(this is my first post im new) ive noticed something no one seems to have a problem with. do you have this problem to? am i just doing something wrong?
i use a privacy friendly browser plus a privacy friendly os and use fingerprint spoofer/blocker. i watch videos on invidious. i noticed that the “popular” tab shows videos related to videos i watched before. even if i clear my cookies, or change my idenity in (offiscial) tor browser i still get recommended related videos meaning no matter what i do google knows what i watch. whats worse, if i go on invidious on a totally different device with a normal broswer normal os, i get the same videos. meaning websites know what videos i watch across multiple sessions but also multiple devices. im sick of this. it feels like i’ve tried everything, sacrificed so much connivence but no results.
(this isn’t a question spefecifically about youtube google or invindious just how to get webisites to stop knowing everything i do across multiple identities and every device i use)
Things I tried
*Proton vpn+librewolf(max security according to settings)+nosircpt+Ublock(with the filters it comes with)+ officisal recommended invidious instances+Quad9 via settings
*Tails+Tor browser(max security settings apprentaly)+default bridge+no javascirpt+fingerprint spoofing estendsion+bluetooth disabled by tails+all the previous mentioned (exculding vpn i heard its risky)+invidious again (Tails doesn’t work well for me the police are not after me and it takes so long to start and presisent stoarage is annoying)
*Qubes+Whonix vm+Tor browser(max again)+no javascript (I love and hate qubes from my first impression it meets my security needs and you can run any os in a vm on it but i wish it just worked. theres a steep learning curve and my hardware isn’t the best for it)
No results on any of these just slower internet and some websites are broken. Its just like using a normal browser that tracks you but slow as a privacy one. im getting tired of this. i use all this super deep level paranoid overkill stufff and nothing happens. like im burning my house to get rid of a spider but the spider is still there
possible causes
-google wireless access point (does qubes/whonix/tor NOT protect against this at all??) (also my family HATES any changes or mild inconveniences)
-i logged in to google without a vpn **ONCE **does this automatically doom you forever **even ** if you change os and browser and device?
-hardware is framework laptop
for clairtiy
I am not -a criminal -a journalist -a gooner -willing to go off grid in the woods I am -creeped out -tired -about to give up
My privacy goals
-be able to actually cut ties with my shadow profile and have websites not know everything ive done in my life -control what data brokers and compaines knsw -not have any website at all know every device i use -be able to use any network safely
I feel like giving up on privacy because nothing seems to work. the only results I get is slower more broken internet
Invidious likely isn’t profiling you. If it worries you that much, you can stand up your own instance. It seems like a fun project.
That said, you absolutely don’t need to justify your desire for privacy here. I totally understand you. I’ve kind of landed on a “best effort” approach where I just try not to break shit but use as much privacy focuses stuff I can and check if my browser has a randomized fingerprint on EFF’s coveryourtracks.eff.org/, which you should visit. I use Helium and a small number of addons and that’s it.
Here’s the bottom line. You’re not going to be able to disappear on the internet without a massive and cumbersome effort which is not worth it relative to what I am gathering about your threat model. The very first thing you should do when considering privacy is 1. What you want to keep private and 2. Who you are trying to keep it private from. At the end of the day, you sound like me. I want to keep my browsing history and as much of my personal information as private as possible from data brokers, advertisers and my ISP. For that you need a layered approach. 1, VPN with no logs like mullvad. 2, Encrypted or at the very least recursive DNS resolver. 3, A somewhat randomized browser fingerprint. The last one is tricky because it’s actually just impossible. You can use stock librewolf to share your fingerprint with other users but imo that doesn’t work for my use case, as there are some pretty radical changes to the way I would have to use the internet, so I use Helium, which uses fingerprint farbling, and call it a day.
In the end, that works for me. It’s important to remember privacy is a spectrum. There is no such thing as total anonymity, everything you do to make yourself more private is productive and helpful. It’s about assessing your threat model and taking the correct steps, not trying to become a ghost, because that will drive you nuts and your internet browsing experience will be so degraded you might as well not even use it in the first place.
i dont believe that invidious is profiling me (sorry for not clairifying it) i know its google doing it despite everything ive tried. im not trying to just be safe from google. im trying to be private from compainies and hackers in general. i heard proton is no logs (though im skeptical) and i don’t want to pay for any services hosently since i dont even know if a vpn would work. ive also tried tor browser which says that it makes your fingerprint the same as other users and ive tried randomizer extenstions but still no results. ive also done quad9s dns via librewolfs settings. i dont think its fingerprinting because every device i own knows its me and shows that it knows what ive watched thanks for the comment
Have you considered it’s just guessing what people using anonymous stuff like?
kind of weird how anonymous people like the exact channels (with under 100 views) that i like and get recommended them at the exact time after ive watched them. i dont watch only thinls about privacy
thanks for the repli
Channels with under 100 views total of video? List the more popular videos that have been recommended to you. If it’s not that you’re probably have sign in to Google or something persisting tied to you.
pbs, legos, veritasum, this one channel called fern, some stuff like mental outlaw and someordanariy gamers (his new vids dont have a lot of views), stuff about flock/axon spying on Vox’s channel, how to replace strip lights, fish tank cleaning vids, garten of banban lore, neo
whats tied to me?
Are you signed out and clearing your history? Any one thing signed in or old cookie could do that. It should get the same result in private new browsing tab.
yes i never sign in press new idenity in the tor browser and even restart tails or qubes (ive tried both) and nothing works