1y ago

Google Chrome pushes browser history-based ad targeting • The Register

www.theregister.com Google Chrome pushes browser history-based ad targeting

YMMV, based on where you are

Topics essentially works like this: rather than using cookies to track people around the web and figure out their interests from the sites they visit and the apps they use, websites can ask Chrome directly, via its Topics JavaScript API, what sort of things the user is interested in, and then display ads based on that. Chrome picks these topics of interest from studying the user's browser history.

Isn't this completely immoral? They are literally stealing the users private browsing history and uses it to boost their own profits.

Technology @lemmy.world

Google Chrome pushes ahead with targeted ads based on your browser history

www.theregister.com /2023/09/06/google_privacy_popup_chrome/

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Technology @lemmy.world

Google Chrome pushes ahead with targeted ads based on your browser history

www.theregister.com /2023/09/06/google_privacy_popup_chrome/

1361 350

TechNews @radiation.party

Google Chrome pushes browser history-based ad targeting

www.theregister.com /2023/09/06/google_privacy_popup_chrome/

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56 comments

So this is why they want that browser integrity stuff.
Without the integrity a change like this would be absolutely wonderful - my ad interests would be "FuckOff" and "Nothing".

Very apt username.
Anything would be an improvement over using stock Chrome at this poing... wow
- Yeah it used to be a joke but now nobody is laughing...

So what has to happen for the general population to move away from chrome/chromium?
- Vivaldi had stripped out this crap, it's good that Chromium is FOSS, anybody can gut it to their like. Apart the Vivaldi History Page is way different from al other Chromium (Calendar view customizable in several formats, stadistics with graphs, not a simple list) since its first versions..
  
  Vivaldi doesn’t collect your history data. All of this information is strictly private and local to your computer. What you get to see is the kind of data that could be tracked by third parties. Instead of trying to monetize it, we are giving you this data – for your eyes only. With the ability to analyze this information, you can decide if you want to adjust your online behavior or remove certain items from the list.
  
  ...and when browser integrity becomes a thing?
- [This comment has been deleted by an automated system]
  
  Edge is a chromium browser, too. It has been for some time now.
  
  Edge is chromium though?
- The apocalypse.
- Nothing. It's only the tin-foil hatters that care about privacy because the normal people have nothing to hide.
  
  Post your entire browser history right now then.
  
  Post your last 100 transactions?

What is it with Americans naming things the exact opposite of what the thing does
Does not foes
- Here are some more candidates:
  FREEDOM: Full Range Enhanced Experience Derived Online Marketing.
  LIBERTY: Leveraging Internet Browsing & Experience Records To Yield profits.
  JUSTICE: Join Users' Surfing Trends for Intelligent Commercial Engagement.
  PRIDE: Personalized Recommendations from Internet Data & Exploration.
  HONOR: History-Oriented Network for Optimal Recommendations.
  
  These are fun:
  TRUST: Telemarketing Reliability Using Safety Technology (abuse of safety systems)
  HOPE: Helpful Online Personalization Engine (literally just adware)
  TRUST: Tracking Retail Usage Systems Technology (amazon spying)
  LIBRE: Liberating Inconvienenced Beings of Repour Emails (gmail reading emails from your friends)

If you needed a nudge to ditch Chrome and its derivatives in favour of Firefox or Safari, this is it.

the google is evil

I just figured this was always happening.

To be fair, they immediately give the option to disable it.
- Who wants to bet the option to disable doesn't actually disable?
  
  Who also wants to bet that every update has a 10% chance of re-enabling it
- It should not be enabled by default.
- [This comment has been deleted by an automated system]

They're not stealing browser history. The site requests a list of topics and Chrome parses them based on the local history and returns a list of topics.
It's more secure and private than third party cookies.
- I don't see any real logic in your response. The technique they use does not change anything to the issue.
  It's also not more secure than third party cookies like you claim? You can refuse those cookies and not all website use them, while all website ends up in browsing history.
  
  I might be wrong but as far as I understand Google's topics API only gives websites access to information like "here is a user who likes the topics IT and gardening", which is a LOT less than what is possible with cookies. With cookies a website can get information like "here is a user who visited your website yesterday and two times last week. Also they recently visited websites A, B and C, and frequently visits website D. On website D they are logged in as X." They make all your visits to a website and, with third-party cookies, also to other websites connectable. Google's topics do not.
  
  [This comment has been deleted by an automated system]
  
  But the website doesn't end up with your browsing history...
  And you can opt out of this just like you can opt out of third party cookies.
- The way I see it, that's just browser history exfiltration with extra steps. Whether they're sending the actual history or parsing your history and sending topics, both are equally as objectionable to me as both could reveal information about something private you've been visiting.

Am all for this move if it makes Google drop third-party cookies tomorrow.
- [This comment has been deleted by an automated system]
  
  They have been planning to drop 3rd party cookies since 2021 with a deadline for EOY 2023 being pushed to EOY 2024.

56 comments