Posted on 07/30/2011 5:02:55 PM PDT by NoLibZone
A report, published Friday by Wired, says that Los Angeles-based video streaming site Hulu has cut its use of web analytics service Kissmetrics -- a startup founded by former Orange County entrepreneur Neil Patel -- after U.C. Berkeley security researchers detected the use of undetectable cookie code by Kissmetrics.
The report from Wired said that those researchers found that Kissmetrics tracking service cannot be evaded, even when users block their cookies, turn off storage in Flash, or use "incognito mode" in a browser. Kissmetrics, via co-founder Hiten Shah, told Wired that "nothing illegal" about the techniques it was using.
Patel and Shah both have ties to Orange County, where they co-founded visual heatmap tracking firm CrazyEgg. Patel is now in Seattle, and Shah in San Francisco.
Thanks for the link. Those of us who use all of those techniques to avoid the tracking stuff are being played by Kissmetrics. DIAGF Kissmetrics!
So, everybody who’s used Hulu has an invisible, undeletable tracking cookie on their machine now?
You can clear it by emptying your browser cache. They are using something called an “etag” which is attached to things like images on a web page. The intended use of an etag is to let the browser know when to expire cached items. If you empty your browser cache, it will clear the etags. Marketers are now using flash cookie, etags, client side storage to work around people who clear their cookies. It is reprehensible behavior, and will cause legislation to happen, which will probably cause lots of unintended effects and collateral damage.
“You can clear it by emptying your browser cache.”
Okay, my reservoir of ignorance is nearly inexhaustable, but I wonder what the big deal is if you can get rid of it by emptying your browser cache.
I find these threads very humbling.
I never have a CLUE what anyone is talking about.
If I see their ad with the women kissing one more time I may end my use of Hulu. I’ll get my Perry Mason, Dick Van Dyke and Rockford Files elsewhere.
“You can clear it by emptying your browser cache.”
Okay, my reservoir of ignorance is nearly inexhaustable, but I wonder what the big deal is if you can get rid of it by emptying your browser cache.
{Berkeley security researchers detected the use of undetectable cookie code by Kissmetrics.}
Not to worry, it is probably Apple’s fault anyway.
I guess secret hidden file must not mean anything.
“...detected the use of undetectable...”
?
They sell an API:
http://support.kissmetrics.com/apis/common-methods
It is mainly a big deal because it is being tricky, and bypassing the intent of users when they empty cookies, or block cookies. If you are having an honest interaction with a website, they should honor your privacy intent. It makes it harder to maintain some level of privacy as you browse.
“If you are having an honest interaction with a website, they should honor your privacy intent.”
Yes, they should, but knowing what despicable scum some people can be, I’m not counting on it.
Guess I’ll just start emptying my browser cache frequently.
I think most browsers have a “clear cache on exit” setting. Firefox does for sure.
Instructions for Firefox. Just did it myself.
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