Blocking Social Networks

[Mysterian]

  I do like basic Avast. I have issues that appeared after joining social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, well, on & on. They were able to associate me with data that I had no desire for as well as trying to connect me with people's emails that have not heard from for a long time. Obvious that other people share far more than I am comfortable with. So I quit those social sites even going so far as to list them in blocked sites in Avast & listed their urls as blocked in IE Security Restricted sites. But am amazed at how invasive these sites can be, If I am signed in at any email or private web site that has a link whether shown or hidden with these sites, I can suddenly be presented with screens that show that my account is being linked with whatever social network is involved. Indeed even see that Avast has links to "share" on sites such as facebook or twitter at bottom of pages. Is there no way to control these bothersome social network sites making background connections with almost any site a person visits.

The popups of data about to be shared are becoming very common, and you have to pay attention or you once again become tied in. I think this does represent a privacy and security issue as however far they are able to connect or gather hidden data through cookies and java, may also share that data with people that have dangerous designs for any data they can gather. I have opted out of numerous cloud services due to similar concerns, as well as the avast cloud. Managing and controlling privacy and security has become such an issue that for first time I have considered closing my internet connection and selling my computer. I have even had issues with recent Windows Update downloading software into my computer without permission.

Really seems like security needs review on all the major sites of the net, some sites have as many as a dozen different services that can be used to sign into the site, how many people realize how much data is being shared without their knowledge, especially data that can be completely false. Companies trying to build consumer profiles can use any data that may link in, whether accurate or not, if I was interested in finding a site to advertise on and was falsely led to advertise on the wrong sites, I think I would be very upset, so this issue effects not just individuals, but commercial interests as well. I know I have described a lot of issues, which involves a wide range of subjects, but that is part of the problem, so much of the net has really become a big part of the problem. Is this on the avast agenda for consideration?

[mchain]

Hi Mysterian,

Privacy issues for anyone on the internet are a rising concern, not only for you, but many other people as well.

Seems to me the main issue is, you are seeing, or are forced to see, advertising or links, presented to you while you are online, sometimes with your personal data made visible to you.

There is an add-on for browsers other than IE that blocks this sort of behavior.  You won't see it anymore.

Here:  http://adblockplus.org/en/

If IE is your main browser, strongly suggest using another browser such as firefox (some users here absolutely hate this one) or Chrome (ditto) as the security protection within them tend to be higher than IE can provide.  Some of this additional protection actually comes from the optional add-ons you can run within them that you cannot with IE.  Not to mention it, but these third-party browsers are updated far more frequently than IE is, or ever was.

WOT (World Of Trust) is another good add-on to consider.

Here:  http://www.mywot.com/

Main reason I still have IE is because I cannot uninstall it, and I can only get security updates from Microsoft using IE.  Getting those security updates is the only thing I use IE for.  I do not use it for anything else.

[SafeSurf]

Mysterian,

Under the Avast GUI > Settings > Community > do you have anything checked off in the Community Features area?  If so, uncheck it then reboot your machine and see if this helps.

As mentioned earlier, you can add plug-in's with other browsers (see my Signature) to help protect your privacy.

But by joining social network sites, you are opening yourself to the world and your privacy is gone.  You may want to consider changing your email and perhaps your passwords to stronger ones as well.  Make sure you have a strong firewall (2 way inbound and outbound).  When on a forum, use a different user name and password for each one as well.

[Mysterian]

Hello mchain & SafeSurf,

   Most of your suggestions are already in use although have not tried mywot, do have adblock, also use httpseverywhere but must shut that down when there are issues on certain sites or program clash.Also use trackmenot which just does false searching while online to help invalidate any commercial profile being created. And no I don't have any community services allowed on Avast or any other program, despite having to check everytime I re-install something to see if it has reset my settings.

   My last issue was with an online dictionary, won't mention names but one of the big ones. I was signed in to flickr and saw someone quoting a meaning from that dictionary and so went to the dictionary to see if I could aid in them producing a better definition. (I'm in research) I guess this issue was my own fault at least in part since I did not sign out of flicker when I went to the dictionary. Flickr automatically signs you into your email address at same time you sign into flickr, and so when I clicked on contact in dictionary, specifically definitions relating to that word, and added data and then hit send I was greeted with a popup saying my email was being linked with facebook. I never even told my email to the dictionary, but the link was being made from my email to Facebook through flickr and the dictionary website, all behind the scenes. I dumped my contribution and data, signed out of flickr and signed back into email to make sure no link had been made. That is another issue with online emails, so many Apps enabled by default and I want none of them. I think this enabling Apps by default was started by facebook and other sites just started thinking what a great idea, (not for users).

Oh mchain,

I note your comment;
 

"Main reason I still have IE is because I cannot uninstall it, and I can only get security updates from Microsoft using IE."

I do see your system is XP as is SafeSurf's, mine is 7 and this last month has been a nightmare with updates for 7, not sure about XP. I felt much more safe using XP than with 7. I have uninstalled windows updates as well as IE from XP before but it was tricky and you had to reinstall a fake updates folder etc before booting windows again. That involved booting the system from usb flash loaded with an old version of Ubuntu and finding the windows system and cutting updates out very carefully while installation of false folders etc is done. It does involve changing directory-address changes in registry and some shortcuts can be fatal if not done properly. Of course you say you use it for downloading of updates so maybe you really don't want it removed. As for my 7 system I have not removed the programing for updates from 7 as of this date, but is more likely than before this last month. Right now I have updates disabled and "not working" from administrative (local) services settings, due to major trust issues. Windows updates last month started downloading virtually anything they wanted even if updates were set to manually update, Rather than going through describing all the issues, will give a few links to online news concerning updates, ( I hate to say online that I distrust Microsoft).

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Microsoft-installs-Skype-without-consent-1627601.html

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproinstall/thread/d046bce8-38dd-4be5-8abb-5486200379a6/

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Update-for-Windows-Update-has-teething-troubles-1624979.html

Anyway I started this thread in hopes of attracting attention to privacy and security issues especially as concerns Social Networks, I tend to note trends and do have concern that the net may slowly turn into a pay-per-view consumer profiling nightmare, even worse than anything from 1984's big brother scenario, without security systems that control constant theft of intellectual data without consent, well I shudder.

[DavidR]

If you haven't already got OpenDNS as your DNS server, then that also has a dashboard function that blocks many different categories, social networks if I remember rightly is one of those.

I don't have a single social network membership and that is the way it will stay, I think that they are the devils spawn and basically are in it for their benefit rather than the members.

[CraigB]

Mysterian Maybe you have had all these security issues because you dont do your windows updates, win 7 is much tighter on security than xp ever was and IE9 and far more configurable with security addons that are available such as tracking protection lists and certain browser addons, quite frankly even suggesting uninstalling IE is a security risk as your not going to recieve any of the latest windows security updates which is going to leave a huge hole in your protection.

I totally aggree with DavidR about social network sites

[DavidR]

The name/term social network is a big misnomer there is nothing social about it, it is a business.

[Mysterian]

Hello craigb,

   I had WU on manual and checked several times a week till 2 weeks ago when my manual settings were overrun by Microsoft and crashed my computer with a faulty update that was expected to fix the weakness that allowed the mega malware Flame to function, a weakness in WU. Since the fix I never agreed to didn't work I shut down WU because it is a security risk. Similar issues did happen in the past with WU but always had the choice before on fixes, not this time, as of 2 weeks ago.

XP perhaps had less security, but was more adaptive to new programing and so wrote my own firewall for that, that didn't allow any connections in or out without my permission. Even windows couldn't crack that wall, but 7 fails, (crashes) every time a real secure firewall is made. I have saved settings for this new firewall w 7 but they are likely to change without any notification whatsoever. Am seeking an external firewall (without router) but have not seen any recently. I do have triple boot on this system now 7, XP, Linux. But can not feel safe with any important research on this system so that goes on another computer without internet access. Having multiple boots does allow working on a system that is frozen from another operating system on that same computer as long as you have a method of viewing the other systems.

Is perhaps a shame that XP is slowly being cut from updates.

UPDATE:
Something just occurred to me, and I am rather curious about it, although am getting further away from the topic I started. I have not booted XP online from any machine since I had the crash of 7 which was repaired by removal of the fix from WU. I do enjoy the added speed of 7 when using ready boost and that makes surfing faster although I never use any accelerators. Back to my question; Has anyone using XP online on manual updates checked to see if there are any updates made since the last manual update which you allowed? I know updates has changed between the 2 systems but am curious if same thing is being somehow done to XP users as well.

[SafeSurf]

I have several machines:  XP, XP Pro, and Vista.  My main one is XP.  I only allow to let MS let me know when updates are available, then I install them at my convenience because my Internet connection can be very slow at times.  There were many updates recently on both XP and Vista, but more on XP.  I was surprised since I too also thought the support was over.  But I have not had an issue with MS automatically installing the updates even though I checked off for it to notify me when updates are available to be downloaded.

[DavidR]

My main system is XP Pro and from my days on dial-up (just over 18 months ago), I never let WU auto update and was always visiting the WU page and selectively downloading updates, some one at a time because they were so damn big.

Now I'm on fast broadband I still don't allow WU to auto update, only to notify but not download, I then select what should be downloaded and installed. This is generally all with the exception of the MS Malicious Software removal tool, total waste of time on my system and I don't want to give free information to MS (I'm a trusting sort you have guessed NOT).

[Mysterian]

 Good to hear XP has remained safe , at least for now. Still hate that updates will soon end for that great program. Reminds me of when everyone was stuck with ME and 98 support was dwindling. Do remember what we did then with no support, started changing names and folders of all systems and rewrites on redirects and shortcuts. Automated attacks failed everytime because they couldn't find where they wanted to go in the system, and everyone named everything different. I remember my recycle bin was the "Treasure Chest".

OK back on topic, Blocking Social Networks. When I was young, so much younger than today, my Grandpa used to say; "the wheel that squeaked was the wheel that gets the grease". Am afraid today's throw-away society has changed that to; "the wheel that squeaks is the wheel that gets replaced". Just a few posts ago in this very thread I was alarmed about how Facebook was squealing under the covers; "Yahoo!" And what do I come upon in the news today?     Grrr...

Yahoo and Facebook Strike Patent Peace Deal, Significantly Expanding Ad and Content Partnership
http://allthingsd.com/20120706/exclusive-yahoo-and-facebook-strike-patent-peace-deal-expand-ad-and-content-partnership/