On the Web, Children Face Intensive Tracking

theodp writes "In the latest installment of their online privacy investigation, the Wall Street Journal reports that children face intensive tracking on the web, finding that popular children's websites install more tracking technologies on personal computers than do the top websites aimed at adults. In an analysis of 50 sites popular with US teens and children, the WSJ found that Google — whose execs recently lectured parents on online child safety — placed the most tracking files overall."

Re:I have no problem with sites using Cookies

[phantomfive]

It's not just cookies in place to keep track of user state. If you read the article, they did a fairly in-depth investigation, showing that these websites are tracking user-information and selling it to third parties (they confronted one company, who denied it until they presented their evidence). Since this article is talking about children, it's not like that they are worried about porn-sites. Did you read the article at all? If my ISP is tracking my browsing and selling that info to third parties, I'm going to be upset about that too. It's ok to be upset about one thing, and another thing that is not quite as bad.

Obligatory Firefox and plugins list

[markzip]

Perhaps as the WSJ continues its wrong-headed, sensationalistic and, indeed disingenuous* "What Do They Know" series they might just consider telling their frightened readers how to deal with this supposed danger.

But no, the only reference to browsing tools comes in the rather anemic comments section.

Note to WSJ: Next time you scream "won't they think of the kids..." please tell your readers to:

Use Firefox with the following plugins:

• AdBlock (and encourage people to disable it on sites which they visit often)
• Flashblock (to prevent flash objects and ads from running unsolicited)
• NoScript (& selectively enable scripts on your important sites. Temporarily enable just the "main" site for the kiddies game sites)
• Beef Taco (over 100 opt-out cookies in an instant! Easier and more thorough than going to the NAI site)
• Better Privacy (to deal with LSOs/flash cookies)
• CS Lite (simple cookie control)
• Google Analytics Opt-out Browser addon (http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout - also available for IE & Chrome)
• Ref Control (control what is sent as refferer, set to block or forge)
• Track Me Not (if you are really paranoid, sends not quite random search requests in the background)

And use a host file with known tracking company addresses nulled

If my technophobic boss could do all this after one short training session, then WSJ readers can do it too.

*WSJ uses their own and outside scripting, places cookies and places partner tracking cookies, no? Also, if a reader has access behind the paywall, then the WSJ even knows the reader's credit card details.