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| DuckDuckGo promises to block FLoC tracking technology from Google |
DuckDuckGo, a privacy-friendly search engine, criticized Google's new ad tracking method. He said: It is a privacy issue. Users are divided into groups based on their browsing history, and each website can be given a group ID that targets them.
Google has just begun testing FLoC's alternative to third-party cookies. However, DuckDuckGo has announced that it will block this technology through its Chrome extension.
Google created FLoC as a more private way to track users and serve ads to them. However, some privacy advocates (such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation) have made clear that doing so can be harmful to consumers.
FLoC aggregates users based on their behavior and advertisers can then target these groups as individuals.
In response to Google's decision to automatically run FLoC in its web browser, search engine DuckDuckGo, which has more than 100 million searches every day, has improved the tracking functions in their Chrome extension to prevent FLoC from getting out of hand. Interaction between different sites.
Although Google's new technology is better than third-party cookies, the privacy advocates' view is that FLoC identifiers can still be harmful to consumers because they provide another point of data through which advertisers can reach you, potentially sensitive information. Individually.
DuckDuckGo agrees with these concerns and states that the latest version of the Chrome extension prevents websites from tracking users via the FLoC definition.
DuckDuckGo indicated that extension updates must be approved by Google before it can be used by its users.
DuckDuckGo stated that in addition to updating the extensions, the search engine will no longer collect FLoC IDs and will no longer use them to identify or upgrade users whether or not they are using the Chrome browser extension.
DuckDuckGo said: This step goes directly to the sole purpose of our extension, which is to completely protect your privacy while using the browser.
It should be noted that this situation was not surprising to any of Google's competitors, especially when privacy is used as one of its main selling points.
It should be noted that the technology is not in the testing phase yet, but other companies are trying to stop it.