[German]Small note to the blog readership. The developer of the browser add-in "I don't care about cookies" has just announced that he has sold his product to AVAST. I don't begrudge Daniel Kladnik this sale, but I have some thoughts of my own in the back of my mind about whether the extension is really in good hands with AVAST. Here is some information about this topic.
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I don't care about cookies
"I don't care about cookies" is a browser extension that is supposed to take care of cookie handling for web surfers. Specifically, it deals with the cookie ads that every commercial website must display to visitors when they first access the site, due to EU regulations. The cookie dialog asks for the user's consent as to whether cookies may be placed on the surfer's machine and which cookie classes are allowed.
The developer promises that the "I don't care about cookies" browser extension will remove cookie warnings from almost all websites and save the user thousands of unnecessary clicks. The developer writes about this that in most cases, the extension blocks the query or just hides the pop-ups that refer to cookies. If it is necessary for the proper functioning of the website, the extension automatically accepts the cookie policy for the user(sometimes it accepts all, sometimes only the necessary cookie categories, depending on what is easier to do). No cookies are deleted.
The developer writes that the user should be aware of privacy issues related to cookies. For example, users can block third-party cookies, install extensions to block ads and then block tracking tools, delete browser data regularly, enable tracking protection in your browser, and so on.
But most users only use the extension to get rid of cookie queries. Has the resounding success that now many web offers can only be accessed for a fee, or require registration or have been discontinued. The side operators simply collapses the financing, the free offer is thus stopped or thinned out badly.
I had already touched on it at one point or another here in the blog: If you generally block the acceptance of cookies, you prevent most websites from displaying advertising at all. In addition, (without appropriate browser extensions) comes with each visit to a website the cookie consent query – it can not be stored, what the user has allowed or rejected cookies – it's (n)always dumber. I would like to play out context-based advertising here in the blog, which is oriented to the content of the blog or the retrieved article and only plays out advertising to the user that fits the context. But since the ad networks require at least a cookie that indicates what has been accepted or rejected, no advertising is played if the cookie is blocked – so there is no revenue either.
I don't care about cookies is now AVAST
A German blog reader pointed out the recent announcement on the I don't care about cookies website and wrote:
Hi Günter, maybe a topic:
Here just came a PopUp respectively Firefox has automatically loaded a page. Avast buys the browser extension I don't care about cookies. After all, over 1 million users for Chrome and just under 300 thousand for Firefox.
Wasn't there something about Avast selling browser histories?
On the website the developer of the extension writes:
GREAT NEWS
Dear "I don't care about cookies" users,
After exactly 10 years of maintaining this project and dealing with cookie/GDPR pop-ups on my own, I am proud and happy to say that – a famous and trustworthy IT company known for the wide range of products that help secure our digital experience, has recognized its value!
Avast offered to acquire the project so that we can help each other in creating even better products and I decided to accept the offer: "I don't care about cookies" is now officially a member of Avast family
I will keep working on the project and the extension will remain free to use. Donations are not needed anymore to keep the project going, of course. A big, big *Herzchen* THANK YOU *Herzchen* to all the donors, translators and everyone else who helped keeping the project alive over the years!
Stay tuned for more excited news in the future!
As noted above, I don't begrudge Daniel Kladnik the sale. But what nearly knocked me off my chair at my desk was the statement about AVAST being "a famous and trustworthy IT company". The name AVAST always gives me nightmares – especially the post Leak revealed: Avast user data was sold pops up at my mind.
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To be clear, there are some brilliant security expertes at AVAST. But AVAST was sold to Norton Life Lock and AVAST's management was caught selling user data collected with browser extensions to third parties.
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