Re: [Tails-dev] Tails, Tor and uBlock Origin

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Autor: sajolida
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Dla: The Tails public development discussion list
Temat: Re: [Tails-dev] Tails, Tor and uBlock Origin
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> J.carrapa:
>> I've understood that no one should install any add-ons to Tor (and
>> only use the ones that are already installed), because someone
>> could be able to fingerprint the user if he/she did it. The fact
>> that Tor on Tails already comes with uBlock Origin (while Tor for
>> other OSs don't) makes me wonder: can't someone use fingerprinting
>> techniques to distinguish users from Tor on Tails and Tor on other
>> OSs? And shouldn't we worry about that?
>>
>> My impression is that if Tor requires users to have the same
>> add-ons to prevent fingerprinting, then there should be a single
>> standard (same add-ons) for both Tails Tor and other OSs Tor, or am
>> I missing something?
>>
>> Thank you for your time!


Yeap, I think you're right regarding the fingerprinting issue: Tails has
an ad block while Tor Browser doesn't have one and this can be
fingerprintable.

It's a deliberate choice of Tails to include an ad blocker, part of the
decision is that the user experience of a web without ads is soooo much
better and also political (we don't like ads). And we believe that these
two points in favor of blocking ads overweight the downside in terms of
fingerprint.

And, spoiler: I think I saw Tor Browser reopening the debate on whether
they should have an ad blocker :)

See:

- https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/17569
- https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tbb-dev/2017-September/000617.html