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Can we have some clarification on what "Usage Data" the app collects and shares with advertisers?
(lemmy.world)
What constitutes Usage Data. Is it sharing the posts I view, communities I subscribe to etc?
Does paying for a premium version stop this data being collected?
From DuckDuckGo:
For what it's worth, I subscribed to Ultra about an hour ago and DDG hasn't picked up any additional tracking attempts since then. I think it may be limited entirely to Google's ad service for the free, ad-supported tier and maybe crash diagnostics that the app gives you the option of enabling or disabling.
FWIW that page is a bit deceptive , it's not saying it's collecting all of that data. The only info on that page is "146 tracking attempts from Google", which makes sense if it has Google ads.
I think that the lack of further attempts backs up what lj shared a bit ago in the Discord. That's still a hell of a lot of tracking for folks who can't or don't want to pay, though.
Sure would be cool if this kind of information was provided outside of a proprietary service that not only requires a login but also you to join a specific server just to then have this be hidden by 1,500 random messages that you don't care about. Shame there is no such place.
Please note that the long list of things collected is what Google is known to collect, not necessarily that these are the things being collected. If you click on any other app that is also with Google trackers (practically every app listed on this page), you will find that the stuff listed are the same.
Can you explain more? Would DNS level blocking stop ads on a smart TV (for YouTube specifically) as well?
I am so happy whenever I see people asking more about privacy practices. It makes me feel like the fight is not so hopeless after all.
I feel the same way. As someone who studies and works in cyber security I love teaching people about how to stay safe or at least as safe as possible.
Some people don't go the degree I go to just to keep my stuff secure. I use hardened Arch kernels and I hardly even use arch my entire time I spend on a PC is through a VM. I have 2 computers one just for windows and gaming and then one for Linux and cyber security and coding stuff
I hate dual booting and do not like windows being close to my Linux install so I keep them separate on two different computers ๐
Other than doing 3D printing and rendering stuff all I do is study malware and writing my own programs.
Can confirm, pihole blocks nearly all ads on smart TVs and apps.
Tracker blocking youtube results in new videos not adding to your history, recommendations freezing permanently, youtube just regurgitates the same stuff and seemingly never refreshes
They are talking about on a smart TV.
I used ubiquiti's dns level ad/tracker blocker
Effects were on every device and app except firefox - especially on smart TVs
Btw, what duckduckgo app is this? Not their browser?
It is their browser. The tracking protection is in their browser and tells Android that it's a VPN.
I also don't see any weird activity on my adguard logs after subscribing to Ultra.
Wtf
I would really love to know what ads are targeting low battery levels. Chargers and battery packs obviously. But I wonder what else being at 5% tells you about a person ๐
Could be device fingerprinting
Behavioral data at least. When and how person charges phone, how much they use phone and what times.
Ik right! Just Google being Google