Can a website know about my browsing history?

When I visit a website it sometimes puts cookies on my browser. Usually cookies keep track of browsing info from that particular site. If I don't delete those cookies and browse other websites, will the cookies be able to know which site I am browsing?
Also, can any website read browsing history which is saved by browsers? Can any website know about my browsing history by help of cookies, browsing histories saved by browsers, or by any scripting language e.g. javascript?

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

1

Any site can find out if you are logged into social web sites - hacks.mozilla.org/2011/02/… mvark.blogspot.in/2012/04/…

– mvark
Jan 14 '15 at 14:06

add a comment |

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

1

Any site can find out if you are logged into social web sites - hacks.mozilla.org/2011/02/… mvark.blogspot.in/2012/04/…

– mvark
Jan 14 '15 at 14:06

add a comment |

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

browser website privacy history internet-security

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

edited Jan 13 '15 at 7:02

Web_Designer

1361119

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

asked Jan 12 '15 at 22:18

Fsalad

50571630

1

Any site can find out if you are logged into social web sites - hacks.mozilla.org/2011/02/… mvark.blogspot.in/2012/04/…

– mvark
Jan 14 '15 at 14:06

add a comment |

1

Any site can find out if you are logged into social web sites - hacks.mozilla.org/2011/02/… mvark.blogspot.in/2012/04/…

– mvark
Jan 14 '15 at 14:06

Any site can find out if you are logged into social web sites - hacks.mozilla.org/2011/02/… mvark.blogspot.in/2012/04/…

– mvark
Jan 14 '15 at 14:06

add a comment |

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

The short answer is yes, though it is not as easy as you might think.

The browser stores cookies independently for each domain. That means that www.foo.com cannot access the cookies made by www.bar.com and vice versa.

The vulnerability (or loophole) is in included pages. Most advertisements come from a different domain than the page itself, so they create their own sets of cookies. When another site includes an ad from the same ad provider, they can read their own cookies created earlier and they know you visited that page earlier. This way they can only track you on sites that host their ads. This is the strategy Google uses to serve relevant ads.

Also Facebook and other social networks can do this because of their ubiquitous like, tweeet, pin etc. buttons, which are also included content. This is not avoidable without disabling cookies altogether or using private browsing, but that could be a major burden (Cookies do make the Internet convenient). I personally choose not to be paranoid of these things.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

2

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

1

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

add a comment |

A third-party cookie placed on your machine at one site can be detected at a later time by the third party, so your browsing history is to some extent public. There are both HTML and Flash cookies, so if you wish to remove them delete both types.

Browsers such as Firefox can be set to a "private" mode in which cookies are deleted at shutdown. Cookies can also be deleted by the browser or by free tool such as CCleaner. Deleting cookies may require you to log into sites which had opened automatically before.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

add a comment |

First yes.
Simply put, if you allow a site to save your cookies, they will often share them with other syndicated sites, so that when you go to other syndicated sites, you will be prioritized to show what you've searched for.

If you want to avoid this, there are three ways:

1.Use browser focused on privacy(eg: Private Browser). Using Private Browser will keep you from being tracked, and once you exit, all of your records and passwords will be erased by default, which is the most convenient method.

2.Turn on privacy mode of the normal browser(eg:Chrome,UC,Firefox). Main browsers generally have privacy mode, and you can usually find it directly from the menu or the bottom bar and turn on it. But some also reflect that these modes are not completely private.

3.Keep Clear Browsing history. It means that each time you exit the browser, you need to go to setting>clear data. It's relatively cumbersome.

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

add a comment |

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3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

The short answer is yes, though it is not as easy as you might think.

The browser stores cookies independently for each domain. That means that www.foo.com cannot access the cookies made by www.bar.com and vice versa.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

2

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

1

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

add a comment |

The short answer is yes, though it is not as easy as you might think.

The browser stores cookies independently for each domain. That means that www.foo.com cannot access the cookies made by www.bar.com and vice versa.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

2

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

1

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

add a comment |

The short answer is yes, though it is not as easy as you might think.

The browser stores cookies independently for each domain. That means that www.foo.com cannot access the cookies made by www.bar.com and vice versa.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

The short answer is yes, though it is not as easy as you might think.

The browser stores cookies independently for each domain. That means that www.foo.com cannot access the cookies made by www.bar.com and vice versa.

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:41

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:36

matega

1896

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

2

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

1

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

add a comment |

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

2

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

1

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

This is only true if the user allows this to happen

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:15

I've touched disabling cookies in my answer; what other thing do you mean by the user allowing this to happen? The Do not track header only requests servers to disable tracking, but it's up to them if they honor it or not. If they are malicious, why would they care? If they're not, why would you?

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 7:27

You can install Disconnect in your browser to block this data from being sent.

– dangph
Jan 13 '15 at 7:47

@matega You can allow a website to create its own cookie. You can also not allow Facebook to create a cookie, when you visit a website that implements Facebook Like voting, by not allowing third-party cookies to be created.

– Ramhound
Jan 13 '15 at 12:01

Oh. +1. I did not know about that, thanks for the info. But still, that breaks some functionality and I am not paranoid enough (i.e. at all) to give up on that functionality. There are far worse things out there than targeted advertising (heck, I'd say it's even good sometimes).

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:32

add a comment |

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

add a comment |

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

add a comment |

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

edited Jan 12 '15 at 22:40

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

answered Jan 12 '15 at 22:30

DrMoishe Pippik

10.3k21432

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

add a comment |

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

A third party is not able to detect nor read cookies not created by their domain.

– matega
Jan 12 '15 at 22:37

I think the Dr is saying the same thing you did. "A third-party cookie" can later be read by "the third party," that is, the same third party that dropped the cookie in the first place.

– Patrick Seymour
Jan 12 '15 at 23:00

But that ability doesn't provide them any information about the websites you viewed.

– Ramhound
Jan 12 '15 at 23:14

Not if they don't litter most of the websites you visit with their content. Which is what Facebook, Google and other are doing. Also, after the edit, this does make sense - if not immediately obvious how.

– matega
Jan 13 '15 at 16:37

add a comment |

If you want to avoid this, there are three ways:

3.Keep Clear Browsing history. It means that each time you exit the browser, you need to go to setting>clear data. It's relatively cumbersome.

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

add a comment |

If you want to avoid this, there are three ways:

3.Keep Clear Browsing history. It means that each time you exit the browser, you need to go to setting>clear data. It's relatively cumbersome.

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

add a comment |

If you want to avoid this, there are three ways:

3.Keep Clear Browsing history. It means that each time you exit the browser, you need to go to setting>clear data. It's relatively cumbersome.

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

If you want to avoid this, there are three ways:

3.Keep Clear Browsing history. It means that each time you exit the browser, you need to go to setting>clear data. It's relatively cumbersome.

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

edited Jan 22 at 9:03

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

answered Oct 11 '18 at 8:12

claire xu

add a comment |

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