- Jul 27, 2015
- 5,459
Releases · ghostery/ghostery-extension
Ghostery Browser Extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge and Safari - ghostery/ghostery-extension
github.com
Ghostery updates
- Thread starter upnorth
- Start date
github.com
Thanks, What I like about Ghostery is the ease of use. For the websites users don't interact with (only browse/read/listen/watch), it increases block rates (without breakage) to set that website as untrusted. Reversely websites which are used for banking, booking and buying can be set to trusted. I have not used it for a long time, but I noticed it now also blocks ads on Youtube and its behavioral component discovered Dutch TV-advertising (ster.nl) of state sponsored public stations.
Performance wise it is as good as a trimmed down uBlockOrigin and blocking wise it is as good as or even better than (on low traffic websites) uBO in default, I noticed a new option called blocklists. Default is advertising only (top radio button), advertising and tracking (middle) and advertising, tracking and annoying elements (bottom one, which I have enabled for the screenprint only).
The (new?) option on the left (look like Easylist blocklists) and Ghostery's old small list of advertising and tracking networks (simular to Disconnect, Peter Low and Kees1958) on the right.
EDIT: I gave it a spin and Ghostery now also blocks nasty stuff (like popunders) which only Adguard base filter blocked (were missed by EasyList). So it does seem to use classic/old school EasyList like blocklists. (@oldschool this might be the set and forget adblocker you are looking for)
Performance wise it is as good as a trimmed down uBlockOrigin and blocking wise it is as good as or even better than (on low traffic websites) uBO in default, I noticed a new option called blocklists. Default is advertising only (top radio button), advertising and tracking (middle) and advertising, tracking and annoying elements (bottom one, which I have enabled for the screenprint only).
The (new?) option on the left (look like Easylist blocklists) and Ghostery's old small list of advertising and tracking networks (simular to Disconnect, Peter Low and Kees1958) on the right.
EDIT: I gave it a spin and Ghostery now also blocks nasty stuff (like popunders) which only Adguard base filter blocked (were missed by EasyList). So it does seem to use classic/old school EasyList like blocklists. (@oldschool this might be the set and forget adblocker you are looking for)
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- Mar 29, 2018
- 7,102
Thanks for your updated micro-review. I've been switching between this and Privacy Badger for a while.EDIT: I gave it a spin and Ghostery now also blocks nasty stuff (like popunders) which only Adguard base filter blocked (were missed by EasyList). So it does seem to use classic/old school EasyList like blocklists. (@oldschool this might be the set and forget adblocker you are looking for)
- Apr 17, 2020
- 542
EDIT: I gave it a spin and Ghostery now also blocks nasty stuff (like popunders) which only Adguard base filter blocked (were missed by EasyList). So it does seem to use classic/old school EasyList like blocklists. (@oldschool this might be the set and forget adblocker you are looking for)
How would you compare this to Ad Guard?
*Update * (Well I just ran the extension to do a quck test) I went to Newser[.]com and went into an article (This web site is ad riddled!) I got side pop up to subscribe and tons
of ads on the side. I disabled it and went back to the page using my Ad Guard extension instead and it blocked all the ads and pop ups. (Now I did use it default to be fair and not sure if there are other filters I need to add/turn on) But I think i prefer Ad Guard although I do like the features to restrict sites. But with the Ad Guard extension you can also pause the protection for specific sites.
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- Jul 29, 2017
- 273
I have been using both on different PC's for a long time.
My 3 home use pc's have adguard premium and on my work pc & laptop I use edge + ghostery.
Adguard is more comprehensive and effective but a bit slower in performance.
Ghostery is simpler but does a good enough job and is blazing fast. You can combine it with host file dns blocking (script tiger host script with steven black hosts or nextdns) for even better results.
- Apr 17, 2020
- 542
I did notice faster page loading with ghostery extension vs ad guard extension for sure.
- Jul 29, 2017
- 273
You were using ghostery in default settings. I suggest to select Ablock + Tracking + Annoyances for even better results.
It is a very underrated extension due to the shady history and the acquisition by Cliqz.. But it is now open source and it is the fastest adblocking extension by far.
It is a very underrated extension due to the shady history and the acquisition by Cliqz.. But it is now open source and it is the fastest adblocking extension by far.
- Apr 17, 2020
- 542
Ok I will try it out and test it more!
* Update * I tested again on Newser[.]com I went to the same article on that page with both and Ad Guard still blocking more ads on the right side all gone and they are still
showing with Ghostery.
I found the settings you said and had those all 3 turned on. I am using Ad Guard beta 4 extension only. It is slightly slower on page loading but blocks more still it seems.
You are welcome to compare and test on that site yourself. Here is comparison, first two are Ghostery and other two are Ad Guard.
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- Jul 29, 2017
- 273
To be clear, I never said that ghostery is better than adguard for adblocking, only that it is faster. But it is good enough for me on pc's that do not have adguard premium installed.
You also need to consider that ghostery uses much smaller filterlist than adguard.
You also need to consider that ghostery uses much smaller filterlist than adguard.
- Apr 17, 2020
- 542
Yes Ghostery is very fast and I do a have a ton more filters running on Ad Guard but I only use the ad guard extension I do not have the desktop / premium features.
I would avoid Ghostery, they were bought out and turned into pretty much an tracking and advertisement platform to sell user data, its even outlined in their privacy policy that they do indeed sell user data to third parties.
I think AdGuard is one of the best (maybe the best adblocker). On most forums uBlock gets more love than AG, maybe because Raymond Hill improved the golden standard as a one man band operation, but AG is an excellent choice.
@Gangelo is right Ghostery has one of the fastest engines or maybe the fastest engine (the new AdGuard V4 is partly based on Ghostery's filtering engine and I think Brave also used it).
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- Jul 29, 2017
- 273
As @Kees1958 correctly pointed, you can opt out from any analytics they use and they are very clear on what they do with any collected data. It is no different from telemetry used by various OS'es and browsers (like Microsoft & Mozilla for example). The extension is open source now so anyone with knowledge can audit the code.
As I previously said, the bad reputation comes from the past but I don't think there is any reason that it cannot be trusted these days.
I did read it, I just lost the part where it said it sold data to third parties, however, some people on Reddit seems to agree
Any company that betrays their users once dont deserve a second chance, no matter how much they improve
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No you did not, just parroting something posted on social media platforms, see below
Cliqz is a German company. Germany is part of the EU, so German companies have to confirm to EU-law, on top of that Germany is one of the countries which has the most strict interpretation and enforcement of these privacy regulations. Cliqz also developed a browser and a search engine and is a digital marketing company, so they provide privacy regulations company wide and product specific.
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I only wished the mods and ''improper content detection systems' were that harsh on users on social media who are betraying the facts: imagine a world without QAnon believers and Global Heating/Covid19 deniers.
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@Tutman
The numbers of AG are usually higher (partly explained by stealth privacy modifications*). What are the advertisements you are seeing?
On Edge (anti-tracking on default) with Ghostery, I am only seeing 1 advertisement (which is a sweepstake from Newser, so first-party content/image source)
*) When you enable Stealth in AG, it changes the lifetime stamps of all 3p-cookies set. When people post that AG is a little slower than uBO, is partly explained because it does more behind the scenes. I will give AG a spin when their new V4 engine is stable, to see whether they improved in CPU time (although it can be measured, I can't imagine people noticing that with modern CPU's when not told that AG uses more CPU than uBO for instance)
The numbers of AG are usually higher (partly explained by stealth privacy modifications*). What are the advertisements you are seeing?
On Edge (anti-tracking on default) with Ghostery, I am only seeing 1 advertisement (which is a sweepstake from Newser, so first-party content/image source)
*) When you enable Stealth in AG, it changes the lifetime stamps of all 3p-cookies set. When people post that AG is a little slower than uBO, is partly explained because it does more behind the scenes. I will give AG a spin when their new V4 engine is stable, to see whether they improved in CPU time (although it can be measured, I can't imagine people noticing that with modern CPU's when not told that AG uses more CPU than uBO for instance)
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- Jul 5, 2019
- 552
What about Gostery's own browser: Ghostery Dawn. See Ghostery Dawn and Ghostery Dawn - A new Privacy Browser based on Firefox (BETA)
I think it was abandoned together with their search engine, because of Covid19 and to little customer/investor interest. But I don't remember where I have read that, so uncertain about the validity of the source.
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