web bugs

[catrina]

In NoScript Options, on the Untrusted tab, I have Forbid "web bugs" checked. My question is why do web bugs still show up on pages which i haven't marked as trusted or have marked as untrusted? What i'm doing wrong since the web bugs are still embedded on many web sites. What am i not understanding?

Appreciate your efforts & the sharing of your knowledge,
Catrina

[Giorgio Maone]

NoScript blocks a very specific kind of web bugs, i.e. images contained inside <NOSCRIPT> elements.
Anyway, since web bugs are by definition "invisible background requests to 3rd party sites", how do they "show up"?

[Catrina]

Thanks for the explanation. I see there's much more reading ahead for me!

As for the question regarding "invisible background requests to 3rd party sites", how do they "show up", the answer is from using the Add-on, "Ghostery", v 1.3.9. According to the info from Ghostery:
"Ghostery alerts you when you visit a web site that has web bugs on it. Web bugs are hidden scripts that track your behavior and notifies you about the invisible web elements contained in the current page. Including web bugs, javascript libraries, etc."

This is how i noticed the web bugs. It's much easier than searching through the media list in the page info.

[Tom T.]

IIRC, an early and simple use of web bugs, still prevalent, was the insertion of a one-pixel clear gif image. Its presence on the page made a call to its source, effectively telling the source that you have been there (tracking you).

I use AdBlock original, and pretty much block images on *all* sites where I'm concerned about web bugs. You'd be amazed at how much simpler Yahoo mail is to read and navigate without the annoying pics. If all images are blocked, then this type of web bug should be blocked as well. Yes, I've seen them in the AdBlock list on the page, or in the page source code.

Just for fun, I just added *.clear.gif to the AdBlock filter list. Might help. GL!

[catrina]

Thanks Tom. I'm using Adblock & have added "*.clear.gif" to the filter list. It does help! I appreciate your input because i didn't realize it could be that easy.

[Alan Baxter]

Thanks Tom. I'm using Adblock & have added "*.clear.gif" to the filter list. It does help! I appreciate your input because i didn't realize it could be that easy.

Hi, catrina. I'm using Adblock Plus instead of Adblock, which hasn't been supported for years. The EasyPrivacy filter set subscription for Adblock Plus does a bang-up job on many web bugs and all sorts of other tracking devices.

[GµårÐïåñ]

I agree with Alan, use Adblock Plus and the filter sets are pretty good too. In addition, remember that although setting that filter might work on the majority, they don't have to all call it the same thing, so you may not catch everyone with that. That will catch anyone using that naming convention. In fact one of the things many developers do to avoid being filtered is to change names and conventions frankly. There is nothing preventing one from calling it partypooper.png Good luck.