Privacy Dashboard - Find out what you are sharing
Author(s) and publish date
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Dave Raggett
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Have you ever wondered what information is being collected as you browse the Web? The Privacy Dashboard is a Firefox extension that enables you to see some of the practices that websites are using, e.g. whether they include 3rd party content, perhaps with lasting cookies that can track you across the Web, or are using a variety of other techniques. You can set your privacy preferences on a site by site basis, ranging from carefree to paranoid. The Dashboard also improves upon the browser's built-in support, making it easier to track and revoke which sites you have told Firefox to provide your geolocation to.
The Dashboard is currently available as an alpha release (see screenshots), and I am looking for volunteers with an active interest in privacy on the Web to help with its maintenance and further evolution as an open source project. This work was made possible by the support received from the PrimeLife project under the European Union's 7th Framework Programme. If you are interested in helping out, please contact me at <dsr at w3 dot org>.
Can you upload the screenshots as PNG/JPG?
I think most people will be shocked about the information that is being harvested about them without their permission. Many websites collect your IP address to determine your location, and even more install a cookie without telling you.
Of course the flip side of this is that websites can show you content that is tailored to you, making the browsing experience much more relevant.
I see this sort of personalised online experience as the future of the web. All your preferences will follow you around wherever you go. It might seem a little spooky at first, and no doubt will be abused in some cases.