How to block websites from tracking you

This is a follow-up to the thread Want to know who really monitors your internet activity?

Since most of us are running on Internet Explorer or Firefox, I'm going to show you how to block all tracking cookies on both of these.


INTERNET EXPLORER

1. Open the Internet Explorer browser and click to open the the Tools menu. When the dropdown menu appears, click on the last choice, "Internet Options."

2. Click on the "Privacy" tab. When that tab opens, click the "Advanced" button and wait for a gray pop-up dialogue box to appear.

3. Look for the part of the pop-up window that says "Override Automatic Cookie Handling" and choose the "Block" option that appears under the "Third-party Cookie" section. Then just click on the "OK" button to confirm the action.

NOTE: You will need to manually Allow certain cookies, you should add: "*.microsoft.com" (no quotes) to the "Always Allow" list to avoid any problems with Windows Update or the many other Microsoft sites, including the MSKB which requires Cookies to be accepted. I would recommend adding any sites that you frequent such as Banking, and any sites that require you to log in, (Social Networking) etc.

FIREFOX

1. Go to Tools> Add-Ons> Get Extensions...
2. What you are looking for is the Permit Cookies extension

This will allow you to block cookies by site, permanently. You can rid your self of doubleclick, adrevolver, and a host of other unnecessary adware tracking cookies, just be sure and allow the primary sites you need to have cookies enabled for (Email or any other website where you have to log in).
The first day or two you be prompted to allow or deny all kinds of cookies, then it mellows out a bit, as your permissions are saved and remembered.

Just remember to allow the websites you have to log into, otherwise they won't work properly.

what about google chrome??

reply to post by SamTGonzalez


Thanks for the info. It was interesting to read who is tracking everything we do online, but even better knowing how to block the buggers!!

Hate to spoil the party but tracking cookies are only little tools that are used by mainly advertisers.

There is simply no way to hide what you do on the internet, the best you can do is try and disguise your tracks.

Message is don't do or say anything on the internet you don't want to be held accountable for.

Thanks for that very helpful piece of info.

I hope you don't mind one more question. Sorry if this is dumb, but how does one allow certain cookies? I couldn't see where to do that. Thanks.

Originally posted by tpak89
what about google chrome??

Google Chrome tracks everything about you.
Even the partial searches you type into the search box, even if you dont press enter.
I recommend staying away from anything "google".

This is the closest you can get to blocking cookies on chrome:

Keep My Opt-Outs is a Chrome extension that stops the browser from storing cookies related to ads. The service opts-out of advertisement by companies that have adopted the industry privacy standards for online advertising which means that it is still possible to see personalized advertisement on the web.

Download it here

My apologies, I just re-read the post topic and it was about websites tracking you and not about you being tracked on the internet.

I accept it is a subtle but important difference.

reply to post by petethespark


Unfortunately, you are right. I think our best bet is to stay away from google. They seem to know everything about us.

reply to post by wcitizen


If you're using IE, go to tools>internet options>privacy>sites
then manually type in the address you wish to allow cookies from

reply to post by petethespark


It's all good man. You're right, though. Truth is, our privacy is never going to be 100% private. We have freedoms, but only to a certain extent.

It's a lot harder than you might think because now your browser gives away an awful lot about you and reports addons, what fonts you have installed, and dozens of other little system details that basicly work like a fingerprint even without cookies.

If you are curious how well you can be identified I recommend running the test at panopticlick.eff.org...

when you bring cookies into the equation as well it's fairly easy for a company to keep track of you.

Something I found interesting, type into Google something fairly harmless ( I used CCTV cameras).

I clicked on a couple of links and then moved on to other things.

I did notice, however, that when I went to websites completely unrelated to my Google search that the adverts were all about CCTV cameras.

Also, while a website is loading look down at the bottom left just above the start button and see how many websites are integrated into google.

Originally posted by SamTGonzalez
reply to post by wcitizen

 

If you're using IE, go to tools>internet options>privacy>sites
then manually type in the address you wish to allow cookies from

Thanks Sam.