Websites use 1x1 „tracking pixels” that track activity across the web. This isn’t new, and has been known for a while. What is currently the best way to block them? Is having Firefox with uBlock Origin enough? Or are other measures required?
Generally yes, although marketing emails can also have embedded web beacons, so I suggest dealing with them in a similar manner if your email client and/or provider supports it.
I know that Proton email blocks those. Probably others too.
If not done on the server, I doubt of it being done right.
uBO is the best for preventing tracking pixels during web browsing but it doesn’t guarantee everything will be blocked.
Tracking pixels are more of a concern for email anyway though as websites use more advanced methods of tracking than what would normally be considered to fall under the category of “tracking pixels”
It doesn’t need to be done on the server for email tracking pixels to be blocked. If it did, Proton wouldn’t be able to block them, as they don’t have access to your email content. Any email client that allows you to block loading external content by default will prevent tracking pixels.
They have access unless your emails arrive with PGP encryption. They’re encrypted at rest but arrive in plaintext. They strip the trackers out while the emails are still in plaintext and then they encrypt them with the at rest encryption.
It seems that is true for non-E2EE emails, but if another Proton user sent you an email with a tracking pixel you would need to rely on the remote image blocking. It stands that they cannot guarantee blocking of tracking pixels server side.