this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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Privacy

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I’ve been using Overcast (on IOS) for years and for the most part love it, but having explored the privacy reports in its settings, I’m wondering if there is any way to actually do something about all the trackers podcasts are using these days.

I’ve tried blocking the specific trackers with AdGuard DNS, but when I do that, the podcast refuses to play at all.

Using a VPN helps to obscure some of the gross invasively personal dynamic ads, but is pretending I’m in Amsterdam really the best I can do? Doesn’t feel like it’s actually addressing the problem :/

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Idk if it's available for iOS, but I really like AntennaPod. I also use Kasts on desktop (GNU/Linux), and I self-host a gpodder instance to keep my subscriptions synced.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Even AntennaPod connects to trackers in order to download some podcats. It's how some of those hosts are set up. Although I hope that with an app like AP it shouldn't be easy for advertisers to use that data to profile you, but I don't know.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

settings > download > details, proxy

and done?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

here 👉

Leading traffic through a proxy or Tor network

It’s possible to make AntennaPod lead all traffic (media files, cover images, RSS requests & searches) through a proxy or the Tor network. This may have two potential benefits:

  • Privacy: depending on the type of proxy service, your downloading/streaming behaviour may be protected from podcast hosts
  • Access: if a podcast host prevents the downloading of content from abroad (based on your IP address), setting a proxy with the origin country may allow you to still access its content

You will find this option under Settings » Network » Proxy.

In order to lead all traffic via the Tor network, you need to install a proxy app for Tor, and provide the following details in AntennaPod:

Type: SOCKS
Host: “localhost” or “127.0.0.1”
Port: “9050”
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

¿¿¿ip hidden??? if the proxy you use has the option ❓❓❓

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And wound you maybe, possibly care to elaborate what proxy server to use? Or do all the proxy dialogs in all your programs have one preselected? If not, then it's hardly "done" is it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

proxy server of your choice? doesn't it depend on where you are and how fast the connection is?

i don't use proxies on all programs

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's an interesting definition of "done".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it wasn't "done.", it was "done?".

can you see the difference?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

¯\_ (ツ) _/¯

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

i just discovered that i can downVote my posts. What a ¿¿¿ing pleasure

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

When you get ads in another language that you don't understand, you know you're winning

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

From hearing the developer of Overcast talk about this issue, it seems that hiding your IP is really all you can or need to do, as that’s what the dynamic ad services use to track you

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Overcast probably is the most private client. The creator has a podcast called Accidental Tech Podcast. He has spoken several times about collecting only the minimum information to make the app work. He says he simply does not want the responsibility of keeping the data safe, and does not do targeted ads.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Overcast looks like it’s got decent privacy on iOS.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Overcast itself is fine to my knowledge but it doesn’t do anything on its own to protect your IP from getting to the podcast hosting servers, which do all sorts of creepy shit. The only real solution would be to tunnel your downloads through some kind of VPN or centralized download service, and those aren’t services Overcast provides so you’d have to do it yourself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh I didn’t mean to imply otherwise - Overcast is awesome.

I guess I worded my question poorly. I’m more asking if there’s any way to block trackers without blocking the entire podcast.

The stream/download just hangs, or errors out because it “cannot connect to creep.noteventhehost.fm” or whatever - just won’t load at all until I unblock and it’s able to do its dirty work.

Not sure if this is even within the capabilities of a client… I’m starting to think not, and that I’ve asked a stupid question lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Host lost blockers should be all you need for tnsumer VN covers IP safety. I use AdAway with Magisk to get whole phone protection. I use AntennaPod and never have problems with unplayable podcasts.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I know where you're coming from. Right now the way many of podcasts' audio files are served is via HTTP CDNs. The podcast client fetches the RSS feed, then fetches the linked-to audio file. The VPN, as you say, just changes the source address of that request.

What we could work on is reducing the number of requests to those CDNs.

One idea: A service which serves a mirror of the podcast feed and audio files. Users would need to manually enter podcast feed URLs into their client, rather than select the podcast from a convenient in-app search. You'd have to trust the service operator isn't collecting and sharing its usage data.

Going further, we could use Bittorrent to distribute episodes between mirrors. Mirrors could subscribe to a RSS feed of torrents for particular shows.

I could imagine some community-run effort in this space.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Podverse, an open source cross platform freemium podcast player

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not really. Even if you use something foss like AntennaPod, it still makes calls to tracking services. I don't know how it works, but it seems that's how those podcast services are set up and most won't play otherwise.

Guess you can only use vpn or tor to be completely private, and preferably just use web sites instead of apps.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

in antennaPod, go to settings > download > details, proxy

wait, it's not done yet. 😂 you should connect your antennaPod to a proxy of your choice to anonymize yourself

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

BeyondPod is what I have been using for a bunch of years now. If you don't pay for it, it will show you ads but purchasing it removes that. It is only on Android though.