If you’ve ever wondered what of your information websites share with other companies when you log on, last month the Wall Street Journal pulled together several websites into one graph to show you.
It pinpoints specific information that is shared — everything from your email address to your name and birthday — by sites like YouTube, Pinterest, Pandora and others. It color codes the information based on that which can identify you personally and other data. It then also shades the info shared based on if it was sent securely or sent in full.
(Image: WSJ)
Here’s more about the project from WSJ:
To identify what personal information gets passed to other companies when you log in to popular websites, The Wall Street Journal tested 50 of the top sites (by U.S. traffic) that offer registration, excluding sites that required a real-world account, such as banking sites. The Journal also tested 20 selected other sites that focus on sensitive subjects such as dating, politics, health, or children’s issues, and our own site, WSJ.com. Click here to read more about the methodology. Results for each site are below. Sites are ranked by popularity, based on comScore’s numbers. Sites not in comScore’s top 1,000 are marked with a “*”.
(Image: WSJ)
See the full chart here.
(H/T: Gizmodo)
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Old Ogre
Jan. 6, 2013 at 3:02pmI think it funny that anyone is foolish enough to think the can possibly remain anonymous on the Internet… Every device has a unique identifier, and the feds know more about you than you do. Now they are building even more servers and more storage to save your info forever. If you want privacy get off the Internet…
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Valezka.Vidra
Jan. 4, 2013 at 3:59pmI never use real information on websites.
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HellboundandDown
Jan. 4, 2013 at 3:51pmcalm down, peanut gallery it’s just a plug for Lifelock!
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Timmy_NorthWest
Jan. 4, 2013 at 2:42pm@leftfighter. Lucky dog.
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term limits for congress
Jan. 4, 2013 at 2:09pmWith IE8, I use Private Browsing (CTRL+SHIFT+P). Don’t know if it helps, but makes me feel better.
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donkeykong
Jan. 4, 2013 at 4:16pmMy solution:
Linux. Use the firewall that’s built-in. IPtables for certain sites also.
Firefox, set to never remember history. Why remember anything?
Adblock Plus
NoScript (TheBlaze has MANY scripts that try to run – worse than many sites)
Redirect Remover
Ghostery (TheBlaze right now has 16 ‘trackers’ I’m blocking right now..)
Then there is the ‘hosts’ file, which still works on FF like on IE8, for those
sites you really don’t want you machine connecting to.
Then there is the built-in firewall, in your own DSL box or modem, which
your ISP probably didn’t tell you about….mine was DISABLED by default
when I got my box. Go to 192.168.0.1 – you might see your dsl box/modem
there. Set it up.
5 years like this and NO problems….
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___
Jan. 5, 2013 at 8:06amDonkey kong has good points, theBlaze is suspicious and may have someone on staff that is either foolish, lazy to look at their own server logs, or handing info over on purpose to others that intend to harm.
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Timmy_NorthWest
Jan. 4, 2013 at 12:59pmnever google yourself, if you find you then they can use their software to get that info too.
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@leftfighter
Jan. 4, 2013 at 2:08pmLuckily, sharing the name of a famous person, I don’t have that problem.
;-)
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jcldwl
Jan. 4, 2013 at 2:38pmI don’t go to any of those web sites anyway.
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sparkyrules
Jan. 4, 2013 at 11:30amThe Federal government has a seemingly endless supply of money and power and there’s nothing we can do to compete or take legal counter measures to stop them.Our elected officials don’t seem to care either,they fund this crap.We’re all fooling ourselves if we think we can be truly ‘anonymous’ or ‘off the radar’ ever again.The cats out of the bag,with all the new technology.Glen talks about it all the time.
From the Blaze report and the Utah Data Center:
“Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital “pocket litter.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/new-details-on-nsas-new-spy-center-and-secrets-from-domestic-eavesdropping-operation-stellar-wind/
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kadster01
Jan. 4, 2013 at 12:44pmOh, it is still possible to be completely off the radar, but not nearly as simple as it used to be. You’d basically have to live like Ted Kaczynski. Well, maybe not that extreme, but not far off.
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woodyee
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:44amThanks to this chart (and the post of several members) I’ve just deleted all but one album from photobucket, AND I’m going back to ghostery!
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trolltrainer
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:32amSo why are you HERE my man? You should be out on the yacht or playing 18 holes!
Dork…
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aquablue
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:26amI recently posted a picture on a chat board then saw it in google images a few days later. right click the picture and it tells the date when the pic was taken and what kind of camera used. your pictures are public domain!
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trolltrainer
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:24amMake that one more complaining about this very site. Tracking cookies have their uses…but 19? The stupid popups get old too, I have them blocked on my Linux computers but need them enabled on my Windows laptop. A huge deal? No…Just annoying as hell…
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lfoa
Jan. 4, 2013 at 3:20pmI agree….
TheBlaze is one of the worst for popup annoyance!
I like the content… so I put up with it…. But their staff of young guns obviously read the same programming guides.
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copatriots
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:19amMeanwhile, Blazers, let’s share ways we protect ourselves online. Here’s a few of mine:
1) Use Firefox, notably their private browsing feature to clean out cookies & the cache each time you close the browser. And on that note, close the browser often throughout the day. I usually close it after visiting each site.
2) Use multiple email addresses. I have started using Hushmail for my primary email service. So far, so good. Never any spam.
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trolltrainer
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:27amIdeally, I use Linux for online use. I am using a nice, basic Arch install at the moment. But sometimes I have to take Windows online. In that case I agree that FF seems to be the best browser and always set it to wipe everything on closing.
Common sense is 95% of it really…Good passwords and change them often and never set the browser to remember them.
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GuruMeditation
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:47amI also highly recommend this free DoNotTrackMe software from Albine:
http://www.abine.com/products.php
You will know very quickly who the worst culprits are ;-) and will have control over who can and can’t track your browsing activity.
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flypantherfan
Jan. 4, 2013 at 2:29pmI use Firefox and I got the free TACO add on and its telling me now that 3 social networks are trying to track me, 4 ad networks are trying to profile me, and 7 companies including Google are trying to track me right here on The Blaze. TACO blocks it all and I highly recommend it.
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___
Jan. 5, 2013 at 8:00amFirefox with
1. Ghostery Add in. be sure and set all the options “Tools / Ghostery / manage ghostery options”
2. “no Script” add in
3. Regular updates of firefox, choose HELP menu, select “about firefox” now and then to ensure computer has the latest
Search Engines:
1. IXQuick.com
2. Startpage.com
3. limit use to a minimum of all other search engines
CCleaner, download and use, adjust settings on the cookies frequently, saving only the one’s you use often.
Start reading more books from the library and get off the internet, you’re being tracked everywhere you go and see, on TV, on your cell phone, cable tv, cars, camera’s on the street.
Go to a good church that has frequent services that preach from the Bible and are involved in soul winning.
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Mike777
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:17amblaze should be on list. i use firefox browser which i like FF cuz they gave ghostery. which is blocking 19 trackers from this site.
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copatriots
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:22amExcellent, Mike. I use FF & Ghostery also. Anytime a new tracker shows up, I immediately block it, close the browser and re-open the browser & page to ensure it’s blocked in the future.
The most disgusting one on the list above is the tracking/sharing by Club Penguin.
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Mike777
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:39amcopatriots thanks i never thought about browser cache ;) i also run a spyware every couple of days. and i never ever use any search engine except for start page https://startpage.com/. no tracking at all and u can look at web sites by proxy if u choose.
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RaydocX
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:01amnot complaining here, but where is TheBlaze in this list?
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sizzlinsexybeckster
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:04am… yes, I’d surely like to know. If they want to share something they can share this creepy book instead of bowing down to the master-in-chief and kissing his ass http://www.amazon.com/Our-Lord-Savior-Barack-Obama/dp/1481247395/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357311818&sr=1-1&keywords=obama+god+lord
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DadRocked
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:07amI too found myself looking at the chart for the Blaze…
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jhrusky
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:22amThat book about someone’s ‘lord and savior – obama’. Funny how the price is $6.66 :-)
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Dodsfall
Jan. 4, 2013 at 9:57amWhere does The Blaze fit into the chart?
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sizzlinsexybeckster
Jan. 4, 2013 at 9:53amThis is overly rude!!! I have cancelled my youtube account and any others. It’s sad because it’s fun sharing with people, cheering them up and making them laugh. You can’t even share a damn picture of a goat without someone breathing down your back and investigating you. All a criminal needs is your name, and birthdate or age. With this info they can get your social security number and order credit cards in your name or steal you identity. This is overly rude and should not be tolerated. Cancel any and all accounts is you have them.
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GhostOfJefferson
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:08amYou know, you’re allowed to do that in real life, and even via the regular postal service. :)
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KissMyAmericanFlag
Jan. 4, 2013 at 12:35pmWell, why post true data in a public forum/ online, unless u are prepared for and competent with self-defense.
Firefox also allows user to set privacy mode/ do not track, empty cache on close is good, and clearing out all is also effective. Startpage is useful and has been for some time; have been hoping the company will not begin charging access fees, tho wonder how they stay in biz; however, good for them either way.
Thanks for the tip about hushMail — will look into it. Also, one RLimbaugh sponsor is Reagan.com, offering private email service@$40/year.
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willingtoupe
Jan. 4, 2013 at 9:47amWho in the hell would give their real information to any of those sites let alone limit oneself with one account. To my family, friends, business partners, and associates in the real world, I am Clark Kent.
On the internet and to my paid paramours, I reveal my true identity as a racist, sexist, hobbyist, antiwhite, stingy, greedy, money hungry opportunist, that would never give out my real information in preservation for my freedom of thought let alone freedom of speech and actions to get what I want in this would via my bank accounts and guns.
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GhostOfJefferson
Jan. 4, 2013 at 9:46amMeanwhile, http://www.patriotsdonotcomply.com shares nothing, except when forced to by government thugs with guns, and even then, will likely try to eliminate as much as possible. :)
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DadRocked
Jan. 4, 2013 at 9:57amThanks Ghost… I’ve linked to the site and will look at it over the wknd.
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DadRocked
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:00amAlso here is one, very similar to patriotsdonotcomply that I have been with for about 5yrs.
http://www.scragged.com
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GhostOfJefferson
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:23amRight on DadRocked, thanks! The Discussion forum is where the action is (or rather, I hope it will be). Getting a fair amount of interest, but always welcome more folks to comment. It’s great not having to condense a thought to a bumper sticker, plus you can make your own polls, and we have a lot of resources we’re bringing online.
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trolltrainer
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:31amI like the site Ghost. While you mentioned a while ago that we often disagree on things I do not see it. I think you are thoughtful and fair and I do mostly agree with your posts. Good work on attempting to create what The Blaze should have been.
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GhostOfJefferson
Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:44am@Troll
There may be somebody else here posting with your handle. It happens sometimes and is really confusing.
Thanks for the kudos. Feel free to sign up an get some conversations going in the Discussion section. There’s a whole mess of sub-forums that are not visible until one has membership. And as always, read the rules & guidelines, which I advise for anybody joining any site. :)
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