reddit.com: privacy

[partingscientist]

Prerequisites

• I read and understand the policy about what is a valid filter issue.
• I verified that this issue is not a duplicate. (Use this button to find out.)
• I forced an update of my filter lists. (Click the "Purge all caches" button while holding the 'Shift' key, then click the "Update now" button.)
• I did not remove any of the default filter lists, or I have verified that the issue was not caused by removing any of the default lists.
• I did not enable external filter lists, or I have verified that the issue still occurs without enabling external filter lists.
• I do not have custom filters/rules, or I have verified that the issue still occurs without custom filters/rules.
• I am not using uBlock Origin (uBO) along with other content blocker extensions.
• I have verified that the web browser's built-in blocker or DNS blocking (standalone or through a VPN) is not causing the issue.
• I did not answer truthfully to ALL the above checkpoints.

URL address of the web page

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/

Category

privacy

Description

While not logged in, Reddit mobile site tracks outbound navigation using out.reddit.com.
The behaviour still exists after testing with Firefox 116.0b3 and default uBlock Origin.

Other extensions used

None.

Screenshot(s)

Screenshot(s)

Configuration

uBlock Origin 1.50.0:
 since: 27d.9h.6m
Firefox Mobile: 113
filterset (summary):
 network: 127068
 cosmetic: 196662
 scriptlet: 27009
 html: 1171
listset (total-discarded, last-updated):
 added:
  https://gitlab.com/magnolia1234/bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/raw/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt: 961-0, now
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DandelionSprout/adfilt/master/LegitimateURLShortener.txt: 2230-0, now
  adguard-spyware-url: 1117-147, 1m
  block-lan: 47-0, now
  curben-pup: 189-0, now
  adguard-social: 20887-822, now
  fanboy-cookiemonster: 47637-3839, now
  fanboy-social: 16098-8, now
  ublock-annoyances: 5344-16, now
  dpollock-0: 11524-468, now
  IDN-0: 9527-4, now
  adguard-cookies: 26293-61, now
  [8 lists not shown]: [too many]
 default:
  user-filters: 25-0, never
  ublock-filters: 35059-525, 1m
  ublock-badware: 7532-1, 1m
  ublock-privacy: 469-2, 1m
  ublock-unbreak: 2117-1, 1m
  ublock-quick-fixes: 350-0, 1h.58m
  adguard-mobile: 8383-141, 1m
  easylist: 68120-1060, 1m
  easyprivacy: 33422-906, now
  urlhaus-1: 6440-1, now
  plowe-0: 3740-1, now
filterset (user): [array of 25 redacted]
hostRuleset:
 added: [array of 2 redacted]
userSettings:
 advancedUserEnabled: true
 colorBlindFriendly: true
 ignoreGenericCosmeticFilters: false
 webrtcIPAddressHidden: true
hiddenSettings:
 userResourcesLocation: [redacted]
supportStats:
 allReadyAfter: 2482 ms
 maxAssetCacheWait: 1543 ms
popupPanel:
 blocked: 10
 network:
  reddit.com: 1
  amazon-adsystem.com: 1
  googletagservices.com: 1
  redditmedia.com: 5
  redditstatic.com: 2
 extended:
  ##.adsense-ads
  ##.googads
  ##.hasads
  ##.native-ad
  ##.HeaderAd
  ##.NavBarAd
  ##.ad-medium
  ##.post-ad
  ##.promoad
  ##.rectad
  ##.sidebar-ad:not(.adsbygoogle)
  ##.small-ad
  ##.sponsorAd
  ##.sponsorad
  ##.sponsorPost
  ##.PostFooter__share
  ##.XPromoPopupRpl
  ##article[id] > a[href^="https://alb.reddit.com/"] ~ *
  ##.XPromoPopupRpl.m-active
  ##.promotedlink
  ##.PostsList > div article:has(> .Post__header-wrapper .PostHead…
  ##.PostsList > div:not([class]):not([id]) > div:not([class]):not…
  ##.size-compact.Post:has([class*="promoted"])
  ##article.Post:has(a[rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"])
  ##body:style(pointer-events:auto!important;)
  ##body:style(overflow: auto !important;)
  ##body.scroll-disabled:style(overflow: visible!important; positi…
  ##body,html.scroll-is-blocked:style(overflow: auto !important;)
  ##body:style(pointer-events:auto !important;)
  ##body:style(pointer-events: auto !important; overflow: auto !im…
  ##body.scroll-disabled:style(overflow: visible !important; posit…
  ###acceptabletest:style(display: block !important;)
  ###adblocktest:style(display: block !important;)
  ##+js(no-setTimeout-if, /^/)
  ##+js(no-setInterval-if, /^/)
  ##+js(addEventListener-defuser, touchmove)
  ##+js(set-constant, Object.prototype.allowClickTracking, false)
  ##+js(no-fetch-if, url:/^https:\/\/www\.reddit\.com$/ method:pos…
  ##+js(no-xhr-if, method:POST url:/^https:\/\/www\.reddit\.com$/)
  ##+js(replace-node-text, script, "outboundUrl", "outbound")
  ##+js(json-prune, data.*.elements.edges.[].node.outboundLink)
  ##+js(addEventListener-defuser, block-body-scrolling)
  ##+js(remove-class, m-blurred, .m-blurred)
  ##+js(remove-class, scroll-disabled, body)
  ##+js(set-constant, Notification.requestPermission, noopFunc)

[stephenhawk8054]

Can you test this?

reddit.com,~out.reddit.com##+js(set, Object.prototype.allowClickTracking, false)

[partingscientist]

I have that on my configuration (as attached above) when testing on my dirty profile and the behaviour still persists. I'll test again to make sure.

Edit: Yeah, still persists

[stephenhawk8054]

Does it occur on desktop?

[partingscientist]

I cannot reproduce on desktop using clean profile and default uBlock Origin, only on mobile.

[mapx-]

@partingscientist are you able to reproduce the issue using FF emulator on desktop ?

How did you note that behaviour on android ? steps ?

[partingscientist]

Are you able to reproduce the issue using FF emulator on desktop ?

Yes, on clean profile and default uBlock Origin.

How did you note that behaviour on android ? steps ?

Given https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/ as a subreddit example, I just open one of the article links posted while having the logger being opened.

[mapx-]

I cannot reproduce the issue => no out.reddit.com in the logger (even disabling the scriptlets on reddit)

[gorhill]

I also cannot reproduce on mobile.

[partingscientist]

I'm still investigating the reproducibility on my end, as I can confidently reproduce the issue; I'll report my findings soon. Just to make sure, you're not logged in while testing, right?

While not logged in, Reddit mobile site tracks outbound navigation using out.reddit.com.

[partingscientist]

Here's what I found (Firefox Mobile 116.0b3 and default stable-release uBlock Origin on Android):

It seems to me that Reddit is currently testing a new user interface for their mobile website (reddit.com).

Here's the old user interface

Here's what they are currently testing

The issue is reproducible on the old interface by interacting with the link bar below the post thumbnail on the right hand side. However, the issue is not reproducible on the new interface. I very rarely get this new interface, perhaps due to geolocation and other factors which also might vary amongst the maintainers here.