How does Gmail know my local time zone (therefore ignoring the time zone of the Tor exit node) and what else can it see?

David Carlson carlson.dl at sbcglobal.net
Mon Sep 6 15:11:25 UTC 2010


  On 9/5/2010 4:11 PM, Geoff Down wrote:
>
> On Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:55 +0100, "Matthew"<pumpkin at cotse.net>  wrote:
>>    Hello,
>>
>> I have yet another question that relates to the effectiveness of Tor.
>>
>> Gmail (and therefore presumably other webmail operators) knows my
>> computer's time zone.  It does not know the time per se but the "time
>> zone"
>> as set (in Ubuntu) through clicking on the clock, selecting preferences,
>> then choosing location.
>>
>> Obviously this ignores the time (based on the location) of the Tor exit
>> node.
>>
>> I do not know how Gmail knows my computer's time zone, and, in which
>> case,
>> what other "local" information it can know.
>>
>> Does anyone know how Gmail can do this and what other information from
>> the
>> client computer can be viewed.  In other words, why can Gmail not, in
>> theory, also view the real local IP?
>>
>> Thanks.
> Did you select a time zone when you set up the account?
> I assume you are using Torbutton, which blocks Javascript being used to
> read your local clock.
> GD
>
I use Torbutton and I was wondering why Google and Gmail (and Yahoo) 
think I am living in, say Germany or some other country when I have Tor 
enabled, which I figured out, but when I asked them why they make those 
unwarranted assumptions about my location or time zone from the exit 
node address, they were completely silent.  So much for that little 
rant.  Have a good holiday if you live in the US, or a good non-holiday 
if you don't.

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