google-analytics.com

[sorenstoutner]

lide.cz makes the following request:

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https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js

Several similar URLs are currently blocked by EasyPrivacy:

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||google-analytics.com/analytics.js
||google-analytics.com/batch^
||google-analytics.com/collect
||google-analytics.com/cx/api.js
||google-analytics.com/ga_exp.js
||google-analytics.com/gtm/js?
||google-analytics.com/internal/analytics.js
||google-analytics.com/internal/collect^
||google-analytics.com/plugins/
||google-analytics.com/r/collect^
||google-analytics.com/siteopt.js?

I propose that a new rule be added to the list that would also block this request:

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||google-analytics.com/ga.js

[smed79]

Problematic filter to add, will causes too many false positives on websites.

[sorenstoutner]

What type of false positives will it cause? Is is that this JavaScript file is designed to track users and compromise their privacy and some website functionality will be broken if users refuse to allow themselves to be tracked; or that it is used for non-tracking purposes and websites would break if they didn't have this non-tracking functionality?

I noticed that there already is a whitelist rule allowing this URL for one particular domain "carambatv.ru".

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@@||google-analytics.com/ga.js$domain=carambatv.ru

[smed79]

I noticed that there already is a whitelist rule allowing this URL for one particular domain "carambatv.ru".

-> viewtopic.php?f=64&t=26371

this JavaScript file is designed to track users and compromise their privacy

The tracking script and the pixel are already blocked, your privacy should be safe.
-> https://adblockplus.org/forum/viewtopic ... 677#p27677

"Consistently problematic filters should be removed from the subscription."

EasyPrivacy policy -> https://easylist.to/pages/policy.html

[sorenstoutner]

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

[sorenstoutner]

Seeing as how google-analytics.com/ga.js is no longer blocked, the whitelist rule for carambatv.ru is superfluous and should be removed. (Also, carambatv.ru no longer has an A record.) I was originally intending to post this on the page for carambatv.ru, but it old enough that the thread is now locked.

Some people might not be too worried about having superfluous entries, but my interest is as the developer of Privacy Browser, which is an open source Android browser that implements the EasyList blocklists on cell phones. In that environment, I am fairly conscious about the resources required to parse the lists and check each entry against a resource request.

[smed79]

Seeing as how google-analytics.com/ga.js is no longer blocked, the whitelist rule for carambatv.ru is superfluous and should be removed.

I submitted a pull request to remove the obsolete whitelist filter for carambatv.ru

[sorenstoutner]

I understand where you are coming from with your desire to not block elements that cause a large number of websites to not function correctly. However, for my purposes with Privacy Browser, I would prefer that any website that is broken when tracking is disabled loads by default in a broken state, which requires explicit interaction by users to enable the tracking. That's why Privacy Browser disables JavaScript, cookies, DOM storage, and just about everything else by default. Privacy Browser does make it easy to tweak settings by domain, so it isn't a problem if a user wants to modify these settings for a domain they trust/want to use anyway.

As such, I have decided to create an Adblock list called UltraPrivacy to augment EasyPrivacy that will block known trackers that are not included in EasyPrivacy because they are "consistently problematic". UltraPrivacy will be included in the next release of Privacy Browser and is available for users of any program that understands the Adblock syntax. Currently it only has one entry, but I imagine it will grow over time.

https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browse ... raprivacy/

[smed79]

FYI, there is already a filter list "Fanboy's Enhanced Tracking List" with privacy strict rules that block "google-analytics.com".

Enhanced Trackers List Blocks common tracking scripts such as Omniture, Webtrends, Foresee, Coremetrics, Google-Analytics, Touchclarity, ChannelIntelligence (could cause some false positives, please report any issues). https://www.fanboy.co.nz/filters.html

Also uBo by default redirect "google-analytics.com/ga.js" to neutered GA scriptlet
- filters/resources.txt#L245
- filters/privacy.txt#L75

I have decided to create an Adblock list

Can help you viewtopic.php?f=84&t=35435

[sorenstoutner]

Thanks for the information.