#Tag · bonfire.cafe

Many health information websites leak page visit data to third parties such as #google. These websites include Canadian and provincial health portals. According to the Blacklight Privacy Inspector, only #Ontario, #BritishColumbia, and the #Canada health portal were free of 3rd-party tracking when we collected the data.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.04485

1/2

#privacy #surveillance #adtech

A data table with columns: Website, Number of Articles, Number of 3rd Parties Domains contacted, and including Google or not.

Cleveland Clinic 3653 55 Yes
Alberta 2031 1 Yes
WebMD 1609 80 Yes
CDC 1580 2 Yes
Ontario 1381 0 No
NHS 1202 0 No
Mayo Clinic 1152 60 Yes
British Columbia 1140 1 No
Medline Plus 1023 4 Yes
Everyday Health 618 72 Yes
Verywell Health 326 105 Yes
Saskatchewan 293 25 Yes
Canada 242 2 No
WHO 192 3 Yes
Healthline 150 48 Yes
Québec 90 2 Yes
Manitoba 78 5 Yes
Nova Scotia 31 2 Yes
Newfoundland & Labrador 26 2 Yes
New Brunswick 25 1 Yes
Northwest Territories 22 1 Yes
Prince Edward Island 14 3 Yes — A data table with columns: Website, Number of Articles, Number of 3rd Parties Domains contacted, and including Google or not. Cleveland Clinic 3653 55 Yes Alberta 2031 1 Yes WebMD 1609 80 Yes CDC 1580 2 Yes Ontario 1381 0 No NHS 1202 0 No Mayo Clinic 1152 60 Yes British Columbia 1140 1 No Medline Plus 1023 4 Yes Everyday Health 618 72 Yes Verywell Health 326 105 Yes Saskatchewan 293 25 Yes Canada 242 2 No WHO 192 3 Yes Healthline 150 48 Yes Québec 90 2 Yes Manitoba 78 5 Yes Nova Scotia 31 2 Yes Newfoundland & Labrador 26 2 Yes New Brunswick 25 1 Yes Northwest Territories 22 1 Yes Prince Edward Island 14 3 Yes

arXiv.org

How Users Consider Web Tracking When Seeking Health Information Online

Health information websites offer instantaneous access to information, but have important privacy implications as they can associate a visitor with specific medical conditions. We interviewed 35 residents of Canada to better understand whether and how online health information seekers exercise three potential means of protection against surveillance: website selection, privacy-enhancing technologies, and self-censorship, as well as their understanding of web tracking. Our findings reveal how users' limited initiative and effectiveness in protecting their privacy could be associated with a missing or inaccurate understanding of how implicit data collection by third parties takes place on the web, and who collects the data. We conclude that to help Internet users achieve better self-data protection, we may need to shift privacy awareness efforts from what information is collected to how it is collected.

Martin Robillard

@mrobillard@social.sigsoft.org · 2 days ago

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.04485

1/2

#privacy #surveillance #adtech

arXiv.org

How Users Consider Web Tracking When Seeking Health Information Online

pvergain (framapiaf) and 1 other boosted

Mathew Storm

@smattymatty@socialontario.ca · 3 weeks ago

I just switched here, after creating the instance! Time for a re-introduction.

I believe in:
🍁 Canadian digital sovereignty
🌐 Building the gardens, not the walls
🪨 Imagining Sisyphus happy (even when the boulder has ML capabilities)

I also host the https://northtube.ca platform!

If you're interested in #Django, #Fediverse infrastructure, #Philosophy, #Absurdism, or just #Canadian things, let's connect.

#introduction #Ontario #Canada #OpenSource #WebDev

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦 and 2 others boosted

Fedi.Garden

@FediGarden@social.growyourown.services · 3 weeks ago

SocialOntario.ca is a new Mastodon server for Ontarians and anyone connected to Ontario, Canada.

https://socialontario.ca

You can find out more at https://socialontario.ca/about or contact the admin account @Mathew

#FeaturedServer #Ontario #Canada #Canadian #Mastodon #Fediverse #FreeFediverse

Alex, the Hearth Fire boosted

Radical Social Worker

@RadicalSocialWorker@mstdn.ca · 3 weeks ago

Who wrote this? 😂😂😂
#ONStorm #Peterborough #Ontario

Attention residents: an incoming freezing rain storm is on its way, turning roads, sidewalks, and basic life decisions into a full-scale slip ‘n slide.

Please expect:
• Sidewalks upgraded to Olympic-level figure skating rinks
• Cars driving 12 km/h with hazards on (as is tradition)
• One guy in shorts saying “it’s not that bad”
• Salt trucks doing their best, emotionally and physically

We recommend:
-Walking like a penguin
-Holding your coffee with two hands and a prayer
-Not trusting anything that looks dry

Stay safe, Peterborough, if you hear a thud, it’s just one of us learning a lesson. — Attention residents: an incoming freezing rain storm is on its way, turning roads, sidewalks, and basic life decisions into a full-scale slip ‘n slide. Please expect: • Sidewalks upgraded to Olympic-level figure skating rinks • Cars driving 12 km/h with hazards on (as is tradition) • One guy in shorts saying “it’s not that bad” • Salt trucks doing their best, emotionally and physically We recommend: -Walking like a penguin -Holding your coffee with two hands and a prayer -Not trusting anything that looks dry Stay safe, Peterborough, if you hear a thud, it’s just one of us learning a lesson.

Fedi.Garden

@FediGarden@social.growyourown.services · 3 weeks ago

SocialOntario.ca is a new Mastodon server for Ontarians and anyone connected to Ontario, Canada.

https://socialontario.ca

You can find out more at https://socialontario.ca/about or contact the admin account @Mathew

#FeaturedServer #Ontario #Canada #Canadian #Mastodon #Fediverse #FreeFediverse

Radical Social Worker

@RadicalSocialWorker@mstdn.ca · 3 weeks ago

Who wrote this? 😂😂😂
#ONStorm #Peterborough #Ontario

Mathew Storm

@smattymatty@socialontario.ca · 3 weeks ago

I just switched here, after creating the instance! Time for a re-introduction.

I believe in:
🍁 Canadian digital sovereignty
🌐 Building the gardens, not the walls
🪨 Imagining Sisyphus happy (even when the boulder has ML capabilities)

I also host the https://northtube.ca platform!

If you're interested in #Django, #Fediverse infrastructure, #Philosophy, #Absurdism, or just #Canadian things, let's connect.

#introduction #Ontario #Canada #OpenSource #WebDev

Dane 🇮🇪🇺🇦🇻🇪🖖⚛️☮️☸️🕉️ boosted

Aiden

@amphibian@mindly.social · 4 weeks ago

Hi everyone, this is my new #introduction

I an Aiden, a #nonbinary individual from over in #ontario. I am #actuallyadhd, #bipolar, and dealing with #cptsd.

I am a student studying office administration online. I am about to be in my second semester.

I am coming here after years of being on Tumblr and Discord - simply need fresh air.

It is nice to meet you all.