymore...

Jason Tschohl Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

This is quite possibly one of the coolest little tools I've seen in a long time. It's also downright scary.

Even with Firefox, uBlock Origin, and Pi-hole it's nearly impossible to have the laptop not make noise and lots of it.

Fredrik Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert this should be done as default, but with the sounds a geiger-counter does, sites will be just radioactive :)

Fares K. Alaboud Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert Hey @musalbas, does this ring a bell?

Sean Boyer 🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE Apr 23, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert
This will be a great "smell test" to hear what's getting by tracker blockers in the browser, on a #piHole, whatever. It's almost like it was designed for vision impaired folk, which I dig.

@jwildeboer
I don't find the source code.
Somebody know where it is?

piofthings Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert this would be an awesome plugin called “Tracker Tattler” 🤣🤣🤣

frigginGlorious ✅Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert now we need to add that tracking detection to TVs, smart devices and phones. That stuff is the kicker.

What's sick is that many paid apps implement trackers too.

Gustavo Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert That dates from 2022, the repository (https://github.com/berthubert/googerteller) seems dead, the methodology seems flawed (it beeps on connections to Google IPs, not exclusively tracking IPs, which can include people hosting websites on Google servers) and, as the project seems dead, I don't know if anyone checked it it really works as intended.

GitHub - berthubert/googerteller: audible feedback on just how much your browsing feeds into google

audible feedback on just how much your browsing feeds into google - berthubert/googerteller

GitHub

Bytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱Apr 24, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert I absolutely love this - thank you. I now need a Windoze version so that I can show my friend WTAF is going on when he clicks on random shite.

An app for this in the AUR or Ubuntu repositories would also be amazing if it's not there already. Happy to chip in and help if you're fund-raising for this :)

Idris Elbow Macaroni May 1, 2024

@jwildeboer @bert_hubert

*grabs popcorn and sits back to watch the gymnastics match between Goo Gull employees to win a permanent position*