Blocking Google Analytics and the like

firstjudge · 01:11 AM

Hi, I hope this is the right section to post this in.

Is it just me or am I the only one who finds web owners tracking my activities via google analytics disconcerting. I just found out about this today. Sure, they may not track your IP address but it's still too much information let out for my liking. It's far too big brother-like to me and I want to put an end to it. I know how to block google analytics on Windows by editing the host file but how do I do it in OS X? I'm still using Leopard btw. Thanks.

mac2x · Sep 26, 2009, 02:02 AM

http://blog.techsoup.org/google-analytics

Apparently, the file that you are looking for is in /private/etc/hosts on Mac OS X. You probably need root privileges to do that.

[edit] That may be old info; the Apple page that site links to is very old. You can always use private browsing in FF 3.5 or Safar.

electroshock · Sep 26, 2009, 02:10 AM

/etc/hosts approach is somewhat crude because it puts the onus on you to keep tracking for any IP address changes and updating that file.

Better bet might be to use something like Little Snitch at a nominal cost. I'm not sure about Safari, but with Firefox's NoScript plug-in, I can easily tell it to block that particular website and it does so for any pages trying to access it.

mac2x · Sep 26, 2009, 02:12 AM

OK, the info is good. I was having a brain fart.

You still need root privileges to do anything with the hosts file in OS X. Of course, you don't in Windows.

zechmann · Oct 27, 2009, 03:18 AM

How do you block google analytics with little snitch?

miles01110 · Oct 27, 2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zechmann

How do you block google analytics with little snitch?

You don't. Google Analytics works through browsers, so unless you block the ports for things like HTTP Little Snitch won't do anything. Use something like NoScript with FF if you are worried about it.

GGJstudios · Oct 27, 2009, 09:45 AM

SafariBlock and Safari AdBlock will do the trick. I block Google analytics with them and it works fine.

StrongBad · Oct 27, 2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstjudge

Hi, I hope this is the right section to post this in.

Is it just me or am I the only one who finds web owners tracking my activities via google analytics disconcerting. I just found out about this today. Sure, they may not track your IP address but it's still too much information let out for my liking. It's far too big brother-like to me and I want to put an end to it. I know how to block google analytics on Windows by editing the host file but how do I do it in OS X? I'm still using Leopard btw. Thanks.

specifically, what is it you don't want them to know?

Consultant · Oct 27, 2009, 10:59 AM

EVERY web site tracks customer usage.

If you access a page, there is a record of it, so you should stop using any electronics altogether.

FYI the goal of tracking is to improve the site to work for the most customers.

nick004 · Oct 27, 2009, 11:23 AM

If I'm unhappy with a site I will e-mail them. Adverts and tracking are just an unnecessary waste of my bandwidth and resources

Yes, I am fussy.

As mentioned above, AdBlock and NoScript do the job perfectly. Can block anything, including site logos

I don't need reminders that I'm on the site :P

lewis82 · Oct 27, 2009, 05:26 PM

Well for Firefox maybe TACO would work for that.

I'm not sure, but I installed it anyways, along with AdBlock Plus

zechmann · Oct 28, 2009, 12:19 AM

I just want to block it because I own a website, and it's skewing my data.

Sep 26, 2009, 01:05 AM	#1
firstjudge macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2008	Blocking Google Analytics and the like Hi, I hope this is the right section to post this in. Is it just me or am I the only one who finds web owners tracking my activities via google analytics disconcerting. I just found out about this today. Sure, they may not track your IP address but it's still too much information let out for my liking. It's far too big brother-like to me and I want to put an end to it. I know how to block google analytics on Windows by editing the host file but how do I do it in OS X? I'm still using Leopard btw. Thanks. Last edited by firstjudge : Sep 26, 2009 at 01:11 AM.

Sep 26, 2009, 02:02 AM	#2
mac2x macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2009	http://blog.techsoup.org/google-analytics Apparently, the file that you are looking for is in /private/etc/hosts on Mac OS X. You probably need root privileges to do that. [edit] That may be old info; the Apple page that site links to is very old. You can always use private browsing in FF 3.5 or Safar. __________________ Unibody MacBook Pro, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM 250 GB HD, running OS 10.5.8 Apple 24" LED Cinema Display 32 GB iPod touch

Sep 26, 2009, 02:12 AM	#4
mac2x macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2009	OK, the info is good. I was having a brain fart. You still need root privileges to do anything with the hosts file in OS X. Of course, you don't in Windows. __________________ Unibody MacBook Pro, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM 250 GB HD, running OS 10.5.8 Apple 24" LED Cinema Display 32 GB iPod touch

Oct 27, 2009, 09:45 AM	#7
GGJstudios macrumors 601 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Texas!	SafariBlock and Safari AdBlock will do the trick. I block Google analytics with them and it works fine. __________________ ǝlƃooʁШ ʎɹʇ ¿suoıʇsǝnb ǝɥʇ ʞsɐ noʎ ǝɹoɟǝq sɹǝʍsuɐ puıɟ oʇ ʇuɐʍ

Oct 27, 2009, 10:59 AM	#9
Consultant macrumors 601 Join Date: Jun 2007	EVERY web site tracks customer usage. If you access a page, there is a record of it, so you should stop using any electronics altogether. FYI the goal of tracking is to improve the site to work for the most customers. __________________ Apple User Art \| Celebs with Macs \| Mac: Power Users \| Tech Humor

Sep 26, 2009, 02:10 AM	#3
electroshock macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2009	/etc/hosts approach is somewhat crude because it puts the onus on you to keep tracking for any IP address changes and updating that file. Better bet might be to use something like Little Snitch at a nominal cost. I'm not sure about Safari, but with Firefox's NoScript plug-in, I can easily tell it to block that particular website and it does so for any pages trying to access it.

Oct 27, 2009, 03:18 AM	#5
zechmann macrumors member Join Date: May 2007	How do you block google analytics with little snitch?

Oct 27, 2009, 11:23 AM	#10
nick004 macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2005	If I'm unhappy with a site I will e-mail them. Adverts and tracking are just an unnecessary waste of my bandwidth and resources Yes, I am fussy. As mentioned above, AdBlock and NoScript do the job perfectly. Can block anything, including site logos I don't need reminders that I'm on the site :P __________________ MBP 15" 2.33 C2D; iPod Nano

Oct 27, 2009, 05:26 PM	#11
lewis82 macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2009	Well for Firefox maybe TACO would work for that. I'm not sure, but I installed it anyways, along with AdBlock Plus __________________ MacBook Pro5,5 13", 2.53 GHz, 4GB DDR3 1066 MHz, 250 GB 5400RPM HDD, Geforce 9400M (10.6.2, 64-bit kernel) iPod Touch 2G 8Gb (iPhone OS 3.1.1) MRoogle rocks!

Oct 28, 2009, 12:19 AM	#12
zechmann macrumors member Join Date: May 2007	I just want to block it because I own a website, and it's skewing my data.

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