PB isn't blocking anything

[lucaspetter]

On Chrome OS (52.0.2743.116), Privacy Badger isn't blocking anything at all. (Edit: the issue is also on OS X) For example, when I go to nytimes.com, Privacy Badger's interface says that everything "doesn't seem to be tracking you," including notorious trackers like Chartbeat, NewRelic, Scorecard, and Google Analytics -- the long list of trackers is all green/allowed.

The only other extension installed is HTTPS Everywhere, but the issue is still present with that disabled. I also tried hard-resetting the Chromebook and then reinstalling just PB, but the issue is still there.

Below are the entire contents of the background page console. The problem might be with these 2 lines, but I don't know what they mean:

compat.js:77 Error: No data in the file(…)reportError @ compat.js:77
compat.js:78 console.trace()reportError @ compat.js:78

socialwidgetloader.js:78 Synchronous XMLHttpRequest on the main thread is deprecated because of its detrimental effects to the end user's experience. For more help, check https://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/.
storage.js:57 loading badgers into the pen
background.js:131 privacy badger is ready to rock
background.js:132 set pb.DEBUG=1 to view console messages
compat.js:77 Error: No data in the file(…)reportError @ compat.js:77
compat.js:78 console.trace()reportError @ compat.js:78
migrations.js:31 changing privacy settings
2https://static01.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://a1.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://int.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://cdn.optimizely.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://int.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://typeface.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://www.googletagservices.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://3338050995.log.optimizely.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://cdn3.optimizely.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://partner.googleadservices.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://js-agent.newrelic.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://s1.nyt.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://z.moatads.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://cdn.krxd.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://bam.nr-data.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 400 (Bad Request)
https://csi.gstatic.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 502 ()
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://a248.e.akamai.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 400 (Bad Request)
https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://contextual.media.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://www.google-analytics.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://st.dynamicyield.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://dc8xl0ndzn2cb.cloudfront.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 403 (Forbidden)
https://st.dynamicyield.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://secure-us.imrworldwide.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://optimizedby.brealtime.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: net::ERR_INSECURE_RESPONSE
https://medianet-d.openx.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Object Not Found)
https://pnytimes.chartbeat.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
6https://www.facebook.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://qsearch-a.akamaihd.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://www.facebook.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://qsearch-a.akamaihd.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://www.facebook.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://3951336.fls.doubleclick.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
2https://www.facebook.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://static.dynamicyield.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://3951336.fls.doubleclick.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
https://static.dynamicyield.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://ckm-m.xp1.ru4.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not found)
https://3951336.fls.doubleclick.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 ()
3https://beacon.krxd.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://apiservices.krxd.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://ib.adnxs.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://kr.ixiaa.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://sync.tidaltv.com/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
https://adadvisor.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
2https://u.openx.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Object Not Found)
2https://p2.keywee.co/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
migrations.js:149 MIGRATING BLOCKED SUBDOMAINS THAT ARE ON COOKIE BLOCK LIST
utils.js:128 GET https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/.well-known/dnt-policy.txt 404 ()xhrRequest @ utils.js:128checkPrivacyBadgerPolicy @ background.js:355checkForDNTPolicy @ background.js:331(anonymous function) @ heuristicblocking.js:448

[cooperq]

Do you happen to have third party cookies disabled? Can you make a separate chrome profile and install privacy badger there?

[lucaspetter]

I've already tried resetting my Chrome sync data and then Powerwashing the Chromebook (basically re-installing Chrome OS) in order to test this with a clean, default Chrome profile. No settings changes, no other extensions, third-party cookies are left enabled by default, etc. Then I installed PB and went to nytimes.com. But the issue was still there.

Today, I did more testing and found the same issue exists on OS X (10.11.6). So it's not just Chrome OS. I used a clean install of Chrome on a Mac that has never had Chrome before. I didn't log in to Chrome. Below are the steps I took:

1. Download Chrome, install it in the Applications folder, run it.
2. Go directly to the Chrome Web Store and install Privacy Badger.
3. Go to nytimes.com.
4. Click on the PB toolbar icon. Every single tracker is green/allowed, like in the screenshot below.

If I uninstall Chrome from OS X (by deleting all its files from ~/Library) and try again, the issue is reproducible.

[lucaspetter]

On OS X, the background page for PB contains the same errors that I saw earlier on Chrome OS:

compat.js:77 Error: No data in the file(…)reportError @ compat.js:77
compat.js:78 console.trace()reportError @ compat.js:78

When I click on the (…) in the 1st line, it shows more info. The info is the same on OS X and Chrome OS:

compat.js:77 Error: No data in the file
    at Object.<anonymous> (chrome-extension://pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp/lib/adblockplus.js:1533:17)
    at Object.readFromFile (chrome-extension://pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp/lib/io.js:59:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (chrome-extension://pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp/lib/adblockplus.js:1529:12)
    at Object.<anonymous> (chrome-extension://pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp/lib/adblockplus.js:1614:9)
    at callback (chrome-extension://pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp/lib/adblockplus.js:1633:11)reportError @ compat.js:77
compat.js:78 console.trace()reportError @ compat.js:78
migrations.js:31 changing privacy settings

[cowlicks]

Hi @lucaspetter, does this still happen after you visit several sites?

Privacy badger has to see trackers across several sites before it can classify them. So on a fresh install, it won't initially recognize a tracker on your first visit to a page.

[lucaspetter]

@cowlicks You're right! I didn't realize that's how Privacy Badger works. Now that I've tried browsing around several sites with it, the trackers are gradually starting to be blocked. Thank you for pointing that out!