Use Priv3 to Prevent Being Tracked by Social Networks

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Use Priv3 to Prevent Being Tracked by Social Networks

2:49 PM No comments

Don't Copy From This Blog...

I use Facebook almost daily and I'm sure that for most of us it would be rather frustrating to have that taken away. Privacy is a major concern for lots of members. And we all know how Facebook grapples with privacy issues. I believe there will be even more privacy issues in the feature. However, I didn't know that Facebook can track your visits to other websites that have implemented "Like" or "Follow" buttons. Of course, it's possible only when you are logged into your Facebook account but you don't even have to click on either of these buttons. How rude!

All my favorites websites are integrated with Facebook, including this blog. The same can be said for websites like Twitter, Google Plus or LinkedIn. They can track your visits to other websites too. By the way, Google's +1 is becoming increasingly popular button as well.

So, if you're concerned about privacy, I highly recommend this installation. What it does is protect you from being tracked by social networks. It's a small but very useful Mozilla Firefox extension called Priv3. The best part is that Priv3 doesn't completely block social networking features. There won't be any negative impact on your interaction with social networks. It's funded by the National Science Foundation and developed by folks at Berkeley university. If you want to learn more about the Priv3 project, please visit the official website.

A screenshot of Priv3

You should also read our previous article Facebook Security and Privacy Best Practices to learn more about Facebook privacy settings and how to avoid Facebook scams. We also created a short guide on how to install Priv3 extension in Mozilla Firefox web browser. Please follow the steps in our installation guide below. Surf the Web with improved privacy. Good luck!

NOTE: before installing Priv3, please update your web browser but this extension is not compatible with older versions of Mozilla Firefox.

How to install Priv3

1. Go to http://priv3.icsi.berkeley.edu. Click on Install button.

2. Mozilla Firefox will display a notification as show in the image below. Please click Allow button to continue.

3. Click on Install Now button to install Priv3 extension.

4. Priv3 will be installed after you restart Firefox. Click on Restart Now button or just close your web browser. To view Priv3 icon, please enable Addon bar.