Best Buy is now blocking Firefox users with privacy settings enabled

[nohupt]

i felt this thread was worth reposting here. i bet this won't be the first company to do this.

https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/12i3elk

RoboNeko_V1-0
· 11 hr. ago · edited 11 hr. ago

It's not BestBuy, it's BestBuy using Akamai Bot Manager that's causing the breakage.
If you're gonna complain to anyone, complain to Akamai. They run a script that pretty much sticks an anal probe into your browser which (quite literally) leaves no Javascript stone unturned. They then perform a fingerprint of your browser and set a cookie.
Resist fingerprint screws up their process. Instead of working around it or accepting the reality that some people want privacy, they just label you as a bot and block your access. Their excuse is it works for most, therefore the breakage is your problem.
BestBuy (like FedEx and many other websites) return a generic error message that tells you absolutely nothing useful. What they are actually trying to say is:

"We're sorry. Your access to this website has been blocked because Akamai Bot Manager has flagged your browser as suspicious."

I believe the generic error message is intentional. It's a misinformation campaign that drives users away from the actual problem (Akamai) and attempts to get them to reinstall their browser, uninstall their adblock, etc.

 

[batu]

Well, that's how you screw up the bot detection. Moreover, people will still be able to just bruteforce selenium all over their website while legit customers will struggle. Well done, Akamai.

 

[scanningthru]

And I thought I lost money quickly

 

[tazarbm]

this reminds me of one of the many peaks we used to share as jokes when we were kids: "Q: what's the peak of cheekiness? A: taking a dump beneath someone's window and then angrily admonishing them for not providing TP"

Amazing what levels of insanity the tyranny of some corporations has reached...

 

[nohupt]

this reminds me of one of the many peaks we used to share as jokes when we were kids: "Q: what's the peak of cheekiness? A: taking a dump beneath someone's window and then angrily admonishing them for not providing TP"

Amazing what levels of insanity the tyranny of some corporations has reached...

well it's like i always say: it's important to let your wife get fat so that you have food for the apocalypse

 

[tazarbm]

well it's like i always say: it's important to let your wife get fat so that you have food for the apocalypse

whaattttaaaa..... Duuuude

 

[nohupt]

whaattttaaaa..... Duuuude

it's just like.....why shoot yourself in the foot? sometimes i shake my head at how often multi-million dollar corporations screw up so bad. makes me feel safe in the IM game

 

[tazarbm]

it's just like.....why shoot yourself in the foot? sometimes i shake my head at how often multi-million dollar corporations screw up so bad. makes me feel safe in the IM game

I don't think that IM is safer than a stable job in a multi-billion corporation (I'm speaking from the perspective of the little guy, obviously), but I get your point. And it is valid sometimes. Actually, I am in this business, too, so I can relate to its advantages

 

[nohupt]

I don't think that IM is safer than a stable job in a multi-billion corporation (I'm speaking from the perspective of the little guy, obviously), but I get your point. And it is valid sometimes. Actually, I am in this business, too, so I can relate to its advantages

you have to look at your net risk. it's not a lifestyle for everyone, that's for sure!