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How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:27 am
by Sparky
I don't have a facebook account and never have. But I've recently read in a few sites that FB can track you nevertheless. I have ublock origin, but that doesn't block these trackers. At the same time I don't want to lose all cookies for the sites I visit, as I would have to login each time. Is there a solution?

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:37 am
by JayM
Did you try searching the web as your question is of a general nature and not specific to either MX or antiX Linux?
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=How+to ... 1-1&ia=web

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:38 am
by Sparky
Yes, I'm looking for an app that disables the tracking system wide, not an addon, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it here 9_9

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:42 am
by JayM
Search MX Package Installer's various tabs for facebook. Then you'll find out if there's an MX or Debian app that disables Facebook tracking.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:46 am
by Sparky
Thanks, I already checked, I was just wondering If someone has implemented something like this on MX using other methods.
There seems to be a Raspberry Pie solution attached to the router, but that seems rather complicated.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:55 am
by JayM
You mean "Pi hole". Yeah, that's a bit complex, basically using a Pi as a sort of web filter or a local DNS server with filtering. I've never tried implementing hardware-based solutions for web privacy but it seems to me that the problem might be that they'd completely block Facebook so you couldn't even access it directly anymore. It seems like the solutions offered in the links found in my search results that I posted are your best bet.

Another idea: consider the Ghostery browser add-on.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:58 am
by Sparky
Thanks Jay, but add ons need to be installed in every browser on each computer that I have MX on. I don't access facebook, so eliminating system wide would be my first choice, but I'll try your suggestion If all else fails, thanks.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:07 am
by LibertyLinux
The #1 way facebook tracks users is via the android os. If you carry a smartphone with the playstore you are being tracked period. My current phone is rooted and google is mia on that note. Plus I just bought a pinephone and am simply waiting for UPS to deliver. Supposedly the latest manjaro kde plasma makes great calls-we'll see lol.

I switched from ublock to adnauseum on my pc's because it obfuscates the ad tracking game and operates just like ublock. You could disable your history but that breaks the back button. Other than that, use a vpn at all times (cc co's hate that btw and there are lots of people who will automatically just assume fraud like idiots), and use the tor browser if you don't have a vpn.
The other thing I do is try to disable certificates that could be considered useless and/or dangerous. Google certs are hard to disable, like amazon's, without flatout breaking the net.

One thing I just learned is that the average obdii device for consumers are just gimmicks. Doesn't matter who makes it or how much it costs. Why? The car manufacturers all install and use computers now and they intentionally hide the code. This is because they don't want the public to know that ALL new cars are now tracking devices. That and of course in order to be a certified mechanic and have access to those codes you must pay recurring fees for lines of code the idiots want kept secret. Cars don't need computers btw to operate. They now have software that can put all running automobiles, trucks, everything, on a real-time map. Onstar is great, if you need it. If you don't it's google tracking your every move in real time even if you forget your phone. How convenient. Basically any new car with a ts, or without, is now a tracking device whether you like it or not.
To put it simply; the basic purpose of attention is to make something happen. That translates to CONTROL.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:11 am
by Sparky
I always use a VPN, but it doesn't make a different as far as tracking is concerned. They still track via the browser. I was thinking of something along the lines of screening all incoming and outgoing traffic on MX and removing any trackers that facebook places.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:52 am
by LibertyLinux
That's not really the problem as ad blockers already try to block facebook while you use the net. The REAL problem is that too many sites are themselves connected to facebook and friends with their social BS icons they want you to click. So basically, imo, if a site has say an instagram icon, if you visit that site, don't have an actt and don't click it, instagram will probably still be aware as a 'partner' of said site. it to the ground
Facebook is like an invasive weed, or a parasite you can't hardly see. ----- and then simply burn it to the ground. JK



Mod note:


---- part removed. We do not condone such things on this forum. Read the forum rules. If you do not agree with this decision, feel free to contact an admin or moderator.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:43 am
by Redacted
You could use a hosts file. It will stop any attempt by your computer to make a connection to any of the sites listed in the file. This would be computer wide.
https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts has several different host files dealing with different issues: ads, social media, porn, etc.
They are kept up to date.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:46 am
by Sparky
Thanks!

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:57 am
by Redacted
Just remember it's not "set it and forget it". You'll have to periodically do a manual update. There's plenty of info on the web about how to use hosts.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:08 am
by Sparky
Yes, will do. I'm reading up on it, I have used host files before but didn't think to search for this type of solution in this case.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:10 am
by handy
Sparky, there are settings in the Brave browser config' that allow you to block social media (amongst other things), these are all switched on/off by the user in the config' screen:
Social media blocking

Allow Google login buttons on third-party sites
Learn more
Allow Facebook logins and embedded posts
Allow Twitter embedded tweets
Allow LinkedIn embedded posts

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:32 am
by Sparky
I haven't used Brave, I'll give it a try.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:34 am
by Michael-IDA
Hi @Sparky,

Put the solved tag on the post that solved the issue (not your first post, unless you manually add the solution there)

Here's also a script to help with scripting. It was a work in progress so strip out my excessive junk and change what you need for yourself.

Best,
Michael

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# # # Description
# Grap Blocklists for use with /etc/hosts
#
# Script=get-hosts-block.sh
# Author=Michael
# Email=use website contact
# Website=http://www.inet-design.com/
# License=GPL
# Script repository=none
# Last Edit Date=Sun 30 Aug 2020
#
# Instructions:
# As root,
# - cp /etc/hosts /{$WorkingDir}/hosts.orig
#
# - Copy computer name line and any other addtions
#   in /etc/hosts to /{$WorkingDir}/hosts.mine.unique
# e.g.
#   127.0.0.1       {computer-name}
#
# - Fix all pathing/naming...
#
# Notes:
# I started building this for multipe lists, but found
# StevenBlack's includes Peter Lowe's (yoyo.org).
#
# If more than one list gets used, need to clean/combine them
# and will need to re-work 'hosts' building.
#
# Root crontab
# 45 6 * * 1 /home/michael/common/bin/get-hosts-block.sh >>/home/michael/common/bin/log/get-hosts-block.sh.log 2>&1
# 06:45 on Monday, that way if it breaks, it won't have broken much and can be fixed at start of day.
#
# # # # #

# # # Be Nice
renice -n 15 -p $$ >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
# # # #

# # # Include Standard Paths & Functions
  IncFile="$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/includes/stdpaths.sh"
  if [ -f "$IncFile" ] ; then
    . "$IncFile"
  else
    echo 'No Standard Paths!  Exiting'
    exit 1
  fi
  . "$CommonInc/stdfunctions.sh"
  . "$CommonInc/pretty.sh"
  . "$CommonInc/beginingmsg.sh"
# # # #

# # # #
# Static Setups
# Random user aget
UserAgent=`randomUserAgent`
# # # #

# change to {$WorkingDir}
WorkingDir="/home/michael/data/trash/hoststest"
WorkingDir="/root/hosts"
if [ ! -d "$WorkingDir" ] ; then
  echo 'Hey, you goofed...'
  echo "md $WorkingDir"
  echo '-and-'
  echo 'place hosts.mine.unique in it...'
  exit
fi

cd "$WorkingDir"

# backup existing hosts
CurrDateTime=$(date +"%Y%m%d-%H%M%S")
cp --preserve=all "/etc/hosts" "$WorkingDir/hosts.$CurrDateTime"

# # # [AAA-START]
# # Notes
#
# Add as many block lists as desired, one per line.
#
# escape ('\') items that bork bash, eg..
# https://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/serverlist.php?showintro=0;hostformat=hosts
# https://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/serverlist.php?showintro=0\;hostformat=hosts
# PS: Don't use above as it's HTML, not sure where 'raw' is...
#
HostLists=(
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
)
# # # [AAA-END]

i=0
for HostList in "${HostLists[@]}"; do
  let "i=i+1"
#   echo "hostlist.$i"
#   echo "$HostList"

wget \
--user-agent="$UserAgent" \
--passive-ftp \
--execute robots=off \
--output-document="hostlist.$i" \
--append-output hostlist.log \
"$HostList"

done

cp --preserve=all 'hosts.mine.unique' 'hosts'
cat "hostlist.$i" >> 'hosts'
cp --preserve=all 'hosts' '/etc/hosts'

ls -al --color=tty /etc/hosts

. "$CommonInc/endingmsg.sh"

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:49 pm
by handy
Sparky wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:32 am I haven't used Brave, I'll give it a try.
Brave is pretty easy to configure, & you really DO need to configure it to suit yourself if you are into protecting your privacy. It has a built in add-blocker that does a good enough job & saves you from having to run an extension (which I always think has a strong possibility of shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to privacy). I run uMatrix & 4x anti browser fingerprinting extensions that apparently aren't too privacy invasive according to this site:

https://duo.com/blog/crxcavator

https://crxcavator.io/

I run no other add-on's which I think is amazing when compared to my setups in the other browsers that I have used. I'm also always using a VPN.

Anyway, good luck with it, I hope Brave helps, I know how hard it is to get a browsing setup that satisfies if you are into privacy.

Note: I just recently discovered https://metager.org/meta/meta.ger3?eing ... ch+engines which I find to be a great search engine, as it gives me results that neither startpage.com nor duckduckgo.com will give me. If for some reason I can't find anything on metager I try one of those other two. /off topic ;)

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:39 pm
by MCreaves
If you use Firefox or a Firefox-based browser, search for the addon "Facebook Container" by Mozilla Firefox.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:30 pm
by figueroa
For blocking with /etc/hosts, consider using antiX-advert-blocker and enable everything.

Re: How to disable Facebook tracking?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:33 am
by Redacted
Sparky wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:38 am Yes, I'm looking for an app that disables the tracking system wide, not an addon...
Sparky wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:58 am ... but add ons need to be installed in every browser on each computer that I have MX on. I don't access facebook, so eliminating system wide would be my first choice...