Updated Ghostery (markdown)

Ghostery.md

@@ -5,17 +5,19 @@ Ghostery helps you browse smarter by giving you control over ads and tracking te
 ## FAQ
 ### Privacy
 * 1.1 Does Ghostery collect and sell my data?
-* 1.2 But I've heard that Ghostery couldn't be trusted.
+* 1.2 I've heard that Ghostery couldn't be trusted.
 
 ### Extension Comparisons
 * 2.1 Why would I use Ghostery over uBlock Origin?
-* 2.2 Ghostery with uBlock Origin
-* 2.3 But Ghostery does not have much customization
-* 2.4 Do I still need Privacy Badger?
+* 2.2 Limitations of conventional content blockers
+* [2.3 But Ghostery does not have much customization](https://github.com/yokoffing/Better-Fox/wiki/Ghostery#ghostery-does-not-have-much-customization-or-fine-grained-controls-dynamic-filtering-medium-mode-element-picker-etc)
+* [2.4 Do I still need Privacy Badger?](https://github.com/yokoffing/Better-Fox/wiki/Ghostery#do-i-still-need-privacy-badger)
 
 ### Human Web
 * 3.1 What is Human Web?
-* 3.2 I'm not really comfortable with the supposedly anonymous data being collected from user
+* 3.2 Is the data truly anonymous?
+* 3.3 Is the Human Web opt-in or opt-out?
+* 3.4 I'm not really comfortable with the supposedly anonymous data being collected from user
 
 ### Rewards Program
 * 4.1 Ghostery Rewards (privacy)
@@ -28,6 +30,12 @@ Ghostery helps you browse smarter by giving you control over ads and tracking te
 * 5.3 I heard Cliqz has shut down. Does that mean Ghostery has too?
 * 5.4 Hubert Burda Media has a majority share in the company and old German media companies have a history of getting internet related things wrong - should we not be worried about their influence on the company?
 
+### Does Ghostery collect and sell my data?
+Ghostery neither collects nor sells data about users or trackers. In fact, we even open the insights we have about the tracking landscape via https://whotracks.me/, so that everyone can benefit from it.  [^3]
+
+### But I've heard that Ghostery couldn't be trusted...
+You might be referring to the pre-2017 era where Ghostery belonged to a company named [Evidon](https://www.ghostery.com/faqs/who-is-evidon/) (which had a business model of collecting and selling data to other companies). It was then acquired by Cliqz (which builds a private and independent search engine as well as privacy-focused browsers). Since then the business model has been dropped, code has been [open-sourced](https://github.com/ghostery/ghostery-extension/) and Ghostery is now exploring ways to monetize through [paid products](https://www.ghostery.com/insights/), as well as client-side offers targeting called [rewards](https://www.ghostery.com/faqs/what-is-ghostery-rewards/).  [^2]
+
 ### Why would I use Ghostery over uBlock Origin?
 [uBlock Origin](http://https://ublockorigin.com) is an amazing extension, no question. There are still differences with Ghostery, though, which would make people use one or the other. Putting the UI aside (some people really like the Ghostery UI and the way it allows to gain insight about what was blocked for example), there are differences in the privacy protection built-in.
 
@@ -49,12 +57,6 @@ Of course it depends on how you setup uBlock Origin, the more you block the bett
 
 On top of the part actively protecting privacy like anti-tracking and content blocking, there are other features to clear cookies from tracker domains to keep a "clean slate", etc. (A bit like what [Safari](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/) and [Firefox](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Firefox/Privacy/Redirect_tracking_protection) have implemented). For example, Ghostery clears **cookies from tracking domains that you did not visit as first parties** after an hour or so, hardening the protection further.  [^1]
 
-### But I've heard that Ghostery couldn't be trusted...
-You might be referring to the pre-2017 era where Ghostery belonged to a company named [Evidon](https://www.ghostery.com/faqs/who-is-evidon/) (which had a business model of collecting and selling data to other companies). It was then acquired by Cliqz (which builds a private and independent search engine as well as privacy-focused browsers). Since then the business model has been dropped, code has been [open-sourced](https://github.com/ghostery/ghostery-extension/) and Ghostery is now exploring ways to monetize through [paid products](https://www.ghostery.com/insights/), as well as client-side offers targeting called [rewards](https://www.ghostery.com/faqs/what-is-ghostery-rewards/).  [^2]
-
-### Does Ghostery collect and sell my data?
-Ghostery neither collects nor sells data about users or trackers. In fact, we even open the insights we have about the tracking landscape via https://whotracks.me/, so that everyone can benefit from it.  [^3]
-
 ### "Ghostery does not have much customization or fine-grained controls (dynamic filtering, medium mode, element picker etc.)."
 This is an interesting point and I think it is worst pointing out that Ghostery is aiming at providing the best privacy protection out of the box. This also means that IMO there is less of a need for dynamic filtering and medium mode, which are (I think), mostly needed because of the limitations of content blocking (e.g. not all requests can be blocked otherwise websites are broken, so there needs to be a way to fine-tune the behavior manually).
 
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@ It's great to offer customization options, but this does not automatically trans
 
 To summarize, I agree that uBlock Origin gives more customization options, but I don't think this is necessarily the most relevant metric to compare extensions. I would rather focus on the privacy protection offered (especially out of the box, since most users will likely not change the settings).  [^4]
 
-### Ghostery with uBlock Origin
+### Limitations of conventional content blockers
 How do you define a tracker? How can you be sure that all trackers are blocked by static lists? How long does it take to create a filter when a new tracker domain is created? As far as I can see, there are a lot of exception filters to unbreak sites, what happens if these request send unsafe datapoints which can track users?
 
 Take some random domains and look for cases of requests containing unsafe data being sent while having uBlock Origin enabled (default settings). Check lesnumeriques.com, visit a few pages and look for ultimedia.com: it tries to set a tracking cookie. Same for economist.com (check tinypass, not blocked but sets a tracking cookie, Ghostery removes the cookie from request), same on msn.com, visit a few pages and check platform.twitter, tries to send tracking cookie (blocked by Ghostery but not uBlock Origin), etc. Of course you could arbitrarily harden the settings of your content blocker, block third-party cookies, etc. but this comes with breakage, and unless you block everything, you will never be sure that all trackers are blocked.
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ This is correct. When opted-out, the Rewards module is completely disabled and n
 
 The second one is a bit more technical and covers how we implemented proxies as well as cryptographic scheme which allow to prevent network fingerprinting when clients make requests to our servers as part of Human Web (e.g. this way we do not even learn about their IPs).
 
-Regarding your point about Ghostery still collecting some data on users. It's a great one, and I would like to give some more insights about why we think this is not a black or white situation. Ghostery does collect some anonymous data from users, which is not the same thing as collecting "user data". This usually takes the form of anonymous statistics which cannot be linked back to users on the backend, we make sure of that using [Human Web](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-03/human-web-collecting-data-in-a-socially-responsible-manner.html) and [our network anonymization layer](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-04/human-web-proxy-network-hpn.html).
+Concerning Ghostery still collecting some data on users: I would like to give some more insights about why we think this is not a black or white situation. **Ghostery does collect some anonymous data from users, which is not the same thing as collecting "user data".** This usually takes the form of anonymous statistics which cannot be linked back to users on the backend, we make sure of that using [Human Web](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-03/human-web-collecting-data-in-a-socially-responsible-manner.html) and [our network anonymization layer](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-04/human-web-proxy-network-hpn.html).
 
 The anonymous data is always collected in such a way that it is specific to a use case: for example powering the anti-tracking feature, and cannot be re-purposed for anything else (which basically makes the data useless except for the purpose it was initially intended for).
 
@@ -130,6 +132,17 @@ Detailing the anti-tracking use case a bit more, these anonymous statistics are
 
 Of course, all of this can be turned-off if desired, but we make sure that there is no negative privacy side-effect if you don't. In fact, this helps protect the privacy of users (e.g. such as with anti-tracking described above which is made more powerful thanks to statistics contributed by users).  [^10]
 
+### Is the Human Web opt-in or opt-out?
+I would like to point out that when you install Ghostery on Firefox, the Human Web is opt-in and not opt-out as I read in this thread (you can verify this by installing Ghostery on Firefox). But I would also like to address the "data collection vs. privacy" argument, which is in my opinion, a false dichotomy.
+
+Ghostery does indeed collect some anonymous data from users, which is not the same thing as collecting "user data". This takes the form of anonymous statistics which cannot be linked back to users on the backend (i.e. record linkage is impossible), we make sure of that using [Human Web](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-03/human-web-collecting-data-in-a-socially-responsible-manner.html) and [our network anonymization layer](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-04/human-web-proxy-network-hpn.html).
+
+The anonymous data is always collected in such a way that it is specific to a use case: for example powering the [anti-tracking feature](https://0x65.dev/blog/2019-12-19/blocking-tracking-without-blocking-trackers.html), and cannot be re-purposed for anything else (which basically makes the data useless except for the purpose it was initially intended for).
+
+Detailing the anti-tracking use case a bit more, these anonymous statistics are used to learn about trackers throughout the Web and allow to protect all users in real time. It allows us to go beyond the usual blocklist approach (used by all adblockers/content blockers) which usually requires humans to look at websites and create new rules (this can take days, putting privacy at risk); in contrast, our anti-tracking can detect new trackers in real time thanks to Ghostery users monitoring the Internet and reporting new threats. We also open up these statistics to power https://whotracks.me/, so that anyone can learn about the tracking landscape (this is possible because the data is only about the trackers, not the users).
+
+Again, all of this can be turned ON or OFF at any time from settings, but we make sure that **there is no negative privacy side-effect if you don't**. In fact, this helps protect the privacy of users (e.g. **the anti-tracking system described above is made more powerful thanks to statistics contributed by users**).  [^15]
+
 ### Who is Cliqz?
 Cliqz GmbH is a German company owned by Hubert Burda Media who has acquired the popular Ghostery brand and consumer products, including the anti-tracking browser extensions and mobile apps, from Evidon, Inc. Cliqz is a provider of innovative, privacy-focused browser technologies with integrated quick-search functionality. By combining algorithmic and blocklist anti-tracking approaches, Cliqz and Ghostery will together raise the benchmark in privacy protection. The acquisition of Ghostery’s 10 million active users around the globe will spur Cliqz’s international growth.  [^11]
 
@@ -171,3 +184,4 @@ But, even if something like that would happen, we built our technologies from th
 [^12]: missing
 [^13]: missing
 [^14]:https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/eshkp0/microg_android_almost_without_google_our/ffpzv9x/
+[^15]:https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/fbb9wo//please_rethink_giving_the_extension_ghostery_the/fj3yxxp/