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How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

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Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#61

Post by userbinator »

contravariant wrote: post #22
urbandw311er wrote: post #12

If you care at all about privacy and the future of a free Internet, this really should be that watershed moment that makes you take your head out of the sand. Seriously. Uninstall Chrome today and switch to something else. It’s only if enough people do it that they lose their grip and influence.

Also, switch to something non-Chromium if at all possible. Which brings us in the paradoxical situation that if you want there to be any choice left at all in browsers then you're pretty much forced to choose firefox.

Use Firefox for anything app-site-ish, but something else for the rest of the non-JS "document web".

HN doesn't need much in the way of a browser, for example. Ditto for a lot of other forums out there. The sooner we get rid of the notion that the only browsers we're supposed to use are Firefox or something else by Big Tech, and the sooner developers stop drinking the Goog-Aid of "progress", the more true browser diversity will occur.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#62

Post by agwa »

insanitybit wrote: post #38
spookie wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem here comes from Google being the ones who monopolise on the user data, leading them to be the only credible source of truth on the user interests. This is an outstanding move from them, business wise. I agree that I prefer, privacy wise, to only deal with one company. But, this leaves them in a considerable advantage. It's ultimately, bad for consumers. And, from the beginning, bad for other businesses an…

But Google doesn't get the user data, right? Chrome is just conveying it to advertisers - Google gets the same experience as everyone else. It's not like it goes to Google first and then it goes to advertisers. Chrome is what decides which data leaves the browser. Or have I misunderstood?

Correct, with the caveat that if you have Chrome profile sync enabled (without a sync passphrase set) then the advertising data tracked by Chrome likely gets uploaded unencrypted to Google-operated servers. I don't know if their privacy policy permits them to look at this data, or if they would look at it in practice.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#63

Post by mderazon »

urbandw311er wrote: post #12

If you care at all about privacy and the future of a free Internet, this really should be that watershed moment that makes you take your head out of the sand. Seriously. Uninstall Chrome today and switch to something else. It’s only if enough people do it that they lose their grip and influence.

I really wish other browsers were supported natively in ChromeOS as I really like the OS but would prefer to use Firefox

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#65

Post by kevincox »

cebert wrote: post #53

> “If you just clicked the big blue button that said “Got it” to make the pop-up go away, you opted yourself in.” The screenshots in the article clearly illustrate a concerning trend: users are often subtly coerced into opting into certain features or settings without full awareness. This usually happens when they hurriedly click a prominent button like 'Got it' just to dismiss an annoying pop-up. It highlights a sig…

Yeah, this is gross. "Got it" sounds like they were just telling me something, not me agreeing to let them share my personal information. That dialog was clearly designed to make users click "Yes" while giving some sort of ass-cover that they got consent even though they clearly didn't.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#66

Post by treyd »

mderazon wrote: post #63
urbandw311er wrote: post #12

If you care at all about privacy and the future of a free Internet, this really should be that watershed moment that makes you take your head out of the sand. Seriously. Uninstall Chrome today and switch to something else. It’s only if enough people do it that they lose their grip and influence.

I really wish other browsers were supported natively in ChromeOS as I really like the OS but would prefer to use Firefox

I don't know how this isn't an antitrust thing since Microsoft was almost broken up over basically the same thing.

Just goes to show how cocky megacorps have gotten.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#67

Post by cebert »

Moru wrote: post #57
cebert wrote: post #53

> “If you just clicked the big blue button that said “Got it” to make the pop-up go away, you opted yourself in.” The screenshots in the article clearly illustrate a concerning trend: users are often subtly coerced into opting into certain features or settings without full awareness. This usually happens when they hurriedly click a prominent button like 'Got it' just to dismiss an annoying pop-up. It highlights a sig…

It's also not legal in GDPR lands. It has to be easy to understand, the default have to be to opt out, and you are not allowed to block usage for people that opted out. Oh, and the message has to be short . I have seen "a sentence or two" mentioned as suggestion.

I think we almost always need to assume that dialogs like this are user hostile. The action your brian immediately wants to take is likely not the right action to take.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#68

Post by _a_a_a_ »

aqfamnzc wrote: post #50
_a_a_a_ wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You seem to think that a choice of two things isn't a choice. If/when Firefox disappears and you only have chrome, that is what I would call not having a choice. To repeat: if you can choose between two things then you've got a choice.

GP is saying that yes, you have a choice now, but if you want to preserve that choice, you should use Firefox.

You're right, I misunderstood. Thanks.

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#69

Post by insanitybit »

agwa wrote: post #62
insanitybit wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But Google doesn't get the user data, right? Chrome is just conveying it to advertisers - Google gets the same experience as everyone else. It's not like it goes to Google first and then it goes to advertisers. Chrome is what decides which data leaves the browser. Or have I misunderstood?

Correct, with the caveat that if you have Chrome profile sync enabled (without a sync passphrase set) then the advertising data tracked by Chrome likely gets uploaded unencrypted to Google-operated servers. I don't know if their privacy policy permits them to look at this data, or if they would look at it in practice.

Hm. All of my sync data is encrypted. Is that not the default?

Re: How to turn off Google's "privacy sandbox" ad tracking, and why you should

#70

Post by madeofpalk »

Moru wrote: post #57
cebert wrote: post #53

> “If you just clicked the big blue button that said “Got it” to make the pop-up go away, you opted yourself in.” The screenshots in the article clearly illustrate a concerning trend: users are often subtly coerced into opting into certain features or settings without full awareness. This usually happens when they hurriedly click a prominent button like 'Got it' just to dismiss an annoying pop-up. It highlights a sig…

It's also not legal in GDPR lands. It has to be easy to understand, the default have to be to opt out, and you are not allowed to block usage for people that opted out. Oh, and the message has to be short . I have seen "a sentence or two" mentioned as suggestion.

Within Europe you get a different dialog box that has more explicit buttons, removing any sort of plausible deniability for Google here.

Looks like this https://blog.incogni.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/enhanced...

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