Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday 3 april 2018

How you're tracked online _ and what you can do about it

By ANICK JESDANUN to frustrate efforts to con-
AP Technology Writer nect you across services,
NEW YORK (AP) — Though although it can be a major
Facebook gets the atten- pain.
tion because of a recent — The trade-offs: Some
privacy gaffe, the social services require signing in,
network is far from alone in and creating accounts on
collecting massive amounts each service means more
of data on you to help mar- passwords to remember
keters sell you stuff. Google, (though you might consider
for one, also does extensive using a password manager
tracking to power its adver- ). Whatever you do, don't
tising engines. And many reuse the same passwords
other websites and apps across service; that makes
run ads sold by Facebook them easy to hack.
and Google and exchange IP ADDRESS
data with them. Beyond The Internet Protocol ad-
that, plenty of services in- dress lists where your phone
cluding Uber and Amazon or computer lives on the
keep detailed histories on internet; it's how you get
you. Here are some of the messages and load web-
ways to block or minimize In this Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, file photo, a passenger looks at his smartphone while waiting in sites. But IP addresses can
such tracking — but they the security line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta. also help companies re-
come with trade-offs. Associated Press member who you are and
TRACKING IDs link the various devices you
Websites have long used makes your browser forget without your location. Oth- any service that charges use, since most homes use
unique IDs in "cookies" — who you are, so you'll have ers, such as weather apps, you, although sometimes a single IP address for the
data files stored in your to sign back into any site will require you enter your you can sign in with your whole network. Databases
browser — to know it's you that was saving your login. location manually. And you Facebook or Google ID in- can also map IP addresses
when you return a week Tracker blockers can some- might miss out on recom- stead. to physical locations.
later. Cookies also let ad- times prevent websites mendations such as better — Combatting this: Re- — Combatting this: You
vertising networks run by from displaying or working commuting routes via apps sist creating an account can mask your IP address
the likes of Facebook and properly. like Waze. or signing whenever you by using a secure inter-
Google connect you as LOCATION SERVICES SIGNING IN can — such as when you're mediary. VPN services,
you visit multiple websites. Many apps need your lo- Signing into an online ac- merely browsing rather common in corporate set-
Phones and tablets have a cation to work. Mapping count gives services a than buying. Avoid us- tings, will route your traffic
device advertising ID that apps, for instance, can't tell sure-fire way of tracking ing Facebook or Google through a separate IP ad-
apps can use to track you. you when to turn without you. Facebook won't work IDs whenever possible, as dress; a secure web brows-
— Combatting this: You knowing where you are. at all without an account; those companies could er called Tor automatically
can reset the cookie ID by Video services typically Google merely works better then track you. You can sends traffic through mul-
clearing cookies periodi- have rights only in certain with one. And you'll gener- also use a different email tiple third parties. You still
cally. Most browsers also countries and need to ver- ally need an account with address for each account need to avoid signing in.q
have a private mode to ify your location. But loca-
limit tracking through cook- tion can be used for much
ies, though it's not fool- more. Google, for instance, Facebook CEO defends advertising-
proof. Companies can still keeps a fairly detailed ac-
link you if you've signed count of your whereabouts supported business model
in, for instance. As for the through a feature called
device ID, you can reset Timeline.
that or tell advertisers not — Combatting this: You NEW YORK (AP) — The CEO berg responded Monday Facebook is facing scrutiny
to target ads through the can turn off location ser- of Facebook is defending that an advertising-sup- over its data collection fol-
phone's settings. vices in the phone's set- its advertising-supported ported business model is lowing allegations that po-
Many browsers also let you tings, though for apps to business model. the only way that the ser- litical consulting firm Cam-
install add-ons that block work property, it's better to Mark Zuckerberg's defense vice can survive because bridge Analytica obtained
ad trackers. Notable add- turn them off for specific comes after Apple CEO not everyone would be data on tens of millions of
ons include Ghostery or the services that don't really Tim Cook said his company able to pay for Facebook if Facebook users to try to in-
Electronic Frontier Founda- need them. As for Timeline, wouldn't be in Facebook's it charged a fee. fluence elections.
tion's Privacy Badger. you can pause or delete situation because Apple He says the idea that Face- Zuckerberg spoke with Vox
— The trade-offs: You'll still location history in Google doesn't sell ads based on book doesn't care about , while Cook talked with Re-
get ads, just not targeted settings. — The trade-offs: customer data the way its customers is "extremely code last week.
ones. And clearing cookies Some apps won't work Facebook does. Zucker- glib." q