[anon(3641385)]

I've installed the ghostery browser and used it for a few days, and gee it does it's job well. Thumbs up to ghostery!

I've been using it as an add on to firefox on my pc for some time, and only recently realised there was a phone browser. I've made it my go to browser now ....

Anyone got any experiences using it they want to post?

Edit

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...droid.ghostery

[FF22]

I've installed the ghostery browser and used it for a few days, and gee it does it's job well. Thumbs up to ghostery!

I've been using it as an add on to firefox on my pc for some time, and only recently realised there was a phone browser. I've made it my go to browser now ....

Anyone got any experiences using it they want to post?

Edit

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...droid.ghostery

You have definitely dived in and found some terrific apps in short order.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I've tried it before, but then I also read up on it a little....

A major source of business for Evidon is selling data that helps ad companies ensure their compliance with AdChoices, a self-regulatory program supposed to help people opt out of targeted ads. Some experts say AdChoices is confusing to consumers, and it has been criticized by U.S. and EU policymakers. "Evidon has a financial incentive to encourage the program's adoption and discourage alternatives like Do Not Track and cookie blocking as well as to maintain positive relationships with intrusive advertising companies," says Jonathan Mayer, a Stanford grad student and privacy advocate active in efforts to develop a standard "Do Not Track" feature for web browsers.

While the data they sell is anonymous, they are still collecting and selling data... and are working against other privacy options.

[1122334455667788]

Personally I use Firefox with privacy.trackingprotection.enabled set to true.

[moxob]

Ditto as I deeply distrust Ghostery and their business model.
So for me it is Firefox plus DoNotTrack and more importantly addon "ublock origin". That works pretty well.
I also use the adversary container to keep app tracking under control - https://www.backes-srt.com/de/solutions/srt-adblocker/. Banned from the play store for obvious reasons but good. Developed by a university spin off.

[anon(3641385)]

Thanks for your input everyone, i learn heaps from your contributions.

Here's a pic of the ghostery mobile 'in app privacy settings, which is opt in/out.

I'm going to follow up on some of the other apps/info mentioned. Thanks again.

[moxob]

Had been using Ghostery for several years but dropped them in 2014 from all my systems due to their intransparent business model.
Last year the Web of Trust case became public. Web of Trust also claimed to only transfer anonymous data but they created user profiles and sold them. These apps can track all your URLs and you need to trust they are anonymous. More here https://www.ghacks.net/2016/11/01/br...-history-sold/.
And here on Ghostery https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/10401/g...ess-practices/.

[anon(3641385)]

Ditto as I deeply distrust Ghostery and their business model.
So for me it is Firefox plus DoNotTrack and more importantly addon "ublock origin". That works pretty well.
I also use the adversary container to keep app tracking under control - https://www.backes-srt.com/de/solutions/srt-adblocker/. Banned from the play store for obvious reasons but good. Developed by a university spin off.

Thanks for that info re srt adblocker, I've changed the language to English, but the download page doesn't have an English translation, so I'm wondering how do you install and go about using it?

I couldn't work out if there were instructions or not ....

Edit
Ahhh ....... okay ..... moving off pc onto phone ..... lol

Edit 2
using my priv firefox browser add-ons search, I can't find srt adblocker, srt appguard (or those words minus the srt) ....

Did you install via firefox phone add-ons feature?

[1122334455667788]

For anyone interested in using Firefox's built in tracking protection but don't want to manually modify about:config settings, I just remembered that there is an addon to toggle the tracking protection setting for you: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/and...ng-protection/

[FF22]

Personally I use Firefox with privacy.trackingprotection.enabled set to true.

If I change it to TRUE, will I wind up locked out of sites? (I've changed it just now but would like ot know.) Thanks.

[1122334455667788]

If I change it to TRUE, will I wind up locked out of sites? (I've changed it just now but would like ot know.) Thanks.

Most sites will continue to work just fine.
Occasionally I find a site that doesn't work perfectly with it enabled.
There is a shield icon that appears in the left side of the address bar on sites where a tracker has been blocked. If you want to disable the feature for a particular site, tap the shield and hit the disable protection button.

While having to enable it through about:config (or an addon), makes it seem like a completely experimental option, it is actually enabled by default in all private tabs/windows (controlled by privacy.trackingprotection.pbmode.enabled). Mozilla is also running a testpilot experiment on desktop that encourages people to notify them when a site doesn't work well with tracking protection.

[1122334455667788]

Tracking protection features do more than just improve privacy.
The following quote from ghacks.net is about the Firefox tracking protection feature, but I suspect it also applies to the other methods discussed in this thread.

"A research paper by Georgios Kontaxis and Monica Chew came to the conclusion that Firefox's Tracking Protection feature improves page load time on average by 44%. In addition, it reduced the average data usage when connecting to the top 200 Alexa websites by 39%, and dropped the number if HTTP cookies by 67,5% on those sites.". https://www.ghacks.net/2015/05/24/fi...d-times-by-44/

[anon(3641385)]

If I change it to TRUE, will I wind up locked out of sites? (I've changed it just now but would like ot know.) Thanks.

I don't have any problems on either my phone or pc, and i have the settings 'true' on both.

[moxob]

Thanks for that info re srt adblocker, I've changed the language to English, but the download page doesn't have an English translation, so I'm wondering how do you install and go about using it?

I couldn't work out if there were instructions or not ....

Edit
Ahhh ....... okay ..... moving off pc onto phone ..... lol

Edit 2
using my priv firefox browser add-ons search, I can't find srt adblocker, srt appguard (or those words minus the srt) ....

Did you install via firefox phone add-ons feature?

Sorry re Backes (SRT) AdVersary - it's been a while and I wasn't aware their page is still in German only. Anyway you seem to have succeeded. You need to install their apk manually because they aren't allowed to the Playstore (given they block adserver connections apps would normally make and Google does not like that). Once it's on your device, open it. It will show you all other apps. Click the circled '+' and select apps. They will either install ok into the container or you get an error that essentially says 'sorry can't install app right now, we're working on it'. No damage occurs, it just stays out of the container. You don't loose data or settings when apps go to the container. Once you're done, hit the circled tick. Apps can be removed from the container any time, same procedure really.

Don't use SRT AppGuard - it's too dated and uncomfortable. They just replaced it with AdVersary.

On ublock origin: I added that as firefox addon. In firefox, just go to extras / add-ons / view all firefox-add-ons and the search ublock origin. Works everywhere and cleans out ads as well. There are filter lists available against tracking, social plugins, etc. but it does most things right in its defaults already.

EDIT: Just found an English intro for AdVersary at least (https://www.backes-srt.com/en/srt-ad...now-available/) and if you scroll down a bit on the DE page linked there is a youtube video that is also English (but doesn't say a lot). Technically, Adversary is a container solution, hence the apps have to go through the container interfaces to contact a server. The container blocks routes to the tracking servers of various ad networks plus restricts app access to your data outside the container. So it is similar to MDM containers used for business data - only that this times the bad guys are put into the container Oh and the permissions asked by the AdVersory container are just needed so that the container can pass on things to apps (or rather filter).

[Gigolo69]

Been using ghostery for along time now. It's good but what sucks is there bookmark design. Aside from that no complaints