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Thread: How is the website Reddit able to link two accounts together ?

  1. #1
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    How is the website Reddit able to link two accounts together ?

    So this question is going to be a little bit complicated. I have a family member who shares my computer who gets banned on Reddit on this device on his own account. Since this is my device he got banned on, Reddit bans my account that he didn't use (this looks like an IP ban). The only problem is that I used a VPN, another email, and another web browser to create this new account. This new account has been active for a few days until it was banned again because the admin said it was linked to my family member's account. The problem with this is that I created that new account on a VPN, on a different web browser, so I'm frightened and astonished on how they linked the too.

    I am really concerned that companies like Reddit can track everything you do on the web. Now, how do the admins on Reddit link two accounts ? What are the possible ways ? I know IP bans are one of them. I am not an expert on cybersecurity so please help me out, but is it possible that there is some flash cookies or some cookies on my local computer where the admins can see if one device is using two accounts ? I Googled this furiously and I found that you can delete flash cookies for Chrome, Firefox, etc, but like I said before, it seems as though the admins can link accounts by device as well. Since I made the new account on another web browser, deleting Google Chrome's flash cookies on my local drives may have not helped because somehow they know my device. If they are doing this, how are they doing this and how can I stop companies in the future from doing this to me ? I want to be anonymous as possible after this experience.

    This whole experience has really shook me up to be honest. I know it may seem like I'm acting overdramatic, but it worries me that some Reddit admin can see everything I'm doing online or can know what my device is somehow. I even had a browser spoofing extension now and adguard adblock when I created the new account, but I feel like these tools are not enough. I know .onion can work, but that is way too slow for comfortable use.

    I'm sure some of you will just say "sorry, we don't believe it's ethical to help you for not following Reddit's rules", but I really want to learn about cybersecurity and how these companies are able to track you. I'm a concerned citizen. I'm also a software engineer (I don't work with web related development) and I really want to understand what is going on here. I beg you to help me understand what is going on. I feel like citizens of a free country have the right to know what companies are doing. I've done rigerous Googling and could not come up with satisfying answers to my questions.

    I really appreciate the help and thank you

  2. #2
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    Rule #1
    You will not use these Posting Features for the purposes of sharing or distributing viruses, licenses, registration information, software keys, "cracks," or other information designed to do harm to or allow unlawful access to any computer hardware, software, networks, or any other systems. We CANNOT help you with lost or forgotten PASSWORDS.
    https://www.antionline.com/announcement.php?f=46
    You're in a gray area with this/our site...so don't be shocked if and when we take your thread down.

    The good news is that Reddit or anyone else for that matter doesn't know everything....but they know a lot.

    In your thread, you used the term flash cookies several times. Drop the word FLASH and just go with Cookies to help you with your endeavor.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator rlirpa's Avatar
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    Go here:
    EFF > Cover Your Tracks
    and then click the Test Your Browser button.

    CANVAS FINGERPRINT

    WHAT IS THIS?
    A tracking site can perform a specific test on the HTML5 <canvas> element in your browser. This metric is the unique identification the tracker assigns to your browser after it performs this test.

    Canvas fingerprinting is invisible to the user. A tracker can create a “canvas” in your browser, and generate a complicated collage of shapes, colors, and text using JavaScript. Then, with the resulting collage, the tracker extracts data about exactly how each pixel on the canvas is rendered. Many variables will affect the final result. These include your operating system, graphics card, firmware version, graphics driver version, and installed fonts.

    HOW IS THIS USED IN YOUR FINGERPRINT?
    This is a complex and very reliable fingerprinting metric for trackers.

    Slightly different images will be rendered due to small differences in:

    video card hardware,
    video drivers,
    operating system, and
    installed fonts.

    These settings are different from one computer to the next. But they tend to be consistent enough on a single machine to clearly identify a user.
    And this is but one way to identify your computer.

    More here: https://www.eff.org/press/releases/f...ur-tracks-tool

    and here: https://www.google.com/search?q=eff+tracking
    Last edited by rlirpa; July 15th, 2021 at 02:23 PM.
    Rad

  4. #4
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    hmmmm. I discovered that ENABLING Privacy Badger is a good thing.

    How many years ago was it that you had me install it? (LOL)

  5. #5
    Super Moderator rlirpa's Avatar
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    Close to right after it came out I think, which was some 7 years ago.
    Rad

  6. #6
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    I doubt it was that long ago that I turned it off

    But for example, my Ad Blocker Plus wouldn't let me install it today...when I went to turn it off, I saw P. Badger in my extension folder.....

  7. #7
    Super Moderator rlirpa's Avatar
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    Very well could be. Don't remember so good anymore. Chemo, age, life, wives, kids, etc, have all taken there toll? I am taking pills for it now though. Keep your fingers crossed.
    Rad

  8. #8
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    You can user firefox profiles to separate each account. Don't need to clear the cookies, let them sit there for reddit to recognise you as another usual user. New version of the Firefox, much more reliable now.

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