cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/31187638
Earlier today I came across a Reddit comment with a link to an Instagram post. The link had
?igsh=at the end.When I clicked on the link, I got this popup. It had a name and profile photo that was different from that of the post being shared.
Join Firstname Lastname on Instagram
See photos, videos, and more from Firstname Lastname.
[ Open Instagram ]
not now
I avoid link trackers. However, I did not realize it was this bad.
To my knowledge, TikTok does the same thing and lists the name of the person that shared the link. Assuming this increases engagement, any website could enable such a feature, even on old links that you shared in the past.
You should manually remove any trackers before sharing, or use an app for it.
There is a Firefox addon called ClearURLs that automatically removes all of the tracking crap. It works on PC and Android.
I used that so much when I was creating purchase orders. Nobody needs to know how I got to that page.
uBlock Origin also has a filter built-in, though you have to enable it. It’s under Filter Lists > Privacy > AdGuard URL Tracking Protection
How does it work?
I assume it blocks something from loading, but I wouldn’t exactly know. I haven’t looked into it.
Thank you, I had no idea. Already had uBlock Origin on my phone (FF), so that’s one less extension needed. Works perfectly!