Blocking Google Analytics Tracking
The free launch of Google Analytics is a great thing for many smaller web publishers and bloggers, who could not afford services such as Webtrends or Urchin, and is sure to lead to widespread adoption around the site publishing industry, as well as privacy concerns. Google Analytics is also probably part of a grandscale attempt to profile the web, tracking user behavior from site to site along with giving site owners an indepth view on where their traffic comes from – and what those users do once they reach a web site.
However, not all web users like having their unique user details made available to publishers, bloggers, and even Google. If you are one of these ultra privacy concerned users, then Amit Agarwal of Digital Inspiration has some info which may be of use to you.
By placing the following line of text into a computer’s Windows Hosts file, users can block Google Analytics from referral and behavior tracking:
# [Google Inc]
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
Amit notes : “Google Analytics downloads a small javascript urchin.js (Google Analytics Urchin Module) on the client’s computer which reports the all the tracking and analyzing data about the visitor back to Google. By adding the above line, we have effectively blocked our browser from downloading the urchin.js file.”
anyone and everyone would find out a way to link every google’s service with evilness.
Why is it that anyone that is successful is almost always tagged as evil?
Apparently you know nothing of Google’s privacy invasions. It isn’t about being successful champ. It is about being an invader of privacy.
From the Article: “unique user details made available to publishers, bloggers, and even Google.”
I believe that it is a false statement. Personally identifiable data is not available using urchin. Anonymous user’s paths through the site is trackable.
To block secure website version:
127.0.0.1 ssl.google-analytics.com
I think tha Goole is moving in the normal way, and we can just wait for next moves
http://www.referate10.com
I just don’t like anyone snooping without my knowledge, feel it like an infringement of my privacy, simple!
Just blocked the bunch.
of course, if you are using firefox–as you should be–you could simply install the NoScript extension and block google analytics, google syndication and scores of other snooping and/or simply annoying scripts automatically.
I use both google-analytics at my site http://www.offshelf.net and firefox latest version. I dont see how the basic info collected by google can jeopardize prsonal security, the data collected in nothing more than aggregate data sypply on visiots in ananimous format, and if you are using firefox with blocked cookies, the report on google-analytics shows blank – no data availble for the visit, tested.
In Germany they are going to force Google to disclose their tracking methods. I understand that privacy is an important aspect, but for webmasters Google Analytics is a great tool and I think an IP does reveal more information than the number plate on my car (in Germany the number plate reveales from which district the car owner comes from).
For those of you who still fail to see how Google is jeopardizing your privacy, go try out aolstalker.com and see how easy it is to compile information about a person by his/her search queries or browsing paths.
Dude, get FireFox and install noscript extension and it will be blocked by default. Simple as that. FF rules!
How funny……….THIS site is using Google Analytics and Google Adsense! Download the Ghostery add on for Firefox, it will tell you every single nasty invisible web element on the page.
This website is using Google analytics… But i use the Adblock plus extension for ff. Just add a rule witch block all content from http://www.google.analytics.com
I dont entirely agree, just download latest firefox (3.5.1 at time of writing)
Then go to add ons (just gooogle firefox add ons) and download:
NoScript (superb and you can block google analytics with it, as well as google syndication and any other scripts you so wish to)
Bad Privacy (awsome and deletes all those ‘super cookies’ and flash lso’s that doing a normal delete all cookies and cleaning out ya temp files won’t get rid off, nor will even a dedicated program like cc cleaner etc as good as that is, so it’s essential in my own opinion)
Ad Block Plus (fantastic lil program)
And others that are good but in no means security related are:
Dictionary (your own language of choice of course)
Tab Mix Plus (for some reason, Mozillas addon page does not have compatitble version with the latest firefox :S wierd, but below is a link to the addonn authors page which goes to a dev link which is totally 100% compatible :)
http://tmp.garyr.net/tab_mix_plus-dev-build.xpi
Hope that helps, adios
Super Rat
PS: actually stop using google is another opinion (also entirely mine lol)
I myself now very happily use Bing http://www.bing.com
I find there page fresher and nicer to use, its easier to say lol, and most importantly results are easily on a par if not far better IMO, especially image search IMO (pleasssssse note i/we do not need a load of google lovers telling me im wrong, i have gone to the trouble of explaining this in my OWN personal opinion, of years of using google and months of happily using Bing, thanks).
Be daring, use something different and see for yourself, or not…
Also if you use firefox and you want an add on to add Bing as the default search engine in the in built search engine, please go to
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/latest/10434/addon-10434-latest.xml?src=addondetail
AND BING DOESN’T TRACK YOU to the massive extent that google do – lol yet…
But the point is they don’t at present where as google blatantly do!
I am a Linux User so this sites title is incorrect as it should say how to block google analytics with windows hosts file.
The best way to try to avoid tracking is to just use the firefox plugins already said above or disable java in your browser as it is used in a java based code put their by the sites builder.
Although you can also go here: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_… and opt out of every site that uses network advertising dot org. When you opt out it places a New cookie that tells the page when you visit it not to track you. But when you opt out your IP is logged so you are always tracked.
Really the only reason to block GA is to speed up loading pages.
You will be tracked in a varying degree pretty much everywhere unless you use a proxy they will get your IP and if you use a proxy they still can if someone tried but not for tracking purposes. Anyway you are always being tracked so just realise that first.
I am a Linux User so this sites title is incorrect as it should say how to block google analytics with windows hosts file.
The best way to try to avoid tracking is to just use the firefox plugins already said above or disable java in your browser as it is used in a java based code put their by the sites builder.
Although you can also go here: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_… and opt out of every site that uses network advertising dot org. When you opt out it places a New cookie that tells the page when you visit it not to track you. But when you opt out your IP is logged so you are always tracked.
Really the only reason to block GA is to speed up loading pages.
You will be tracked in a varying degree pretty much everywhere unless you use a proxy they will get your IP and if you use a proxy they still can if someone tried but not for tracking purposes. Anyway you are always being tracked so just realise that first.