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green_amberExtract from Real Blawg as no one ever comments there and I'd actually really like some help/comments on this one:
Finally, deep into the further reaches of conspiracy theories re privacy and web-bugging we have this interesting comment from the resposnses to the IP article above.
"I don’t have any ads on the site, I do have embedded Flickr pictures. So, here’s a question - is Flickr just a cover for a huge web bug operation used to track visits to sites that have embedded Flickr pictures, or is that being overly paranoid? "
Flickr is a site where users can post photos they've taken and embed them in their web pages - they can then be viewed, uploaded etc by the public (or not as you choose).
In theory it seems plausible that every Flickr image could inded be a web beacon, meaning Flickr could correlate sign up IDs with IP addresses and web sites, as well as patterns of known associates (people who look at your pictures tend to be people who know you).
Anyone like to comment? I must go have a look at the Flickr privacy policy :-)
Finally, deep into the further reaches of conspiracy theories re privacy and web-bugging we have this interesting comment from the resposnses to the IP article above.
"I don’t have any ads on the site, I do have embedded Flickr pictures. So, here’s a question - is Flickr just a cover for a huge web bug operation used to track visits to sites that have embedded Flickr pictures, or is that being overly paranoid? "
Flickr is a site where users can post photos they've taken and embed them in their web pages - they can then be viewed, uploaded etc by the public (or not as you choose).
In theory it seems plausible that every Flickr image could inded be a web beacon, meaning Flickr could correlate sign up IDs with IP addresses and web sites, as well as patterns of known associates (people who look at your pictures tend to be people who know you).
Anyone like to comment? I must go have a look at the Flickr privacy policy :-)
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 01:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 01:58 pm (UTC)So they can get general stats about your usage, but they can't connect them to _you_.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 02:53 pm (UTC)And IE has blocked third-party cookies by default since version 6 came out - I assumed that Firefox did likewise, I'll have to play around when I get home.
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Date: 2006-01-30 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 09:37 pm (UTC)Haven't had a chance to test this tho.
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Date: 2006-01-30 05:12 pm (UTC)I couldn't find anything in the flickr privacy policy about whether they make use of this information. They have a few million registered users already, and some percentage of those people have pro accounts, which means there's a correlation to actual personal data.
But that's kind of irrelevant.
I've put up a followup post you might find interesting, exploring some more of this:
http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/01/30/flickr-pictures-web-beacons-and-a-modest-proposal/
no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 05:18 pm (UTC)I looked at Flickr and was interested to se that yahoo! use web beacons
and that new post yahoo! takeover Flickr users automatically sign up for Yahoo! web beacon data gathering unless they opt out. I THEENK.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 05:19 pm (UTC)Have you looked at LJ-Toys? It seems to do a lot what you're talking about. It;s utterly fascinating.
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Date: 2006-01-30 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 06:22 pm (UTC)Was fascinating to see who reads me, how they do so, and how often they check their friends page...
no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 06:24 pm (UTC)