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by userbinator 2626 days ago
In fact, there's a browser extension which users willingly install that can help you "commit ad fraud":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19278936

It might actually be beneficial for privacy, since trying to "poison the well" of tracking data gets detected by the adtech companies and they'll likely start ignoring you. In that sense, affecting their bottom line is the only way to make advertisers leave you alone...

2 comments

I would rather not being subjected to the adverts and the associated data mining in the first place. Nothing more creepy than the feeling you are being stalked through your internet journey to sell you yet another useless product you don't want or need.

Creepy and deceitful.

Companies care only about click fraud in as much as it costs them money.

My guess is that this kind of add-on will make your traffic stand out like a sore thumb too so while some companies will happily log that you're into every ad they throw at you, most won't bill for your fake clicks and simply have a very easy time tracking the pages you visit across the web. Where you go says a lot more about you than any ad you click on while you are there.

If enough people use something like this it would force shitty low effort ad platforms to implement some basic fraud detection, but forcing minor players into investing in their services isn't exactly screwing anyone over.