this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2025
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[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 63 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

Users don't need to interact with them, when a site adds the button to their page it allows that code to track you around the net. It's still generating revenue even if you never click on it.

Sites still add them because it makes them money at the expense of your privacy.

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 10 points 19 hours ago

Sites still add them because it makes them money at the expense of your privacy.

You can also consider it a form of advertising for the platforms. The buttons not only suggest for the user that they should use an indicated platform, but give them an immediate way to engage with it as well. It's manipulation, all the way down.

[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 10 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (7 children)

Yeah, but you can do the same tracking without actually displaying any buttons, so the point stands.

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[–] arararagi@ani.social 64 points 1 day ago

Aren't these buttons still around just to track you even if you don't interact with them? Since most people don't logout from their social media on their personal device.

[–] MissingInteger@lemm.ee 43 points 1 day ago

In uBlock Origin activate the filterlist EasyList – Social Widgets to remove those.

[–] markovs_gun@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You'd be surprised how the average person interacts with the Internet .

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Share button > copy link > paste unedited url to SMS

[–] dumblederp@aussie.zone 4 points 22 hours ago

Just Sms a photo of the link.

[–] ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think you wrote FAX wrong.

[–] lars@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 day ago

Can someone pdf it tho first? I need pdf.

[–] BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Missed a step where they Google Facebook.com - click on the top sponsored link to go to Facebook - post the URL

[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 19 hours ago

Or just send a link to a Google search result page, which ends up being a paragraph of URL

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 190 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Tracking. The links themselves will likely have unique referrer IDs so the platform knows where a click comes from.

[–] drspod@lemmy.ml 140 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Also, they track website visitors without them even clicking the button. Just loading the "share" icon from the social media website allows them to see that you are reading that specific article, and if they recognise your IP or can fingerprint your browser then they can tie it to your social media account (advertising profile).

[–] bjorney@lemmy.ca 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just loading the "share" icon from the social media website allows them to see that you are reading that specific article

The buttons aren't necessary for this though. They can do that with a tag, or a hidden 1x1 pixel

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 47 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Yes, but Facebook can't just place that script on other people's pages.

That's the point of the buttons. Website designers place that shit themselves.

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[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 day ago

That's not really a thing anymore since the GDPR went into force. These days, websites integrate these buttons directly into the webpage rather than loading them dynamically. The buttons in the screenshot are custom designs, too, so they didn't get loaded from the social media companies.

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[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 11 points 1 day ago

It's also to remind people to post them in social media, clicking them or not.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

On mobile, I recommend downloading a URL cleaner to scrape away that shit.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people share an article and the link is the size of the Magna Carta

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[–] obvs@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago

Well I sure as hell don't use that one.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 58 points 1 day ago (5 children)

I still want to know why they show up on porn sites...

Cause I'm sitting here watching backdoor sluts 9 and thinking to myself; "you know who'd really enjoy this? Grandma."

[–] jpablo68@infosec.pub 25 points 1 day ago

Backdoor Sluts 9? that movie makes Crotch Capers 3 look like Naughty Nurses 2

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 20 points 1 day ago

Grandma was very clear at the last family gathering, that she sees all parts after 3 as very derivative and boring cashgrabs

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I also recently had a porn site ask me, if I'd like to login with a Google account. Absolutely fuck that Google login dialog on any webpage that has it, but why in the world would anyone log into a porn site with it?

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago

🤷 Sometimes you need a recipe for muffins, other times you need 'instructional videos' on muff diving. Google is here to help, lmao

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

To comment on the video of course

[–] weeeeum@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Gotta let her know people are stealing her content

[–] Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago

Those are there so republican senators can accidentally tell on themselves.

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 13 points 1 day ago

I don't. Fuck each and everyone of those spy balls.

[–] PetteriPano@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I love how pornhub has a share button.

[–] FeelzGoodMan420@eviltoast.org 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I always wonder how many people accidentally shared it to facebook or something. I know the vast majority of people keep all of their social media auto-logged and and linked to each other and shit. And they're using Chrome.

[–] bluegreenwookie@bookwormstory.social 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I don't think I've ever noticed those lol.

Who needs adblock when you're just oblivious

[–] raltoid@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

Who needs adblock when you’re just oblivious

People who are oblivious as they browse are some of those who need it most. As they easily fall for "promoted content" that is literally just ads.

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[–] weeeeum@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Share buttons are fucking useless IMO. You have to jump through a dozen screens to actually share them, or just copy the link and paste it where you want shared.

[–] viking@infosec.pub 12 points 1 day ago

They aren't useless at all, just not in the sense you expect. Those icons are hosted on the respective website and therefore serve as a giant tracking pixel. Better block them altogether.

[–] mesamunefire@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Quite a few people use them on the more modern sites like bluesky/mastodon (also rss/email etc...).

Its like less than 99% of people from what I see on my sites (Im a software developer) but its enough to make a difference.

[–] alphapuggle@programming.dev 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

it's like less than 99% of people

NGL this doesn't really narrow it down

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[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As far as I can tell they are easy to add and everyone else is doing it, so the people who make decisions about the website don't want to feel left out. Kind of like how those sites became popular in the first place, easy and perceived popularity.

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[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago

Those are still a thing? I adblocked them a long time ago.

[–] Biskii@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Alright, I'll admit it, I don't get it. What are the icons supposed to say?

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Laid out like that: FuckIng Cross the mail bot

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