What mac system files are shared by most web browsers?

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What mac system files are shared by most web browsers?

There is a particular discussion board on a website that I frequent. I use Brave browser, mostly. On my MacBook Pro, I recently got a message saying I was banned, (I'm not). I also had this problem on my de-googled Android a couple of months ago and solved it by installing a different browser. I had first tried deleting and reinstalling Brave, but that didn't work.

Now, on my MacBook Pro, I got the same message using Brave browser. I then tried Safari, FireFox, Dissenter, and Chrome. I get the banned message on all of them. I can access the message board through my iMac, using Brave.

I'm assuming there is some file or files that all the browsers on my MacBook Pro use to log into the website that has gotten corrupt, either accidentally or maliciously.

Does anyone have an idea of how to fix this?

BTW, I'm not getting similar errors on other sites and I'm in contact with the site admin.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.4

Posted on May 26, 2024 6:43 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

SimonJester753 Author

Level 1

116 points

May 27, 2024 4:28 AM in response to SimonJester753

You are correct. The site admin realized he'd set an auto ban for certain regions that the site was getting unwanted traffic from. I realize now that my VPN was in use the first time. I was using public wi-fi.

The puzzling thing was that my account was banned for being associated with the undesirable region in one browser on my phone, but not when using another browser. And the laptop was fine until the other day, even though I was logging in on the same account. And my iMac was never effected.

That's why I assumed there was a file on my device that the site was reading that either allowed or disallowed access, and I wanted to delete or fix that file. But no need now, it was fixed on the server end.

Thanks.

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Answer 2

MartinR

Level 7

25,038 points

May 26, 2024 7:41 AM in response to SimonJester753

The problem, as you describe it, is with the discussion board site; it is not in your browser or Mac.

The site must be doing some sort of machine or user identification or fingerprinting; you would be amazed at how much information about your Mac is automatically sent to each site you access. They are able to identfy your machine with relative certainty. (For more info & to run a fingerprinting test, see EFF's Cover Your Tracks and Panopticlick projects.)

Do you only get this message when you try to log into the site? If you clear your browser cache & disable cookies, do you still get the message?

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What mac system files are shared by most web browsers?

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