There are a few things you can do to make tracking you a bit more difficult, just do an internet searh. But I guess full privacy is difficult in our internet world as we leave electronic traces.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 28/05/2023 07:20:19

Other way round unfortunately! Not upgrading computers causes far more trouble than keeping them up to date.

Trouble is security loopholes are discovered after software is delivered, maybe years later. The only way to fix flaws is by upgrading. Or avoid the risk by disconnecting entirely.

In the Meta Pixel example there's nothing in W7 or an older browser that automatically stops it working. It, and similar, can be blocked but the user has to configure his browser. Assuming an old set-up will resist a new attack is wrong. (Not just computers, All assumptions are iffy! Check!)

Of course new technologies bring different risks. For example, as far as I know, the original Internet Explorer made money through sales. In contrast, Edge is 'free', but it earns money by collecting user data so that advertisers can target individuals. Unfortunately, collections of user data can also be used for nefarious purposes.

What I do:

• Linux is safer than Windows, so is used for almost all browsing.
• Firefox has enhanced privacy features compared with some other browsers and being Open Source isn't monetised by a commercial owner.
• Firefox is configured by me:
  • The Search Engine is DuckDuckGo, not Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. (DuckDuckGo promise not to track)
  • I have also installed 'DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials'. On this forum page, which is low risk, it has blocked Facebook, Crazy Egg and 2 different Google trackers. Because I allow advertising on this site it permits Ads from google, gstatic, and advintage that would otherwise be blocked.
  • Generally I block adverts because the difference between legitimate Ads and trackers is narrow.
• GDPR and other legislation requires sites to ask permission before they use cookies. If the site offers a plain 'Reject All' button, use it. However, many sites ask permission in ambiguous ways: it's not clear what acceptance actually blocks and allows. 'Legitimate Interest' is meaningless. I walk away from these. Websites that have chosen to be unclear about cookies are likely to be collecting more data than I want to release.
• Internet hygiene is important. Although most legitimate sites are safe-ish, avoid off colour humour, political, porn, gambling, drugs, or anything else that fluffs your interest with dodgy material.
• I do not assume that any of the above, or the security measures I haven't listed, are valid for ever. For example, I periodically check the Firefox is still a good choice: software changes rapidly, so it's always possible a different browser, ad-blocker, privacy tool or whatever else will do a better job.

I'm Windows 10 at the moment and dithering about going to W11. Doing so involves making a BIOS change and it could go wrong! But the clock is ticking – W10 goes out of support on October 14, 2025. Functionally W11 doesn't do anything I want, so I could leave it alone. But this introduces another risk, which is the size of the gap that has to be jumped between an ancient version of an operating system and the newest. Best to keep the gap small: apart from the increased risk of a technical malfunction, anyone jumping from W7 to W11 will find a multitude of differences when they arrive. An when I fire up W11 I know Microsoft will have switched off all my security selections and I'll have to wade through putting them back. It's a pain. Unfortunately, procrastination usually causes even more hassle in the long run.

Dave