Block cookies by name, not by site, in Firefox

Firefox allows blocking all cookies on a site-by-site level. This is OK for the most part. However, it does not help with blocking only Google Analytics cookies. The GA cookie names start with __ut.

How can I make Firefox block all __ut* cookies?

I know there are many cookie related add-ons for Firefox - but apparently all of them simply fine tune cookie site-by-site blocking, according to their descriptions. Hopefully I missed the one who can do this. I also know about Google's plugin to opt out of analytics. Installing a specific plug-in for that purpose (as opposed to an add-on) seems a bit overdone. Plus, I would have to trust Google with that and that is exactly what I don't.

Host file: putting Google Analytics into the host file is a good idea (if you don't like the tracking) but it does not help with the first party cookies coming from all sites which simply use the GA javascript in their pages.
Adblock plus: Fanboy's tracking list did not block new __utma etc. cookies, e.g. from vkistudios.com. It may work on many other sites (did not check).

deepc

Posted 2010-12-22T17:01:15.033

Reputation: 633

Answers

Disabling Google Analytics by Adding a Code to Your Computer’s Windows Host File

This is pretty simple, but should only be attempted by someone who already knows what I'm talking about. You can just add the following code in the windows host file ( C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\etc) and Google Analytics will be blocked.

127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com

Disabling Google Analytics by Using the Customize Google Plug-in

Go to http://www.customizegoogle.com/block-google-analytics-cookies.html and download the Customize Google Plug-in. A pop up will appear. Click the allow button, a new dialog box will appear. Just click install. Once it's installed, restart your browser. Then go to tools>customize Google options> privacy and click don’t send any cookies from Google Analytics.

Note: It is not compatible with some versions of Firefox

Disabling Google Analytics by Using the AdBlock Plus Plug-in

Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865/ and download the AdBlockPlus plug-in. A pop up will appear. Click the allow button. A new dialog box will appear. Just click install and restart your browser once it's done. Then go to https://adblockplus.org/en/subscriptions and subscribe to "ABP Tracking Filter" and you have successfully disabled Google Analytics.

Sparx

Posted 2010-12-22T17:01:15.033

Reputation: 1 667

Thanks for the elaborate answer. Actually my hosts file has 16k+ lines (includes GA). Customize-Google I used before (not currently installed for different reasons). It may not be of much use to this regard however, and I am quoting the page: "[...] your ip address is still sent to [...] Google Analytics". Back to square one, the hosts file. APB: subscribing to Fanboy's Tracking Blocking now. Hopefully this will stop ut cookies. If so I will probably accept the answer, although it does not help blocking cookies by name. I think every cookie with "" in its name is easily expandable... – deepc – 2010-12-22T18:04:14.783

Unfortunately it did not work. I had deleted all cookies with __ in the name. Now there are new ones, eg. from vkistudios.com. Filtering cookies by name might be the better option after all. Good thing is that most sites use one of the few common tracking packages (GA above all) so they could easily be filtered. – deepc – 2010-12-23T21:01:14.723

What if within Firefox's Privacy Settings, you accept site cookies but no 3rd party cookies - would that solve the issue? – Sparx – 2010-12-24T11:37:14.020

Accepting the answer because there may not be a way to do exactly what I want and this is probably at least close. – deepc – 2011-02-26T21:11:26.687

If anyone is looking for a solution (as of today) to block these google-analytics __utm* cookies by name, here is a workaround: Using Firefox Addon AdBlockPlus, go to its Options -> Filter preferences -> Custom filters -> Add filter group -> Add filter; as Filter rule enter ||google-analytics.com/ga.js| Cookies banished =)

betterlatethannever

Posted 2010-12-22T17:01:15.033

Reputation: 1