

Facebook Disconnect - chrome extension to disable Facebook tracking - squarepeg
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/ejpepffjfmamnambagiibghpglaidiec

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thirsteh
There's a more general addon which detects and disables tracking called
Ghostery: <http://www.ghostery.com/>

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JonnieCache
I'm a fan of WidgetBlock, a chrome extension that simply blocks all major
offsite social networking widgets, whether its facebook like buttons, tweet
this buttons, the facebook connect thing, etc.

It's stated reason for doing this is to improve page load times, which it
certainly does, but it does just as well to protect your privacy.

[https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/hgiihiookhijpbha...](https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/hgiihiookhijpbhaflohognbhmamdnol)

EDIT: It appears to work nicely in tandem with this ghostery thing.

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greyman
But wouldn't it also remove Facebook commenting system from the page? Because
that's usually what I don't want.

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msy
For those on OSX Glimmer Blocker ( <http://glimmerblocker.org/> ) provides
really nice OS-wide ad blocking and there's a custom ruleset that blocks all
the facebook widgets with click-to-enable at
<http://visuao.net/facebook/glimmer.xml>

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karteek
I use to use Proxomitron (<http://www.proxomitron.info/>) on windows. Thanks
for this.

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unicornporn
I just run Facebook in a separate browser (Opera) to isolate the session. Yes,
I'm that crazy.

I tried Multifox ( <http://br.mozdev.org/multifox/> ), but for some reason I
concluded it wasn't a good solution. Can't remember why though.

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gigawatt
I do the same thing for bank accounts and such — I only use a clean install of
opera, and that's all I use it for.

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drtse4
From the same author (@byoogle) there is also a more generic Disconnect, that
blocks Google,Twitter,Digg,Yahoo! too.

[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jeoacafpbcihiomhla...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jeoacafpbcihiomhlakheieifhpjdfeo)

A bit aggressive imho, with the google block enabled you can't even login to
google.

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mckoss
Be careful. Disconnect also ends up blocking core services, like Google
Channel API, used by some App Engine apps (this took me hours to figure out
why my site was broken in Chrome).

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charlief
Related post from a few months ago
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1810644>

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kmfrk
This only pertains to ads and malware, but I use Ad Muncher on Windows, which
is a paid program (with a month-long trial). I use it, because I can't be
bothered to set up countermeasures, every time I use a new installation. And
it works in all browsers (obviously) - and outside browsers.

Cons: * Whitelisting is a hassle: I still haven't figured it out, which means
that good ad networks like Yoggrt, Fusion Ads, and Deck Network are blocked. *
Blacklisting is also a hassle. You'd think they would support a widget filter
- or a good import feature, but alas.

It's the best desktop client I know, though.

<http://admuncher.com>.

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jjossarin
For Firefox users:

Similar functionality can be achieved in Firefox using one of its settings.
From the privacy tab of the Preferences Dialog (Options in Windows), choose
"custom setting for History" and disable third-party cookies.

Another method is to use an addon called Facebook Blocker:
<http://webgraph.com/resources/facebookblocker/> (haven't tested).

Some other methods are suggested here:
[http://superuser.com/questions/220696/how-can-i-block-all-
fa...](http://superuser.com/questions/220696/how-can-i-block-all-facebook-
elements-content)

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pointillistic
'Keep My Opt-Outs' is the same one by Google, no?
[https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/hhnjdplhmcnkieca...](https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/hhnjdplhmcnkiecampfdgfjilccfpfoe#)

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tuhin
The fact that one needs a plugin to do this says a lot about the "Facebook"
way of social networking.

Why not put it as an option in my maze on the settings page?

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squarepeg
I agree, though to be fair, facebook isn't the only site where third parties
have tried to fix privacy issues.

I read once that you know you've really made it when an eco-system grows
around your product or service. The same can be said here: you know your
product or service sucks if unpaid developers feel compelled to try and fix
it.

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goombastic
So much of public messaging around privacy seems to make light of people's
concerns around it. I believe this is deliberate social conditioning. Some of
your friends end up picking up on the verbiage and soon you are surrounded.
"Awww come on, it's harmless."

Never give out enough information for someone to clone you online.

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dc2k08
So this is just a version of Disconnect that only blocks facebook? Does
Disconnet do all this anyway? I discovered at the weekend that Disconnect
blocks results on a Google custom search I made where analytics is running
also. Seems a little overzealous.

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bl4k
this is what he wrote prior to Disconnect. if you have the later, it does
Facebook and other sites

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pestaa
There's a lot going on to block Facebook these days. I'm not happy with it
either, but can somebody please give me an insight why so many people are
pissed of it right now?

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pilif
right now it's the commenting system. Before that it was general backlash and
before that it was the like-button-everywhere shitstorm that also spawned
diaspora.

Don't worry. In at most one month's time nobody will remember this and
Facebook will be awesome again.

Until it's time again to fish for pageviews at which point another flaming
article will be published somewhere and everyone will repost it in their own
words in order to get pageviews.

You can't expect consistency in a society with a cumulative attention span of
about a week.

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squarepeg
> Don't worry. In at most one month's time nobody will remember this and
> Facebook will be awesome again.

Facebook stopped being awesome a long time ago. I doubt it ever will be again.
You're making it out to be a victim of some kind and it's not. If facebook
didn't repeatedly abuse its users' trust and privacy, there'd be no backlash.
There'd be no 'flaming' articles and no shitstorms.

> Until it's time again to fish for pageviews at which point another flaming
> article will be published somewhere and everyone will repost it in their own
> words in order to get pageviews.

Perhaps so, but the extension isn't a result of a flaming article. It has over
100,000 users and 4000+ weekly installs.

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pilif
> You're making it out to be a victim of some kind and it's not.

I'm not. I'm just surprised about how quickly the opinions seem to change. I
made up my mind once facebook was basically allowing third-party websites I
accidentally visit to post stuff in my name ("like"-buttons) and decided to
stop using facebook right then. No need to rationalize or post articles.

It's just amazing how the pendulum swung back and forth over the last two
years between an overall positive mood and an overall negative one.

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madelfio
Can someone compare this to the "disable 3rd-party cookies" approach?

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pieter
Anyone know of these kind of extensions for Safari?

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bl4k
<http://www.disconnectere.com/>

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rahooligan
I came. I saw. I installed.

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shimi
Amen Brother!

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u48998
Just keep yourself logged-off when not using Facebook, or use Facebook when
not using any other website.

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lean
Word to the wise, this was preventing any ReCaptcha's from appearing (for me).
Great ext otherwise.

