Audit Finds Google, Microsoft, and Meta Still Tracking Users After Opt-Out - Slashdot
2026-04-15 17:02 UTC
Replies (7)
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@in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 2026-04-15 17:29
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@redlemace@lemmy.world 2026-04-15 17:23
Opt-out not working ? I'm stunned !! /s
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@comrade_twisty@feddit.org 2026-04-15 18:19
I opted out of using their products
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@puntinoblue@lemmy.ml 2026-04-16 14:54
More than just opt-out. There is a class action lawsuit presented to U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco Division on the 23 jan this year saying that [The privacy of] “WhatsApp users’ communications is false. As the whistleblowers here have explained, WhatsApp and Meta store and have unlimited access to WhatsApp encrypted communications, and the process for Meta workers to obtain that access is quite simple” That’s the content of the messages not just the metadata Meta, unsurprisingly, deny the allegations
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@favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 2026-04-15 20:43
They need to track you to know you opted out
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@FineCoatMummy@sh.itjust.works 2026-04-15 20:06
Article talks about cookies still being set when user opts out of those. That's bad, sure. But TBH I worry so much more about fingerprinting. Cookies, easy to delete in your browser, easy to block. Fingerprinting is done behind the scenes on the server, you can't block their attempt to. There are "resist fingerprinting" options in some browsers now like firefox, but limited in effect, and much of the fingerpinting is not even something the browser *can* stop. Things like [TLS fingerprints](https://fingerprint.com/blog/what-is-tls-fingerprinting-transport-layer-security/), or exact timings between your system making a request, and the serving system. Or things you *can* spoof but which cause problems if you do. Even Tor Browser doesn't spoof some of those things b/c it causes problems to do. The identity broker companies have a massive financial incentive, and they employ very smart data scientists. Even "opting out" of cookies, I think it's about 0% chance we have any way to opt out of these behind the scene techniques they use. They will use every shitty weasely trick in the book like the slimeweasels they are.
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@quick_snail@feddit.nl 2026-04-16 13:14
Google can't track you if you don't have gapps installed. Also, this is going to be necessary in 2027, so might as well do it now