Hi gang, If you're using one of the bigger browsers (Chrome, FireFox, Opera, or even Microsoft Internet Explorer) then you're probably also using one or more plugins. Most modern browsers allow for this. If you do then you might want to check if you're using the "Web of Trust" plugin, and if so: you might want to remove that thing right away! Web of Trust is a plugin which allows its users to rate and comment on websites and present that data to other users. So if you visit a new website then - theoretically - this plugin can tell you if it's "safe" and (to some degree) trustworthy. The theory behind it is that this makes the web safer. Yeah... It has been revealed that the company behind Web of Trust does not only massively collect user data from all the plugin users, they're also actively selling this data to 3rd parties. Read more about that here and here (thanks Aikar!). What makes this so bad is that despite the promises in their privacy statement they're not using anonymised data, but are basically selling just about everything they get from your browser (like your browsing history). Researchers have already managed to establish the identity of 50 users purely from the obtained data. This plugin has already been pulled from most major plugin repositories (Google, Mozilla and even Opera) but that doesn't make it go away from your browsers. So if you're using this and actually value your privacy you might want to remove this thing ASAP. Unless of course you don't mind a company actively collecting and selling off your personalized browsing data.
This is a legit concern: http://www.pcmag.com/news/349328/web-of-trust-browser-extension-cannot-be-trusted All users of this plugin are encouraged to uninstall it ASAP. If you are a minor and know your browser has this, inform your parents or guardians ASAP and let them know it is spying on you and selling your information.
This is exactly why I like using free, open source plugins; they're by the community, for the community. Anyone can peer into the code and see if anyone's doing anything underhanded.
Well open source wouldn't of given you any level of trust that the company wasn't going to do illicit things with the data. You had to understand that you're submitting the sites you visit to them, just you don't expect them to be evil with the data and collect it in such a way.
I don't use this plugin, or any plugins really. But I highly suggest that if you ARE using this plugin, UNINSTALL it RIGHT NOW.
Thanks for sharing! And that while it's been around since 2007? Wow... I wonder, was this their intention right away or did they start doing it later?
I'm sorta on the clueless side of things when it comes to tech sometimes. So I thought I'd add this for other google chrome users on accessing their plugins. Edited in more
"selling browser history" ... Where can I sell my browser history? I'd like to get some extra monies, and I don't care about people knowing my broswer history, since most of it is just EMC anyways. But thanks for the PSA.
Why does this thread say "1 Comments" on the homepage? (and 0 views, it seems like the counters don't display their actual count)
"Web of Trust" yah we all trusted you, but if even that doesn't work, who should we trust on the web... That's because for some reason I don't know, the front page like and view counter only starts working after about an hour of the original post being posted. Don't worry, it'll work soon.
Sure. My password for empireminecraft.com is ... ... kzggggg *we interrupt this message to tell you that this account has been compromised. Have fun y'all while you still can, we'll get you too soon. :D*
Google sells access to targetting demographics. It doesn't sell "Here's a users entire browsing history" which upon review lets the buyer figure out "they accessed this facebook url hundreds of times, its obviously their own"
Stupid people, that's what's wrong with our era... and people seem to have gotten creepier while we're at it. Also, how would I find if I was using that plugin?
When I looked it up I had just 3 plug ins besides the browsers required one. So0 I'm good, and unless you you install plugins I'd venture to guess you might be good too, since you're like me and don't know where to find it
