From faec6d1cdaa1410ef1e0d82cee52179f6fb88575 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Zhang Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2021 22:37:41 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] grammar fixes --- content/posts/2021-06-17-tracking-links.md | 40 ++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/posts/2021-06-17-tracking-links.md b/content/posts/2021-06-17-tracking-links.md index 5b1b2b2..616f169 100644 --- a/content/posts/2021-06-17-tracking-links.md +++ b/content/posts/2021-06-17-tracking-links.md @@ -17,16 +17,16 @@ Arguably, if you are someone who runs a business off of writing periodic newsletters that are distributed via email, you might want some statistics on how your newsletter is doing. Traditionally, this is achieved **actively** through some kind of survey with some kind of incentive, like "tell us how -we're doing for a chance to win a water bottle" or something of the likes. +we're doing for a chance to win a water bottle". Now emails are typically imbued with **passive** trackers either in the form of [tracking pixels][3] (which informs the sender when the receipient opens the email) and [tracking links][4] (which informs the sender when AND what links receipients click). Tracking pixels are usually less relevant these days since many web-based email clients will ask before loading images, and clients run by -mail servers with large amounts of users like Gmail ([and soon iOS][5]) may -proxy the pixels ahead of time so the senders only see the IPs and metadata of -the server. +mail servers with an enormous number of users like Gmail ([and soon iOS][5]) +may proxy the pixels ahead of time so the senders only see the IPs and metadata +of the server. Tracking links, on the other hand, have become much more invasive, to the point where it's impossible to avoid being tracked. You see it all over the web: @@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ https://some.mail.host/lWOrjb9FXYgMDS0DADOsxAZEFPB99gHzmRQTe6OHBws= ``` Where does it go? Wikipedia? Piratebay? There's only one way to find out: by -making a request to that server, thereby giving up information about the time, -place, client, OS, and all sorts of other information that greedy data -collection companies are waiting to snatch up. +making a request to that server, giving up information about the time, place, +client, OS, and all sorts of other information that greedy data collection +companies are waiting to snatch up. Of course, regular users notice nothing: these links are usually hidden behind buttons, text, or even the original URL itself. Once they click it, the website @@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ whatever they want, and many of these companies advertise it as a feature to get more "insight" into how your emails are doing. Even worse, the original senders aren't the only ones getting the info, either. -These middlemen companies could hold on to the data and there's no saying they -can't use it for other purposes or sell it. +These middlemen could hold on to the data and there's no saying they can't use +it for other purposes or sell it. Unfortunately, sending email isn't really going to get any easier, partly because of the way email fundamentally works: without all of the security @@ -77,18 +77,20 @@ infrastructure in place, running your own email server could easily lead to abuse. Most people (justifiably) would not go through all that effort themselves. -Another possible avenue of thinking is to do what companies did for tracking -pixels, where they would proxy the links, open them when they receive it, and -transparently replace the unfiltered link back into the email. But this raises -its own issues: for example, what if the act of opening the original link -performs some kind of action (e.g. click to subscribe, click to register, -etc.)? Also, this solution only works for email that is not end-to-end -encrypted. For end-to-end encrypted mail providers, there is no way to do this. +Another possible avenue of thinking is to do what large mail companies did to +oppose tracking pixels, where they would act as a mass-proxy for the links, +opening them when they receive it, and transparently replace the unfiltered +link back into the email so the user's device and location aren't revealed. But +this raises its own issues: for example, what if the act of opening the +original link performs some kind of action (e.g. click to subscribe, click to +register, etc.)? Also, this solution only works for email that is not +end-to-end encrypted. For end-to-end encrypted mail providers, there is no way +to do this. The only real solution here is regulation via either advancement in -privacy-related open standards, or legislative bills. It's clear that without -any kind of regulation, companies will continue to act in the interests of -profit rather than the protection of their customers. +privacy-related open standards or legislature. It's clear that without any kind +of regulation, companies will continue to act in the interests of profit rather +than the protection of their customers. > Devil's advocate afterthought: should this problem even be solved? Maybe > there's a benefit to this whole tracking thing. My opinion on this is if you