Google Chrome's Privacy Sandbox, which was made generally available on September 7, improves user privacy by eliminating third-party cookies and fingerprinting. While privacy experts have expressed concerns, Google argues that it is necessary to create an alternative tracking system. The platform is now accessible to 97% of users, with the remaining 3% being onboarded in the coming months.
Google Chrome has officially rolled out its "Privacy Sandbox" platform, a built-in tracking and ad-curation system, to around 97% of users. This platform, which aims to enhance user privacy, eliminates the use of third-party cookies and fingerprinting techniques. The remaining 3% of users will gain access to the Privacy Sandbox over the next few months.
Understanding the Context:
Third-party cookies are commonly used by advertising services like Google's Adsense to track user behavior across websites, allowing targeted advertising.
Privacy advocates have criticized the practice of embedding third-party cookies, leading some browsers like Safari, Firefox, and Brave to implement blocks on them by default.
Google has defended its stance against blocking third-party cookies by emphasizing the need for an alternative tracking system that ensures user privacy.
Privacy Sandbox's Approach:
Privacy Sandbox is designed to track user data within the browser itself, eliminating the reliance on third-party cookies. Google argues that this approach enhances privacy and reduces the use of invasive techniques like fingerprinting.
Criticism and Control:
Privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have raised concerns that Privacy Sandbox may not significantly enhance privacy as it still tracks user behavior, albeit within the browser. Users are provided with options to control and adjust Privacy Sandbox settings within the "Ad privacy" menu.
Future Implications:
While Google has made Privacy Sandbox available to users, it has not yet implemented the default blocking of third-party cookies. The platform aims to strike a balance between user privacy and ad targeting capabilities.
In a landscape where user privacy and data protection are paramount, Google's Privacy Sandbox represents an effort to find alternatives to traditional tracking methods while addressing the concerns of privacy advocates.
(TOM BLACKSTONE, CoinTelegraph, 2023)