Link Looker

User right click a link and selects "reveal the true endpoint of this link". Applies rules to rewrite URLs to remove tracking information. The rules can be freely edited, amended or removed by the user.

Makes a safe call to the URL (using HTTP HEAD) from outside the session context to avoid session cookies, in order to ascertain whether or not the URL results in a redirect (HTTP 302 or 303). If the call results in a redirect the rewrite rules again and attempts another safe call to find the endpoint. The user is presented with a message box with a cleaned-up link to the genuine endpoint of the link.

Purpose

The rewrite rules are set up to remove tracking information inserted into URLs. Sites use this to track the user both from the page where the user clicked the link, and to the page where the user arrived. Tracking the user across the web is a business model where portal-type sites such as social media (such facebook and linkedin ) have an interest in finding out which links on their pages the user clicked on and charge the advertiser accordingly; and content sites/advertisers have an interest in finding out which site the user came from in order to direct more advertising spending there.

This add-on seeks to interfere with that model as much as possible by removing this information. Using Link Looker allows you the option of clicking on a link on facebook and linkedin without telling them – thereby denying them advertising revenue.

Likewise to get to pages advertised on facebook and linkin without letting them know where you came from – thereby reducing their incentive to advertise there.

Privacy Policy

This extension does not collect or send data of any kind to third parties.

Feedback

You can report bugs or make feature requests on https://github.com/lars0281/glovebox_linkstraingthener

Any request to create additional default url rewriting rules to handle other websites can be directed here.