cannot verify certificate "static.ak.facebook.com"

OOps I just found Microsoft Silverlight in my applications

Sorry for the previous unfinished post:

I believe that the problem has been resolved not through anything anyone of us has done but becuase Facebook "fixed their certificate problem." Given that there has been numerous and different successful solutions to this problem makes me believe that it was Facebook that fixed the problem. I unistalled and reinstalled Silverlight as well as clearing bookmarks and Internet history and caches.

I do believe this occurence has provided us with the knowledge that Facebook and others have been trackig us - even those individuals that do not have a Facebook account.

If Facebook is a partner of Microsoft and if we accept the terms of their agreement to use their software such as Silverlight does that mean that Facebook is no longer classified as a 3rd party according to software language? How many of us take the time to read the terms when the software update has been provided to us through Apple updates or vendors we have accounts with such as Netflix or Comcast? Is it the required software needed to access these and other accounts the source of the Facebook certificate issue?

Are people having these problems with Firefox? If not I am going to switch to Firefox.

I never visit questionable sites. Someone could publish the sites I visit on the front page of the newspaper and no one would bother to read it. It is the principal of the idea that so many businesses are tracking me and others that bothers me. Especially since I have my computer set to Block all third party and advertiser cookies

When someone said we should verify the certificates in Key Chain Access I have 3 of them. 2 of them for my ISP mail and one for Safari auto fill which I have disabled .

In order to go onto the Internet and view videos even on news websites (CBS, NBC) that do not require that you have an active account with that particular website will however require that you have the necesaary software on your computer to do so.

A popular software that multiple sites use is Microsoft Silverlight. You may believe that you do not have it because you are receiving promps to install the software -that is because of updates. Individuals who have downloaded this software in order to watch movies on Netflix still recive these promps.

When we load or download software to our computer we are accepting the terms of this software company - if the software company is a partner with Facebook to monitor the activities of their users (as they would say to be able to enhance their consumers' experience) then Facebook would not be considered a 3rd party and avoid be blocked by whatever parameters we put on our computer.

Isn't the "ak." the same company that provides software for "Cloud"? Are they the ones that are doing the tracking that lead to this problem? There are probably many out there doing this that we are not aware of.

For ANYONE who wants to understand and learn more about Facebook's cookies can read about it through the following link. For everyone questioning the cookies from Facebook and thinking there is something fishy going on, let me explain...

http://www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy

Since most people block 3rd party cookies, the trend for most companies is to present their cookies as 1st party cookies. Any website that uses any Facebook technology (such as a "like" button), IS posting a 1st party cookie to your browser, regardless of whether or not you utilitze anything to do with Facebook. Their certificate MUST also be verified the moment the page loads because things like the "like" function, does not redirect your web browsing. So in this case, Facebook updated their certificate, and it didn't match what was previously noted.

What this whole thing has done is shined some light on what Facebook does on 3rd party websites.

In their "Full Data Use Policy", it states, "We receive data whenever you.... visit a site with a Facebook feature (such as a social plugin), sometimes through cookies. This may include the date and time you visit the site; the web address, or URL, you're on; technical information about the IP address, browser and the operating system you use; and, if you are logged in to Facebook, your User ID."

So... can you stop this in Safari? Not really. Deleting the cookies is rather futile. As soon as you revisit the site(s) that gave you a FB cookie, you'll get another one. Blocking all cookies (regardless of origin) isn't great either because it will mess up your browsing of some websites (particularly the ones you log into). And there is no way (that I'm aware of) that allows you to block site specific cookies (since Facebook is presenting their cookies as a "1st Party", and using the "block 3rd party cookies" option doesn't make a difference).

What Apple needs to give us is an UPDATE to allow for blocking site specific cookies....

So what can you do??? ~ If it really, really bothers you... Stop using Safari and switch to Firefox for Mac as you can block site specific cookies (among other things).

Learn more about that here:

http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/block-websites-storing-site-preferences

Hope that helps. :-)

I do read Terms and Conditions and recently spent more than an hour Opting Out of tracking companies that are so called "partners " of Adobe Photoshop elements

I have no problem with some cookies. If a person is going to post on a site such as this they need to know who I am. If I am buying something from an on-line site they need to be able to verify who I am.

Guys, girls... THIS IS AMAZING !!! I love all the apple user trying to help others.. I LOVE THAT.... I LOVE APPLE... I have been suffering this issue since yesterday every 5 or 10 minutes... I found this forum one hour ago and read ALL the posts... and during the reading I have not ANY issue showed again !!! WOW !!! So I fixed it just reading !!! LOL !!!... I think Facebook and Apple have taken their hands on this... I am going to the gym now and I will leave turned on my Mac, just to see if the problem is finally fixed or not... THANKS TO ALL ANYWAY !!!

Best

Every time we go to a website that either provides us with "free" software or provides us information, news, videos, entertainment for free we need to ask ourselves how is this company remaining in business let alone making a profit? In addition to advertising revenues which are quite low on websites they need to be selling some time of information about you to a 3rd party or allowing them to track you.

Firefox may have the necessary tools in place that will allow you to block Facebook but I wonder what they may be doing in regards to your information in order to remain profitable?

Thanks much for your updates and solutions. Not sure how you found out all this (you must be a longtime Apple user) but it's much appreciated. Printing out your fixes just in case something similar happens again. Do you still use Safari or have to gone over exclusively to Firefox?

I think wright is correct when he stated:"...problem has been resolved not through anything anyone of us has done but because Facebook "fixed their certificate problem."

I also looked through my cookies & found 2 FB cookies which I deleted. This despite never having FB acct. I'm sure the cookies will reappear when I visit a site with a FB link. Probably most sites. I also have Safari set to block 3rd party cookies. Canucksgirl01 explains how what we assume are 3rd party cookies are actually, often 1st party cookies. I think we are tracked albeit, "anonymously" when we visit web pages so they can build a profile to target advertising. Using Private Browsing from the Safari menu may help. But, this will eliminte a history of the sites you visit in case you ever need to look up where you've been. Tracking & profiling is common & will increase in all aspects of life. Advertisers want to pitch to the demographic most likely to buy from them. I personally find it annoying. I do, however enjoy the 'free' (after purchase of Internet access & computer) content.

Click (on upper left screen) Safari > Preferences > Privacy . You will see a lot of seemingly unrelated cookies when opening up even the most innoculous webpage; in my case, CNN homepage. FB cookies can indeed appear even on non-facebook websites. Guess this whole mess was a FB related certificate change which wasn't the "same" as prior certificate. Thanks to all those who addressed the problem.

Occurred on osx and ios last night and it appears to be related to the following:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57538839-263/safari-users-hit-by-facebook-c ertificate-error/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-how-facebook-is-tracking-your-internet-ac tivity-2012-9?op=1

http://mashable.com/2011/11/17/facebook-reveals-its-user-tracking-secrets/

Thanks E27; must have gotten some degree of exposure in tech circles to warrant an article. Pretty much as was explained by canucksgirl01 earlier today.

Thanks navy001,

I still use Safari, as well as Firefox. It really depends on the websites I'm visiting. No one browser is supreme to another, and due to website compatibility issues, you can have different behaviours (ie quirks) using some browsers and not others. (So I hope that answered your question).

I posted more information about this whole issue in a separate thread (because most of my comments are getting buried in this and other threads)...

So, if anyone wants more information about:

- the Akamai Network (a248.e.akamai.net URL for Facebook) and an update from today,

- real potential threats with certificates (and phony updates) and what to do,

- specific help with this issue using OS X Mountain Lion, then you can do so here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4463457?tstart=0

Just scroll down to the applicable comment. Its a lot easier than copying everything over here. :-)

Yes, identical problem. What is maddening is that Safari asks "Do you want to connect anyway"? The obvious answer is NO. But you're not given that option. You're given three options (Cancel, etc.). I've clicked on all those and the certificate problem pops up the next time I open Safari.