Stop WordPress from Collecting My Site Data

Well, the site mentioned in your profile is down… As long as it is down nobody can get much info from it.

I took a look at what you used to have there via the Wayback Machine and noticed that site was hosted on a web host when it was live. So, this WordPress dot org site has nothing to do with your website or your content or the hosting of that content…

WordPress dot org provides the software for running websites but doesn’t care what you do with it.

You might peruse your web server logs and block any service you don’t wish to use from accessing your host. That is not a WordPress issue… If you can’t read that server log or determine the sites you need to block then, your web host may be able to help you there.

You might run the WordFence plugin within a WordPress install and let that help you with some of this as it affects your install of WordPress.

WordPress doesn’t worry about your use of the software provided.

Let us know if we can help you further.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by JNashHawkins.

The sites I run now are https://www.psalm8510.com and https://www.storybookpeds.com.

I host on my own hardware, not on WordPress.com.

While I appreciate you saying that WordPress dot org “doesn’t care what I do with my site,” this present cancel culture (think Dr. Seuss and the recent canceling of books that someone decided were not woke) prompts me to think otherwise. Wherever “it” thinks my business is “its” business will surely bring “its” wrath, my wordpress sites included.

The WordPress software just gives it to you that WordPress is collecting information, and doesn’t give you the choice to opt out. The information collected is also described in apparently intentional vagueness.

That is a violation of my privacy. I want it stopped. I want a checkbox where I can say “No, thank you” to my participation. WordPress may not care now, but things change and so could WordPress.

Does WordFence block this transfer of information?

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by ronsmithmd.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by ronsmithmd.

I empathise with your views on the cancel culture, but if you don’t like what WordPress is doing (and I don’t know what it is they are supposed to be doing) then stop using it.

WordPress doesn’t cost you anything, so WordPress doesn’t owe you anything either.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by sallymoos.

I sorry but I beg to differ with WordPress. If they indicate they are collecting information which they never specified they were doing, then they come out saying they are, especially in this release, my guess is, that by law I am entitled to opt out.

Or they can stop publishing WordPress…its deceptive not to have the option, and this could be a point of a class action lawsuit. Now I’m not wanting to sue, of course. I like WordPress. I want the option to opt out of data collection.

My guess is that this practice may already illegal under the GDPR.

Out of interest, I noticed that your two sites placed cookies on my system without you giving me the opportunity to opt out. Pot, kettle. ??

And I would do that for cookies, if I could. That too, is hardcoded into WordPress. But that is why always use private browsing for sites I do not know.

Maybe I’m just unaware of the checkbox that prevents that? If you know where the setting is to prevent WordPress from installing cookies, I’ll do it!

As it stands, I’ve don’t recall seeing a way for me to opt out on most web sites. I can set a cookie preference per website in my browser, but the onus is on me.

>If you know where the setting is to prevent WordPress from installing cookies, I’ll do it!

The cookies set by your site have nothing to do with WordPress. They are from youtube.com, doubleclick.net & your own sites. Check https://www.cookieserve.com

>And I would do that for cookies, if I could. That too, is hardcoded into WordPress.

Not correct. You can give site visitors the option of opting out using a Cookie permisson plugin.

I beg to differ on the cookies. They ARE set by the website. I’ve been doing this a long time and doing site development before WordPress was ever a thing.

Where is the setting for the cookies in WordPress? I’ll fix that right now.

>They ARE set by the website.

They are set by the web site ONLY because you choose to embed youtube videos onto the page. Youtube cookies are not part of WordPress core. They only appear because you choose to embed Youtube. Therefore, there is no setting in WordPress core to turn off Youtube cookies. The onus is on you to allow your site visitors to opt out of receiving cookies. You can’t blame WordPress for that!

>I’ve been doing this a long time and doing site development before WordPress was ever a thing.

That’s very admirable, but if you’re like me, then you never stop learning. ??

Hmm. I have another site with an older version of WordPress. There are NO youtube videos on it. https://www.pmbx.net.

Yet I just confirmed that it DOES install cookies! See for yourself. I don’t believe that is a youtube embed issue.

Run https://www.pmbx.net through https://www.cookieserve.com and it says … “No cookies found!”

Did you check the cookies in your browser? Are you using a private browsing window?

Clear your cache and try again. I found them on Safari.

I just confirmed with safari. I cleared the pmbx.net cookie after closing the pmbx.net tab. Then I opened a new tab and surfed to pmbx.net. When I check for cookies, its there.

Sorry, I’m trying to be helpful but I’ve some real work to do, and hunting for cookies on your sites isn’t really a priority.

I mentioned cookies in the context of your sites not having an opt-out, which remains a valid point, irrespective where they are coming from. It’s a teeny bit hypocritical of you to slur WP for not giving you a opt-out when your sites are doing exactly the same thing to site visitors.

My original point remains … if WP bothers you so much, just stop using it. Simples. ??

All the best,

Sal.

This links says that embedding videos does not leave cookies:

https://ranktoday.com/does-embedding-youtube-videos-help-seo/

The pmbx.net site is an older version of wordpress of course, but still, I see the cookies being saved in Safari. Firefox, I do not, but I don’t use Firefox much. Haven’t tried Chrome.