[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #17623: Google is injecting web beacons into posts when WordPress runs its Blogger importer

[WordPress Trac]

#17623: Google is injecting web beacons into posts when WordPress runs its Blogger
importer
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 Reporter:  avcascade     |      Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Import        |    Version:
 Severity:  normal        |   Keywords:  Google, Blogger Importer
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 When I was helping a friend move from Blogger to WordPress a few days ago,
 I discovered, to my surprise, that upon completion of the import, there
 was a 1x1 pixel image embedded at the bottom of every single post brought
 into the WordPress database from Blogger.

 Apparently, anytime the WordPress blogger importer is being run, Google is
 injecting code into each post, at the bottom of the post body. I verified
 this by setting up a brand new WordPress blog and running the importer on
 a different Blogspot blog. Same result.

 The injected code consists of a div with an image inside. Looks like this:

 {{{
 <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1'
 src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3275131723104366382-4989880442815077089?l=blogname.blogspot.com'
 alt='' /></div>

 }}}

 When I went back to the source blog on blogspot.com to see if this same
 code was being added to post footers there, I couldn't find it. That means
 that the code is only being injected when the importer is run.

 I find this practice entirely inappropriate and unethical. I know Google
 did not used to do this, because I moved blogs from Blogger to WordPress
 years ago with the new importer and no beacons were injected.

 I'm particularly concerned about more inexperienced users who don't want
 the Google beacons in their WordPress blogs but lack the expertise to
 remove them.

 This obviously isn't a defect originating on our end (WordPress didn't
 cause this), but it is a problem nonetheless.

 Maybe the importer can be modified to block the code injection? Could an
 official protest be lodged with Google?

 Of course, a plugin could be assembled to find and remove the beacons, but
 I think it would be better if the beacons didn't get imported along with
 the content in the first place.

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/17623>
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