Named & Shamed
Jonathan Parkyn puts the boot into tech villains, jargon-spouting companies and software stuffed with junk
Junk Offender: Ghostery Dawn
Junk offender: Ghostery Dawn
Question: when does a tool that’s supposed to protect you from being pestered by adverts become a nuisance itself? Answer: when it’s Ghostery Dawn ( www.snipca. com/38790). At least, that’s how Computeractive reader John Holt felt when he tried the privacy-focused browser. And, having tried it myself, I’m inclined to agree with him.
John wrote to us to complain about Ghostery Dawn’s complicated setup process, which he worked through carefully, only to end up with the web browser spamming him with neverending nag screens.
Ghostery is supposed to be one of the good guys – its browser add-on is a great tool for blocking adverts and trackers – so I was surprised to hear of John’s frustrations. My own experience wasn’t quite the same, but I was surprised by just how sneaky Ghostery Dawn’s setup procedure turned out to be.
First off, you see a form, prompting you to enter your email, name and password to set up an account. Ghostery wants you to think this step is compulsory, making the Skip link almost impossible to notice (see screenshot).
Next, you’re presented with a questionnaire aimed at establishing “which privacy plan is right for you”. Select the most obvious options here (block ads, block trackers and so on) and leave the search engine on its default (Ghostery’s own Glow) and you’ll eventually land on a screen with the Ghostery Plus plan pre-ticked. Unless you spot this and actively select the Ghostery Free option instead before clicking Next, you could easily sign yourself up for a £3.59 monthly subscription.
I’m deeply disappointed by Ghostery. A company that positions itself as a protector of your privacy shouldn’t be trying to trick you into giving away your personal details and signing up for services you don’t want.