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Comment by snird | Hacker News Reader

I'm using Ghostery as a privacy and ad-blocking extension. Does anyone have data on the impact Ghostery might have on the browser memory usage?

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Ghostery/Disconnect are leaner memory-wise than uBlock [1]. That is for their own memory footprint. I do not know how much they contribute memory overhead to web pages though, but I suspect not much. I have never benchmarked Ghostery/Disconnect CPU-wise.

[1] https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Own-memory-usage:-ben...

I've dropped ghostery about 3 years ago because, even though it was low on memory, it was extremely CPU hungry, making my (then a little old, but by no mean underpowered) laptop take 3-4 seconds of 100% CPU for almost every page.

I haven't tried it again since.

I don't have data on Ghostery memory/CPU usage, but I would offer this warning: Ghostery is proprietary software, and is "calling home" on your usage when you enable Ghostrank.

Ghostrank is used to build profiles on who is blocking what, and when, so they can sell this data to advertisers and trackers. Which just seems hypocritical to me. To be fair, Ghostrank is disabled, and opt-in by default.

Instead, I think you may be better protected by running Privacy Badger by the EFF. It's Free Software and it isn't tracking you.

https://www.eff.org/privacybadger

It is not "calling home" if you enable the collection... Privacy Badger isn't nearly as effective as Ghostery.

Regarding Ghostrank -- isn't it better that ad companies learn to create non-intrusive, acceptable ads so that we don't have to rely on adblockers everywhere and can actually give sites their ad-revenue?

I would prefer that ad companies learn to create non-intrusive ads. I've been hoping for this for the past 15 years. Sadly, no progress is being made here.

Oh, also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostery#Criticism

That's literally a rehash of the FUD in your parent post.

There's no uncertainty or doubt about it. Ghostrank reports back about how it has disabled tracking in your browser. It may be "anonymous", but Ghostrank tracks your web usage, and sells it to advertisers.

http://lifehacker.com/ad-blocking-extension-ghostery-actuall...

http://www.informationweek.com/software/social/ghostery-make...

https://gigaom.com/2014/11/19/ghostery-uses-plugin-data-to-p...

Ghostrank tracks you. Plain and simple.

I'm not disputing that Ghostrank tracks you, but your framing and presentation of the facts is FUD designed to fit your wished narrative.

Most people who use Ghostery aren't aware of the double standard.

It isn't a double standard. What's is hypocritical about giving users a choice (an informed one at that)?

On an opt-in basis.

You don't have to opt in.

You are not bugged to opt in.

Plain and simple.

I already mentioned that it's opt-in, and disabled by default.

then why the campaign to scare people away from ghostery?

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