1y ago

Google docs infects html exports with google tracking redirects.

fosstodon.org Joe :fedora: :debian: :ferris: (@Joe_0237@fosstodon.org)

Today I found out that google docs infects html exports with spyware, no scripts, but links in your document are replaced with invisible google tracking redirects. I was using their software because a friend wanted me to work with him on a google doc, he is a pretty big fan of their software, but we...

@Joe_0237@fosstodon.org wrote:

Today I found out that google docs infects html exports with spyware, no scripts, but links in your document are replaced with invisible google tracking redirects. I was using their software because a friend wanted me to work with him on a google doc, he is a pretty big fan of their software, but we were both somehow absolutely shocked that they would go that far.

Technology @beehaw.org

Google adds tracking to Google docs documents?

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TechNews @radiation.party

Google Docs adds tracking to links in document exports

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54 comments

Can someone eli5 this please? What's going on here?
- I have a Google Doc that's a statblock for an RPG. It has a link to the mage armor spell, which goes directly to https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mage-armor/.
  I just downloaded that statblock as an html. Then I opened that html file. The statblock is there and it all looks pretty much the same.
  But then I hover over the mage armor link and it instead goes to https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mage-armor/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1696552528610887&usg=AOvVaw1Wgq9wmajthwTbYmk1EmHx.
  This page immediately redirects to the proper destination in a fraction of a second. Blink and you'll miss it. However, it does allow Google to track that I clicked the link, and probably associate it back to me and/or the original document.
  
  Thanks. Got it. Could a pihole potentially block this?
  Edit: nvm then you just simply couldn't open the links.
  
  Afaik there are browser extensions that find and replace these kinds of tracking links with the original ones.
  
  Oh, right. Like clearURL and certain ublock origin lists?
  
  It's probably easy enough to write a script that will go through the generated HTML and just scrub out the Google.
  
  So if there's only a few links, you could manually replace them?
  
  Yes. You could probably also write a simple script that scrubs the Googles out.

54 comments