How do websites know my email address just by visiting them??
Can anyone tell me how websites manage to know my email address just by visiting them? I've had two in the last day automatically subscribe me just from visiting the site. I did not enter my email address anywhere at all, yet I've been added to both subscription lists.
I'm using Firefox. Obviously my email address is being stored somewhere and these sites are plucking it out and adding me to their list without my permission... which is total BS. What other information are these sites gaining access to that I don't know about?
Can anyone tell me how websites manage to know my email address just by visiting them? I've had two in the last day automatically subscribe me just from visiting the site. I did not enter my email address anywhere at all, yet I've been added to both subscription lists.
I'm using Firefox. Obviously my email address is being stored somewhere and these sites are plucking it out and adding me to their list without my permission... which is total BS. What other information are these sites gaining access to that I don't know about?
How can I block this stuff??
I'd like to know that also.
I find myself on a list like that and I try to unsubscribe only to be asked to sign-in! Of course, since I never signed up in the first place I can't sign in without a prolonged rigamarole that requires me to give them my information. I've been trying to get rid of just such a problem with the Globe and Mail.....
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"not all those who wander are lost .." j.r.r. tolkien
Do you use Gmail? If so, are you usually logged in? So far, that's the only thing I can think of... that somehow these websites are linked with Gmail and are getting my email address from them because I'm always logged in to that account.
I checked my cookies... I have two instances where my email address is listed, apple.com and google.com. I think these other sites are somehow accessing my cookies and getting my email address. Problem with that is that these are supposed to be secure entries.
Do you use Gmail? If so, are you usually logged in? So far, that's the only thing I can think of... that somehow these websites are linked with Gmail and are getting my email address from them because I'm always logged in to that account.
I have a Gmail account, but I access it from Mail and almost never login.
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"not all those who wander are lost .." j.r.r. tolkien
I think they're accessing the cookies somehow and extracting our email address. Who knows if it's in partnership with Google or what, but I'm not very happy they can 'hack' my computer to find out my email address... kinda seems like that would be illegal in some way or another.
I doubt very much if the sites are "harvesting" any email address or even using any cookie data unless you actually registered with such sites and provided an email address, but *most* sites protect that info as best they can.
More likely that some email spambot crawler got your email address from a site or even user group etc. where your email address was listed and/or used.
I doubt very much if the sites are "harvesting" any email address or even using any cookie data unless you actually registered with such sites and provided an email address, but *most* sites protect that info as best they can.
More likely that some email spambot crawler got your email address from a site or even user group etc. where your email address was listed and/or used.
How do you suppose HMV suddenly emailed me their newsletter within hours of visiting their site ONCE (that's the first time I've even gone to their site in years). I didn't provide my email address in any way, yet suddenly out of nowhere they send me their newsletter.
Lets say they did acquire my email address another way.. are you suggesting that they somehow got my address through another source, a spambot or something, that harvested my email address from another site and then provided it to them as a mean of advertising through mass email? The timing just seems way to co-incidental for me to believe that is the case.
HMV Canada Inc ("HMV Canada") has developed this Privacy Policy in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for the websites hmv.ca and Purehmv.ca. This Privacy Policy does not apply to hmvdigital.ca which is a separate entity with its own privacy policy
We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, and to administer our Web site. Your IP address is also used to gather broad, aggregated demographic information. Our site may use cookies to make sure you don't see the same ad repeatedly. We use cookies to deliver content specific to your interests, to save your password so you don't have to re-enter it each time you visit one of our sites, and for the other purposes set out below.
We use cookies to remind us who you are and to find your account information in our database when you access a service so you do not need to log in at every visit. This helps us to provide you with service tailored to your specific needs and interests. A cookie is created when you register for a service.
We use cookies to estimate our audience size. Your browser is given a unique cookie that helps us determine whether yours is a repeat visit or a first visit. We use cookies to determine the browser the visitor uses so the site can be designed to work properly with the most common versions of different browsers. Advertisers that place ads on our sites may use cookies
The registration forms on our sites may require users to give us a unique username and password. To post a message by using an e-form, an email address is also required.
Our sites contain links to third party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such third party sites. Third party co-branded sites and content partner sites may have privacy policies independent of our Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy extends only to data collected on pages hosted on our website servers. Information which we collect on our sites may be aggregated and shared with third party trading partners, co-branded sites, and advertisers. However, this aggregated information does not contain personally identifiable information.
The online surveys and contests on our sites may ask visitors for such information as contact information (like their email address), and demographic information (like their postal code, age, occupation, income level or personal preferences). We may use contact data from our surveys or contests to send information about our company and promotional material from some of our partners, sponsors or advertisers. Your contact information may also be used to contact you when necessary and may be shared with other affiliated companies. Only HMV Canada has access to your personal information. Users may opt-out of receiving future e-mail communications. Please see the choice/opt-out section below.
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In the Registration process where we request information about the visitor, our site provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving email or other forms of communications from HMV Canada.
A senior company officer has been appointed as the Privacy Officer at HMV Canada. The Privacy Officer is accountable for all personal information at HMV Canada.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, your dealings with this Web site or you wish to file a complaint you can contact:
Privacy Officer,
HMV CANADA INC.
110-5401 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario M9C 5K6
Canada privacyofficer@hmv.ca
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I do not know the answer for your situation and experience with that site, especially if you were just browsing their site, but maybe in a previous visit you used their 'news & offers sign-up' and provided your address and a recent visit just triggered that to start working.
I have visited the site several times today to just check and browse, and no email notice, nada.
Heck, I coulden't even get their 'sign in' or 'Your account' to work or even a method to even register for the time I spent browsing their site.
Of course, since I never signed up in the first place I can't sign in without a prolonged rigamarole that requires me to give them my information. 
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