I have set up Mozilla to 'only accept images that come from the
originating server'. (Preferences --> privacy --> images). The images of
third-party servers per se are blocked (ie. not shown).
However, whenever Mozilla finds a link to an external image within a
page, Mozilla still sends a request to the corresponding third-party
web-site -- even though in image manager the site is explicitly listed
as 'site cannot load images'.
(This hit is totally unnecessary from the view of the user, since the
image is blocked and not shown anyway. However the _third-party site_
will get at least the information from which IP a user has requested
which website).
In short, I would like to have a way to make certain:
- If I point a browser to site www.xyz.org no connection to any other
site is established without my prior expressed consent.
- Whenever a site requires to load third-parties' content (images or
other), a referer to that url is displayed and I can opt to download
data from that site or not.
- If I opt 'no', no information whatsoever is sent to the third-parties'
web server.
Are there any settings I overlooked in Mozilla?
Are there any alternative browsers providing these feature?
Thanks,
Johannes
<------ Background info (no joke!): ----->
The web sites of my bank contain little images (size: 1 pixel) from a
big advertising company. According to the information of my bank this is
required for providing apropriate banner ads when visiting their site.
In other words these images are there to inform a third party as to when
and which sites I visit on my bank's pages; it's not there to actually
show an image. To perform its task of providing me with the
'appropriate' ads, the third-party web site will know which sites I
visit on my bank's home page (ie. whenever I view the balance, make a
booking, look at share prices (including at which share prices I look!),
fonds etc. etc.).
Of course, I don't want a big advertising company or any one else to
know when I look at my account or when I book anything etc. Similar
behaviour, unfortunately, can be found on many web sites; however, to
accidentially observe it on the servers of your own bank probably tops
it all...
Are there any suggestions how to block these outgoing requests to third
party web servers?
NB: I set the firewall on my sarge box to block all outgoing connections
to the relevant servers now. But what will happen, if the bank points
their external images to a different site? I also don't want to have to
set up all cases manually. (Having configured the firewall, I now see
these as 'blocked connections'.)
NB 2: I consider this a security hole: when I block a site to load
images, I want this site to be blocked!
NB 3: Is this actually a bug in Mozilla or am I overlooking a hidden
'feature'? But then again it should not be in the 'privacy and security'
section of the preferences...
<------ end ----->
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