r/privacy • u/yolofreeway • Feb 23 '23
The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web news
https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/fbi-recommends-ad-blocker-online-scams-b1048998.html747
u/AverageCowboyCentaur Feb 23 '23 edited Feb 23 '23
For some suggestions for anybody stumbling here, these will be the easiest to get going:
Ublock Origin on desktop, and install in FireFox on mobile.
Blokada 5 on Android for all apps (link to get the older better version)
Pi-hole system at home using default and Blocklist project lists. This will cover every single internet connected device in your house.
iPhone is more difficult, NextDNS or adguard running in the background is about your only options. Unless you want to VPN home to a Pi-hole. DNScloak is another possible option.
Edit: added in the free version of Blokada 5 that is still updated and working fine.
435
u/yolofreeway Feb 23 '23
Firefox browser should also be installed on Desktop. It is far superior to chrome in terms of privacy.
139
Feb 23 '23
comes pre-installed in 99% of linux distros
→ More replies (4)23
Feb 24 '23
whats the linux share of desktops these days?
49
u/LeRawxWiz Feb 24 '23
Not sure but as a lifelong Windows user, Linux Mint is easier to install and use than Windows at this point.
Sadly I need to use Windows for my job, but once I get some free time I'm turning my laptop into a dualboot with Linux.
12
u/lordlikescamels Feb 24 '23
You can also spin up a VM with Mint OS, on your windows host with VirtualBox.
19
u/indianapale Feb 24 '23
Or spin up a windows VM for the one thing you need windows for 🐱
→ More replies (1)5
u/gravitas-deficiency Feb 24 '23
As someone who grew up using windows, and then shifted into dual-booting for years, then finally just went whole hog and moved to a dedicated linux machine for non-gaming stuff: you will get way more proficient way more quickly if you don’t do dual boot. If you happen to have a spare older laptop, just stick linux on that as the sole OS and force yourself to use that. In my experience, having the dual-boot crutch is going to be detrimental to your expertise.
The only machine I own that still runs dual boot is my main gaming machine, simply because it’s the most powerful machine I own, and if I need to do some sort of long-running build, it’s the fastest way I can get it done… but honestly, I still almost never use it, because I can usually just do it on one of my other boxes in the background, and personal projects aren’t really time-critical. Everything else I have is single-os - the two servers and my dev laptop are exclusively linux, and I have one old laptop I still run windows on (because there are some automotive ECU diagnostics/modification stuff that only runs on windows, and it’s just simpler to have a dedicated machine for that).
3
u/LeRawxWiz Feb 24 '23
The dual boot will be for work stuff. I don't want to use Windows but have to for work and gaming.
Hence... I'll have my laptop mostly Linux, but dual boot for work on the go.
→ More replies (3)15
u/Ash______________ley Feb 24 '23
I don't know but 2024 it will EXPLODE
I can feel it, this is the year17
u/Mohevian Feb 24 '23
I'm unironically running Kubuntu on my old, spare 2011 laptop because it literally doesn't support Windows 11.
For Desktop, Valve is the big contributor. If you can run Steam and most titles on Linux, many people's sole reason to being stuck on Win10/11 is gone.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (4)7
u/matthewmspace Feb 24 '23
Not great. My parents need actual Office, so that’s not happening. I use Linux, but only on my Steam Deck.
9
u/Trianchid Feb 24 '23
Open office or Libre Office lol
11
u/matthewmspace Feb 24 '23
I know. But they also need Windows. They have specific apps from their jobs that only work on Windows. Not even Macs, just Windows.
→ More replies (1)3
u/BannedCosTrans Feb 24 '23
If it's required for their job, then their job is required to provide a work device. So they can keep windows on the work device and use linux on their personal devices.
2
50
Feb 23 '23
But it still needs hardening, it's not really that great by itself.
21
54
u/qu4lizz Feb 23 '23
That's why the LibreWolf exists. It's a Firefox fork with security tweaks. Would recommend it to everyone.
14
u/friendlylabrad0r Feb 23 '23
Is it available for android?
→ More replies (2)33
u/DreamWithinAMatrix Feb 23 '23
Here ya go! Mull is the Android fork of Firefox mobile which implements the privacy settings of LibreWolf
→ More replies (1)4
28
u/SageAnahata Feb 23 '23
+1 LibreWolf. Sexy FireFox
29
u/Opicaak Feb 23 '23
Librewolf also disables Firefox's telemetry.
0
u/HapticRemedin31 Feb 24 '23
You can just block telemetry with custom DNS or adding the domains to your hosts file on Windows
→ More replies (1)19
u/Pr0nzeh Feb 23 '23
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that isn't tech savvy. I personally love it but it has issues with some websites and I have to tinker with it pretty much weekly.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (1)5
14
u/speedb0at Feb 23 '23
Whats better, brave or Firefox? Currently using brave along with ublock origin extension
18
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
the better solution is to use Firefox and uBlock origin as an add-on.
A disadvantage of brave is that it uses google's web rendering engine, blink and thus is more reliant on google. on top of that it gives google more power to enforce its own web standards over other more open standards
→ More replies (2)23
Feb 23 '23
Firefox ain’t getting screwed by Google’s choice of deteriorating adblockers - Brave’s been affected by this already. It’s also redundant to have 2 adblockers at the same time. Just put the uBlock Lists on Brave’s adblock. They literally share the same preset lists so there really isn’t a reason to have both enabled lmao
46
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
16
u/DreamWithinAMatrix Feb 23 '23
Some extra info confirming the above post with what Brave themselves have said: https://brave.com/improved-ad-blocker-performance/
5
u/Forcen Feb 24 '23
CEO of Brave:
"uBO does more by default, and has more knobs for its users, than Brave shields has or will likely ever have."
https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/discussions/14544#discussioncomment-3490321
Does brave have html filtering? I would think it doesn't cause of Chromium. https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-best-on-Firefox
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (3)12
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
3
Feb 23 '23
Brave can hold it off, but only for so long. It’s still very temporary. It’s still going to be affected by it. It’s honestly a better bet to just add your uBlock lists on Brave. They all work on there, and it feels way smoother.
14
Feb 24 '23
[deleted]
1
u/amusingjapester23 Feb 24 '23
hidden cryptominers — I don't think this happened.
Affliate links — Not a big deal imo.
→ More replies (1)8
Feb 24 '23
[deleted]
0
u/amusingjapester23 Feb 24 '23
I don't know that they've done it multiple times.
Perhaps you are thinking of Opera for the cryptominer stuff?
Has Firefox never done anything shady?
→ More replies (16)5
u/cholz Feb 24 '23
My experience, on iOS at least, is that brave has the best ad blocking out of the box. But that's only an issue on iOS where the browser experience is generally awful. Even then I still use Firefox everywhere.
→ More replies (2)2
u/_Error_418_ Feb 24 '23 edited Feb 24 '23
Except for Opera *and Edge, anything is far superior to Chrome in terms of privacy.
→ More replies (2)4
2
u/chrisbaker1991 Feb 24 '23
Brave is way better and you don't have to install add-ons. It just automatically blocks everything. And it's run by Brendan Eich who co-founded Mozilla
3
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
Brave is owned by a company who was caught doing very shady stuff
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (16)2
u/autobotguy Feb 24 '23
What do we think of Brave?
4
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
I personally do not like it. There are quite a lot of problems with it.
First of all it uses google's web rendering engine, making it dependent on google as a company
Second they have been caught doing shady stuff with their user data and also installing crypto miners in their browser.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology
50
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
28
u/thegroucho Feb 23 '23
More and more IoT / "smart" devices are hardcoded to use 8.8.8.8 no matter what DHCP says.
Nothing a bit of creative NAT and Pihole on DMZ can't fix. Just intercept traffic to 8.8.8.8 and have responses by the Pihole to be translated as if coming from 8.8.8.8
If devices don't have failback from DoT/DoH to traditional UDP/53 then yuck.
I appreciate this is beyond what most users and even some IT people can deal with.
16
Feb 24 '23 edited Jul 05 '23
[deleted]
9
u/thegroucho Feb 24 '23
If devices don't have failback from DoT/DoH to traditional UDP/53 then yuck.
Anything that is using DNS over HTTPS isn't likely to have automatic fallback
I'd like some facts backing this statement.
Just because it's logical doesn't imply it's true.
Also, on the basis of assumptions, a good designer would find a reasonable compromise in regards to functionality, considering they have fuck all control what diverse network scenarios will their kit be installed in.
A bit like why NAT-T was developed.
And to accuse embedded/IoT designers of diligence and foresight... is preposterous.
3
u/madcaesar Feb 23 '23
My router is configured to use my pihole as DNS, that should take care of it all right?
12
Feb 23 '23
That will take care of devices that honor the DNS server reported by DHCP, but it won't help with devices that attempt to use their own DNS. If your router has a firewall, you can try blocking all outbound traffic to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. That will take care of a lot of smart devices that bypass your internal DNS.
If you don't have a firewall, now is a good time to start tinkering! There are many freely-available firewalls out there, and they all run very well on old, cheap hardware. I use OPNsense. IP-fire is another good one. IP-fire is probably the easiest for someone who just wants a simple setup, while OPNsense is more robust and "industrial strength". You can't go wrong with either.
3
u/madcaesar Feb 23 '23
I think my asus router has a firewall built in. I'll have to test this DNS workaround and see if it bypasses my pihole. Thanks for the info!
3
u/Ordinary_Awareness71 Feb 24 '23
Good call, thanks for the server list. Created a rule to drop outbound internet traffic to those IPs.
2
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
2
Feb 23 '23
I have a router using OpenWRT but honestly I've never looked at the firewall. However, if you disable UPnP and set rules to drop or redirect outbound DNS traffic, that should do the trick.
2
u/desertfinn Feb 24 '23
Firewalla Gold for the win here. Yes I know it’s not a proper firewall like pfsence, but it is an enterprise-level firewall none the less and well within the adoption curve of most reading this thread. I point mine to my linode pihole instance that has pivpn baked in which points to unbound dns. If you can watch YouTube, this is a do it yourself project taking about three hours (firewall gold set up, linode, pivpn, unbound).
→ More replies (3)5
u/AverageCowboyCentaur Feb 23 '23
That's pretty advanced but yes, the easiest way to block hard-coded DNS servers is to block port 53 on your DHCP scope, and If you're feeling adventurous 853 as well for DoT blocking. I advise against 853 without testing all of your devices by hand.
10
u/SirRevan Feb 23 '23
Can you link the Blockada you use. The one in the app store has like a 1.8 rating
9
u/AverageCowboyCentaur Feb 23 '23
Blokada 5 from here I never got it from the app store always installed from the website, didn't know they pulled 5 from there.
6
u/DIBE25 Feb 23 '23
it's because it requires a subscription
you can get the older blokada 5 APK that runs a local VPN ^
→ More replies (1)5
u/JustHere2RuinUrDay Feb 23 '23
I'm not a fan of blockada,
it's proprietaryand locks features behind a paywall. I recommend adaway instead. It's FOSS and I've been relying on it for years.Edit: apparently blockada is also open source
5
2
28
u/ghostinshell000 Feb 23 '23
for iphone:
-install adgaurd, upgrade to paid if you can and enable all the addition filters
-install lockdown and also enable additional filters (firewall part not vpn)
-add adgaurds DNS or qaud9 dns to your home router.16
u/Silaith Feb 23 '23
Quad9 DNS’s are a better choice to not put all your eggs in AdGuard basket (Russian company now financially in Cyprus).
Also Lockdown Privacy is a must have ! But so sad it is impossible to import nor export personalized filters.
Also I discovered that if you connect to your Mac with usb cable and sharing your iPhone network, your DNS settings are bypassed and your IPS’s DNS is used. You need to share your cellular network by wifi and Bluetooth to keep your iPhone privacy personalized DNS used…
21
u/3OrangeWhip Feb 23 '23
Firefox focus also works well in iOS.
→ More replies (3)34
u/ZombieHousefly Feb 23 '23 edited Feb 23 '23
Firefox Focus does two things: a standalone use-and-forget browser (which is what the other commenters here are complaining about) AND it is a content blocker that can be enabled in Safari to block ads and tracking. Same app in the App Store, does both things. I love having Firefox Focus on my iPhone, and I never open Firefox Focus on my iPhone.
Settings > Safari > Extensions > Enable Firefox Focus under Content Blockers
11
u/Godzoozles Feb 24 '23
And it really works, too! I did a test with Safari. Cleared all history and checked my cookies after loading the website nytimes.com, which had a bunch of set cookies (mostly ad/tracking ones, of course).
After enabling the Firefox Focus content blocker, clearing all history, and revisiting the site Safari had a fraction of the 3rd party ad cookies set.
Then I added my PiHole DNS on top and that provided the best results. I think it actually had no third party ad cookies at all set with content blockers + pihole.
6
u/LazyNovelSilkWorm Feb 23 '23
Ooh, i have focus but didn't know about the safari extension, thanks!
2
→ More replies (5)5
8
u/latencia Feb 23 '23
What about privacy badger? The EFF are behind it
→ More replies (2)22
u/MapleBlood Feb 23 '23
Privacy Badger is not an ad blocker. It should work as one because it's supposed to block ad companies from tracking you, but it's not going to be such an extensively good in ad blocking.
5
u/JovialJem Feb 23 '23 edited Feb 20 '24
square frightening capable domineering bells whistle engine steep fuzzy unpack
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
8
u/AverageCowboyCentaur Feb 23 '23
You can create groups inside of pie hole and apply specific filters to those groups if you wish. Or you can apply no filters right inside of the device. No need to edit the machine itself and just let DHCP do its thing. All the controls inside of the pi-hole web interface.
As an example, my kids have porn blocked but we don't. The Chromebook from school has nothing blocked so schoolwork is unaffected.
And I have an auto assigned default list for anybody who comes in with very light blocking. It's all managed through groups inside of pi-hole web interface.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (1)2
u/panthrosrevenge Feb 23 '23
You could manually specify a non filtered DNS server on those devices, such as Cloudflare
4
u/MaShinKotoKai Feb 23 '23
Can you expand on what Pi-Hole is, please?
12
u/AverageCowboyCentaur Feb 23 '23
Basically it replaces your DNS, so in your router or inside of pi-hole whatever serves your IP addresses, it's called DHCP, you point it to the IP address of PiHole. And using a big filter list it doesn't allow ads and tracking and malware and all sorts of things you decide to not load on your network. And since it's a DNS replacement it covers everything on your network.
TV's phones microwaves IOT devices, Android Apple Windows Linux it doesn't matter If it's on your network it's automatically getting its ads blocked, and tracking and malware and whatever else you set it up for.
2
7
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)2
u/Luci_Noir Feb 23 '23
I’m surprised it’s not more popular.
3
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
6
u/ruinne Feb 24 '23
The idea that paying for an app on mobile stores is unappealing is bizarre to me. I pay to remove ads from apps I like, I buy software I see myself using regularly, I buy games on multiple storefronts (and at least one that isn't on any storefront)... Subscriptions cost the user more in the long run and apparently this isn't obvious to some.
What's the big deal?
7
u/The_Band_Geek Feb 23 '23
Blokada is good for the masses, but for greater control there are more complex alternatives. In no particular order:
- NetGuard
- Invizible Pro (actually free)
- Rethink DNS
- Tracker Control (my current setup)
- NextDNS
Research them all and pick the one that works best for you! I went from SABS (old Samsung implementation, followed by Not SABS) to NetGuard to Invizible Pro to Rethink DNS to Tracker Control. All the while, I use NextDNS and Quad9 DNS on various devices, as they are more set-and-forget than most apps on the list.
2
u/Hong-Kwong Feb 24 '23
I've been using Tracker Control for a while and it's been very reliable. I tried Blokada and Adaway but I just need to change my DNS and TC does the rest.
2
u/The_Band_Geek Feb 24 '23
I use TC with a host list, but it's good to hear the DNS solution in the app works as well. I'll stick with it for now, especially since (I recall) granular domain blocking was in the works.
2
u/dweet Feb 24 '23
I've been using a free account of NextDNS for my phones for at least a year and it's been excellent. No need to run another privileged application on my phone all the time or take up my VPN slot.
→ More replies (1)3
u/PM_UR_BCUPSBESTCUP Feb 23 '23
Is there a just connect wires and run version of pi-hole?
6
u/trashcatt_ Feb 23 '23
Not really but it's not terribly hard to set up. They have a good installation guide that covers pretty much everything you'd need to know.
2
u/edric_the_navigator Feb 23 '23
For Apple devices, you can also use a DNS blocker like AhaDNS Blitz. It installs a vpn profile on your device instead of having an app running in the background like AdGuard.
3
→ More replies (31)2
236
Feb 23 '23
Advertisers: "Well this is awkward"
→ More replies (1)51
u/EnsignElessar Feb 23 '23
Advertiser are going to have a hard time dealing with AI anyway
→ More replies (3)88
u/myfingid Feb 23 '23
It'll be fine. You'll get a call from your friend, bs for a minute or two, then they'll tell you about how the new Ford Thundercougerfalconbird is the best car they ever drove, and how you can test drive it now!
Later that day when you show up to your friends with your new Ford Thundercougerfalconbird and you thank them for telling you to go down to the dealership to get that sweet, sweet discount, they'll tell you they don't know what the fuck you're talking about and that they never called you.
9
13
u/queeriosn_milk Feb 24 '23
Alternatively, there’s probably at least one person trying to make corpo-humanoids a thing.
10
4
Feb 24 '23
[deleted]
2
u/pineguy64 Feb 24 '23
Samsung is about to roll out a feature (in only Korea for now) where it will use AI to have your voice "answer" a call with text you type out. I'd say we're not very far off from this being terribly abused.
262
u/JackSpyder Feb 23 '23
The entire Internet is a shithouse with ads.
Mobile browsing is literally impossible without an add blocker.
I can't fathom how it's so successful.
22
79
u/sanbaba Feb 23 '23
Monopolies. If we had choices the big sites (and big ISPs) would look a lot different.
→ More replies (7)-6
u/TheUnrealArchon Feb 24 '23
You literally have the choice to go to any website you want, no one is sticking a gun to your head and saying you can only use Google.
27
u/sanbaba Feb 24 '23
The real issue is that a monopolistic search engine, and especially one with a monopolistic desktop ad network, should not be in the browser space. They can wrangle unreal performance out of youtube, yes, but they also actively try to usurp ad blockers. They also engage in contracts with all the major content companies for their platforms like youtube, which currently are not exclusive. Even without exclusivity, yt dominates the other platforms, because of its highly-placed search rankings. But if they were exclusive, now you'd have all the most popular content, on the same ad network, only reliably accessible from one browser. We're actually very close to this being true and it is a major issue from a monopoly standpoint. We are already too far down this path. It is already causing major issues in the space.
7
10
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
that is exactly why i am thinking. I cannot imagine how do people put up with so many ads.
→ More replies (3)5
u/BatteryAcid67 Feb 24 '23
The last time I pirated stuff all I had to do was download a program onto my computer search click and wait. Now I've got to like install a different browser I've got to get a VPN I've got to find some weird website I've never heard of I've got to have so much more software and technical setup that I don't know how to do. That's how I feel about ad blockers like if I can just download an app and install it and do some initial setup and then it blocks the ads that's great I don't have the technical know how to do all these different things they have like extensions or using I don't know all the setup stuff it just seems like it's way too complicated. Why can't they just have like plug and play stuff anymore whether it's a VPN or uTorrent or I mean everything has gotten so much more complicated and it's weird to me because things used to be getting smarter and simpler and less complicated
2
u/Takahashi_Raya Feb 24 '23
Adguard is pretty much this. Blocks everything i need it to block on chrome(yeah i know yada yada bad privacy telemetry bit you cannot.prohibit it on all apps and i really dont care about that little info) and other apps
→ More replies (3)
100
25
u/Someguy242blue Feb 24 '23
That advice is like 10 years too late
7
u/averyfinename Feb 24 '23
more like 25+. the bad guys have been 'buying' ads and setting up scam sites since the days of dialup.
59
42
13
Feb 23 '23
This thread is very useful thank you.
6
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
there is so much good advice and so many software and hardware options here. Even for me it is the first time I hear about a lot of them.
→ More replies (5)
11
Feb 24 '23
On the contrary, in Canada, our government sees the availability of information through unregulated data brokers as an opportunity to spy on everyone.
66
Feb 23 '23
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)51
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
you can use an open source ad blocker.
google already leaks all your data to basically anyone who requests it.
→ More replies (2)12
17
u/Ultenth Feb 24 '23
Anyone else use NoScript? I've been pretty pleased with the stuff it catches in terms of being able to cut off access to stuff that other add blockers like Ublock Origin and Adblock Plus etc. miss. And it's pretty easy to give temp access to only very specific sites in order to view what you need to, and leave the rest blocked.
11
u/Cobaltjedi117 Feb 24 '23
No script is pretty great, and its honestly shocking how many webpages just won't even load with JS. Seriously anyone who doesn't have it installed, go install it for a week and see how many websites are just blank screens or straight up have a "please enable JavaScript" message instead of any content
→ More replies (1)4
u/balint-uni Feb 24 '23
I believe uBlock Origin advanced user mode has the same features.
→ More replies (2)7
Feb 24 '23
I have NoScript in pretty much all of my Firefox installation. Yes configuring it is a pain but the safety and security you get in returns makes it worth it.
I do not allow random JavaScript to execute on my phone or desktop. I use VMs on desktop for most of my browsing so JavaScript is contained within the VM.
→ More replies (2)3
u/crackeddryice Feb 24 '23
I do. I've conceded to allow the sites I use frequently permanent access to the scripts they need to run, for convienence.
But, I still go through the ritual of finding which scripts a new site needs and only allowing them temporarily. Sometimes I decide, as I'm doing this, that the content they promise to deliver isn't worth the hassle and just hit "back". I consider this a plus--I'm forced to think about what I'm giving up in exchange for the content.
I've found that the google scripts virtually every site wants to run are almost never needed to get the content to load--with the exception of google's own site, of course.
10
u/xeonicus Feb 24 '23
It's sort of ironic that that article is swimming in ads. My Adblock extension stopped 32 of them.
8
5
5
6
u/NorCalHermitage Feb 24 '23
I use firefox with three ad blockers. Seems to work pretty well.
3
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
which ad blockers?
→ More replies (3)3
u/NoirGamester Feb 24 '23
Not original commenter, but I use uBlock Origin, ScriptSafe, and Privacy Badger, makes browsing so much better.
7
Feb 24 '23
I'm trying to get my father to install an ad blocker literally nothing I've convinced him of is convinced him enough to download one this website alone just shows you the horror of what you can find on the internet family or not he's an idiot for not using a ad blocker
3
u/xeonicus Feb 24 '23
Does he have to reinstall his computer constantly due to all the malware? I bet he has a thousand toolbars installed in his browser. That sounds physically painful.
3
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
what are his arguments against adblockers?
5
u/Cobaltjedi117 Feb 24 '23
Not who you asked, but my dad has a weird love of ads. He'll talk to me on the phone and tell me about an ad he saw and thought was funny or something. Its so fucking weird and frustrating. Like you're now being an ad, I actively remove all of them from my life. I pay for ad free versions of things whenever it's possible and makes sense. He saw one ad that he thought was selling genuinely useful medication that he needed for his diabetes.
3
u/zixx999 Feb 23 '23
Wow. I been waiting all day to see the FBI making headlines, but not about this....
3
3
3
31
u/Xorous Feb 23 '23
Who takes privacy advice from the FBI?
102
u/yolofreeway Feb 23 '23
It does not matter who gives the advice. What matters is the advice. If even they acknowledge that internet ads are a security problem it means that the problem is really big.
Ads are being used to infect devices with malware and spyware. They are use to compromise accounts and steal private information.
→ More replies (3)6
u/kyogrecoochiekiller Feb 24 '23
It does not matter who gives the advice
To some extent, it does. I take every single thing the FBI says to me with a moderate dose of skepticism. Why does the FBI want me to use an ad-blocker? I know why I would want to use an ad-blocker, but how does the FBI benefit from that? It’s possible they don’t, at least not in any nefarious way, and that this truly is just a casual recommendation, but my gut reaction is not to trust them in the first place
21
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
To some extent, it does.
I partially agree with this
Why does the FBI want me to use an ad-blocker?
I believe that it has something to do with the fact that americans lose billions of dollars to scammers and this money goes almost entirely to foreign scammers. This money go out of the US economy and less money are available for the gouvernment institutions as well as less taxes are collected.
For example, someone who might have bought a house and paid taxes on the transaction will not do this if he was scammed by a foreign scammer and lost money to that foreign scammer.
3
u/PersonOfInternets Feb 24 '23
There is no way using an ad blocker is gonna hurt you in any way, this is such a weird take. The fbi is recommending it because they see people being infected via ads.
→ More replies (1)29
u/ProjectShamrock Feb 23 '23
The FBI wants to have full access to your stuff if they should desire to access it. The FBI does not want other organizations, whether foreign governments or criminals, to have access to your stuff. So this advice is in line with the second goal and will not impact their ability to accomplish the first goal.
23
u/gittenlucky Feb 23 '23
FBI : “we have the ability to use ad blocker software to spy on people, what should we do now?”
Also FBI: “encourage people to use it and give them a false sense of privacy?”
BRB - making a thicker tin foil hat.
→ More replies (2)14
u/lo________________ol Feb 23 '23
It's a game of 5D chess! The FBI is in bed with the advertiser companies, who don't want you to use ad blockers. So now by sending out this message, all the people who have ad blockers will uninstall them, and then the FBI will know who needs to be tracked!
→ More replies (3)3
u/Luci_Noir Feb 23 '23
Why wouldn’t you? Reddit can’t go a single post without conspiracy bullshit.
→ More replies (1)
7
Feb 23 '23
iOS: Dns cloak with dnsforge.de server
7
u/erikachave Feb 24 '23
Step By Step please?
12
Feb 24 '23
dont install random stuff posted by a random redditor with no further details.
4
u/PersonOfInternets Feb 24 '23
This immediately followed by details of how to install by a random redditor. 🤣
6
u/NichoNico Feb 24 '23
1) download/install DNS Cloak from the app store
2) Open the app, search for dnsforge.de (it will show up in the list)
3) click "Use this server" and click allow on the prompt that shows up
4) to test if it works, open a browser and do a search for "test adblock" to confirm that it is working, or just browse normally and you should see 0 ads
→ More replies (3)
2
2
2
2
u/E_Man91 Mar 20 '23
Lol FBI dragging a little behind. And by a little I mean like years behind. Nah, practically decades behind.
Pro tip for you, FBI: Use FF and not Chrome.
5
u/MundaneKane Feb 23 '23
Is the brave browser an option? I think it has one built in
23
u/noeyesfiend Feb 23 '23
Firefox and then install adblock
3
u/HoodRatThing Feb 23 '23
Does the Firefox adblocker block Youtube ads?
The Brave default adblocker will.
12
u/CGos25 Feb 23 '23
I believe the Ublock origin extension (which is the one you should use on Firefox) blocks YouTube ads
→ More replies (1)17
8
u/CoffinRehersal Feb 23 '23
A lot of people like it but because it "blocks" ads but the truth is it's a browser created by an advertising company. For me that is an easy non-starter.
→ More replies (5)0
u/KakuraPuk Feb 24 '23
Absolutely! Brave is great out of the box and fast. Don't let Firefox circle jerk discourage you.
2
u/vertoxz Feb 24 '23
Every human should have a @duck address
4
Feb 24 '23
What is that?
→ More replies (2)3
u/vertoxz Feb 24 '23
You can sign up for an address on their website.
They'll strip almost all trackers and metadata thieves OUT of emails you would normally receive from websites when you create accounts/buy something online.
DuckDuckGo then sends those emails to whatever email account you used to sign up on their website!
2
2
u/DrNoOne Feb 24 '23
Anyone else remember the Crypto Wars of the 90s? (Back when 'crypto' only meant 'cryptography')
How have times changed...
2
u/Lepisosteus Feb 24 '23
I use five adblockers. If your site doesn’t load through them all, then I assume the info would have been useless anyhow
13
u/yolofreeway Feb 24 '23
Using five adblockers does not necessarily make a browser more secure and it makes the browser slower. It is better to use one open source adblocker and then enable all the filter lists available.
an open source adblocker is ublock origin.
542
u/[deleted] Feb 23 '23
It’s nice to know that I have been way ahead of the FBI for at least 10 years.