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Reviews for Clear Flash Cookies

Clear Flash Cookiesby Chris Peterson

Rated 2.7 out of 5
2.7 Stars out of 5
Review by Adam
Rated 5 out of 5
by Adam, 2 years ago
Like other reviewers I wish there were a few more features, but I'm glad this exists. It's not this developer's fault that BetterPrivacy wasn't updated for Quantum. Besides, for years I had used BetterPrivacy just the way this extension functions, so I don't really need those other features.
21 reviews
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by BlindBat, 3 months ago
    Does not work practically, it seems the only protection now is to use ccleaner and create a custom delete of the flash cookies folder, BRING BACK Better Privacy.

    Firefox equally to blame for selling soul to the trackers, I do not want to have to disable till the next session, I want to disable forever.
  • Rated 5 out of 5
    by Firefox user 15257758, 3 months ago
    Does what it should do.

    It can't be a Better Privacy clone because of the changes in Firefox... That is why Better Privacy is defunct.
  • Rated 5 out of 5
    by Firefox user 12255834, 9 months ago
    Whoever gives 1, 2 or 3 stars has no idea and is unfair! This add on does exactly what it is supposed to to: 5 stars.
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13192687, a year ago
    This addon has hidden ADware inside, occasionally opens pop ups

    Developer response

    posted a year ago
    That is false. There are no ads or adware in this add-on. You can review my add-on's code for yourself on GitHub: https://github.com/cpeterso/clear-flash-cookies
  • Rated 4 out of 5
    by Firefox user 12877919, a year ago
    guter Beitrag zu gefühlt mehr Sicherheit vor Kraken
  • Rated 5 out of 5
    by giantmarmot, 2 years ago
    Works for me. Thanks.
  • Rated 4 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13758866, 2 years ago
    I'm going to rate this for the effort at making a replacement for BetterPrivacy. To simply rate it a one star because it doesn't have the same functionality (and may not be possible to achieve) seems unfair in my opinion.
  • Rated 4 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13801144, 2 years ago
    The comments thus far remind me of what executives at large companies I consult to have told me over the years: there are about 30 complaints for every complement. Sheesh, imagine working in Customer Service at even the best-run organization.
    I for one appreciate the author's effort; further, he has not only explained why he cannot achieve, under the new FF API, what Better Privacy did, but pointed out how to get to a control panel to tailor things.
    Kudos to the author, and thanks for the FREE add-in and accompanying info.
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13466607, 2 years ago
    I have FireFox v58.0.1 installed on my Mac laptop. It seems to get reported as Opera for some unknown reason. I try to select your add-on to install, but I get the message that I have to install FireFox first--which I am using at the time.
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Lev_OT, 2 years ago
    ADware запиханное в видео затрахало! Удалил к чёрту!
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Firefox user 6924982, 2 years ago
  • Rated 2 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13579856, 2 years ago
    As many have given enough reasons, explanations and pointed out, this extension comes (very) short of BetterPrivacy, sooooo : One star + One star, for developer's honestly efforts and replies. However, if wants/needs more stars then ... just make a BetterPrivacy extension AGAIN!, compatible with Firefox57+. I shall uninstall this (nearly useless...) extension and wait for the NEWBetterPrivacy if and when it appears.
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Al, 2 years ago
    I'm sorry, but this is a truly do-nothing extension.

    The purpose of having an extension for removing flash cookies (LSOs) is to have the option and ability to remove LSOs DURING the browsing session, NOT to remove them before the next browsing session begins. The way "Clear Flash Cookies" works does nothing for the user on a practical level. Anyone can navigate to the folder containing the flash cookies and remove them manually.

    The only reason that Better Privacy is defunct is because of the changes in Firefox, not because there was anything wrong with Better Privacy. It was a very good extension for preventing and removing LSOs from the user's computer, and it allowed the user to set the security level and functions of the extension. It did not interfere with browsing, and it provided real and real-time protection DURING the browsing session, and gave the user control of his or her security and privacy in regard to nefarious LSOs; which is the whole purpose of having a flash cookie removal extension in the first place.

    The "Clear Flash Cookies" extension does none of that. Since it does not remove LSOs DURING the browsing session, at the time the cookie is being placed on the computer, then for all practical purposes it is doing nothing. It still allows security-breaching, nefarious LSOs that steal sensitive information to invade the user's computer -- and remain there until Firefox is closed and launched again. Since there is nothing to indicate that it has actually removed any cookies at all, I question whether it actually removes any LSOs at all. I'll have to check and see.

    Also, there should be some way to ensure that the LSO containing the global settings (such as access to a webcam, access to the microphone, the amount of data that can be stored on the user's computer, etc.) is protected and not deleted along with other LSOs. Better Privacy made provision for that. Maybe I missed it, but I have seen nothing that indicates that the global settings LSO is protected by "Clear Flash Cookies", or that it is not deleted.

    I hope that you will rewrite this extension so that it is user friendly, interactive, and can be modified to users' satisfaction.

    In your favor, it seems that the only privacy and security enhancement extensions that work on the new Firefox "Quantum" (57.0.1) are "do nothing" extensions that give the illusion of security, but actually do nothing or maybe even compromise user security. So, you're not alone.

    Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the only way I know to be where my privacy and security are concerned.

    Internet users CAN take back our privacy and security, but it is going to take ALL of us working TOGETHER toward that end--especially browser and extension developers. In some ways, Mozilla and some of those who write extensions for Firefox have either forgotten that, or they have sold out. Maybe the corporations and the No Such Agency have threatened them if they fail to comply and co-conspire with them to rob the people of their privacy and keep them vulnerable. Whether willingly in cahoots or coerced, complicity is complicity.

    Developer response

    posted 2 years ago
    Flash is click-to-activate by default in Firefox 55+ and is totally blocked on many ad networks. Thus, the only LSOs a user will actually have on their machine are from Flash content they have explicitly clicked to activate or old LSOs created before Flash was click-to-activate in Firefox 55. Here is Firefox's list of third-party domains blocked from loading Flash:

    [1] https://github.com/mozilla-services/shavar-plugin-blocklist/blob/master/flashsubdoc.txt
  • Rated 2 out of 5
    by WinterStrong, 2 years ago
    An overgenerous two stars for your effort. In an age of digital paranoia, not being able to see what's occurring is pretty short sighted, to say nothing of inconvenient. This is the 21st century version of "THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES."

    Developer response

    posted 2 years ago
    Firefox's WebExtension API doesn't provide a way for an extension to enumerate existing Flash cookies or to determine when new ones are created. To view your existing Flash cookies, open Adobe's Flash Storage Settings panel here: http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html
  • Rated 1 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13547161, 2 years ago
    Without a functioning whitelist this program may cause more troubles than not having implemented a LSO-eraser a all. Definitely NOT a good replacement for "Better Privacy". I have meanwhile deactivated it because it doesn't give me a choice. Waiting for Better Privacy to come back. PLEASE. Go to work! Once Better Privacy is back, I may donate.
  • Rated 4 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13501416, 2 years ago
    Better Privacy miss me
  • Rated 2 out of 5
    by noisegate95, 2 years ago
    Locks up FF Quantum for a good 20-30 seconds at launch.

    Developer response

    posted 2 years ago
    I'm sorry to hear that. What operating system are you using? What Flash version do you have?

    I just uploaded a new extension version (1.0.1) with more debug logging. If version 1.0.1 still causes long hangs on Firefox startup, please feel free to send me any error messages you see in the Firefox Browser Console (Ctrl+Shift+J): https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Tools/Browser_Console
  • Rated 2 out of 5
    by Firefox user 12231374, 2 years ago
    Description compares this to BetterPrivacy.
    BetterPrivacy had a pop-up that showed how many cookies it deleted.
    I can't tell what this is doing if anything.
  • Rated 2 out of 5
    by Firefox user 13475755, 2 years ago
    There's no way to see what's happening. Following the suggestion to view existing Flash cookies in Adobe's Flash Storage Settings panel is a nonstarter. That requires activating Flash. I'm not going to be doing that.

    In response to developer's comment: Exactly. As a rule, I do not enable Flash. But this has on occasion not stopped fishiness going on with LSOs on one of my computers running Firefox, in the past. Now I have no way of knowing for sure.

    Developer response

    posted 2 years ago
    The WebExtension API doesn't provide a way to enumerate Flash cookies.

    If you don't trust activating Flash on Adobe's own website to view existing Flash cookies, then you probably shouldn't activate Flash on any website. And in that case, you won't have any Flash cookies to be deleted.
  • Rated 4 out of 5
    by Firefox user 12686958, 2 years ago
    It's great that a new WebEx compatible BetterPrivacy-like extension has been made, but this really needs a whitelist like BetterPrivacy had so that it skips the ones you want to keep. Without it, this extension is risky to use.
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