flash cookies

somanyholes · Mar 24, 2009, 10:35:03

Hi All

I've been playing around a bit with flash cookies of late. For those that are privacy conscious and don't want supercookies on their systems have a look in
C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player

make sure to replace USERNAME with your user account name so it could be

C:\Documents and Settings\somanyholes\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player

lots of fun in there ....

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 10:38:14

Can they all just be deleted, So?

somanyholes · Mar 24, 2009, 10:41:33

anything in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player can be deleted

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 10:50:53

Thanks, So

Simon · Mar 24, 2009, 11:15:03

But presumably, the cookies would just reset themselves next time you visited those websites.

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 11:17:28

But at least they will go at the end of each session.

somanyholes · Mar 24, 2009, 11:22:22

if you want to do this in an automated fashion look at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6623

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 11:27:19

Nice one, So.

Baz · Mar 24, 2009, 14:52:40

i dont even see that folder

DarkStar · Mar 24, 2009, 15:17:58

so,
when I enter that string I get two folders - #Shared Objects and Macromedia.com. Can I just delete them without opening them up? If I open them up there are loads of other folders which are specific to particular sites. Just don't want to go and make a balls up

somanyholes · Mar 24, 2009, 15:22:01

It's fine to delete both folders in the flash player folder. I've not had any negative effects anyway

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 15:22:42

Same here.

DarkStar · Mar 24, 2009, 15:30:14

One further question, I have installed the Add On BetterPrivacy, when I go to options/preferences there is two tabs - LSO Manager & Options. Any recommendations from experience as to whether to leave them at default settings or to tweak them at all. ie: which boxes to tick or not to tick.

Rik · Mar 24, 2009, 15:32:59

I'm doing it as part of my 'wash' routine, Ian, so can't help, sorry.

somanyholes · Aug 17, 2009, 13:30:48

a nice article from wired here http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/you-deleted-your-cookies-think-again/

Of particular interest is

QuoteSeveral services even use the surreptitious data storage to reinstate traditional cookies that a user deleted, which is called 're-spawning' in homage to video games where zombies come back to life even after being "killed," the report found. So even if a user gets rid of a website's tracking cookie, that cookie's unique ID will be assigned back to a new cookie again using the Flash data as the "backup."

Rik · Aug 17, 2009, 15:28:10

Anyone got a pair of semaphore flags?