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Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

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Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#41

Post by 3np »

ahmedalsudani wrote: post #40
pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

Correction: they never injected ads, but they do remove ads and replace them with "attention tokens", which is an opt-out system for publishers. See also https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/this-popular-brows... . In short, please look into the questionable aspects of Brave. Brave is perhaps the most ethically challenged browser out there. Hopefully they have stopped doing this, but they were injecting their ow…

They never injected ads. If you enable Brave Rewards, you do get notification/pop over ads and rewarded a small amount of BAT, which can get redistributed to content creators or sites. If you don’t , all this is disabled.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#42

Post by alias_neo »

pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

I switched to FF years ago. I used to root my Android phones but I'm getting too old (read; jaded) to care now, Firefox means that with uBlock I _still_ never see ads on my phone. I pay for apps I want to use, and I don't use apps which don't have an alternative to ad-supported, with one exception being Twitter and "Promoted" tweets, which I can spot and skip in a blink.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#44

Post by marapuru »

ece wrote: post #20

Honestly, who asked for FLoC and the MS alternative (edit: it's PARAKEET)? Why can't ad servers just follow my Do Not Track preferences? Serve me a random ad, or a context based ad if I have Do Not Track set... seems a lot simpler no? Those using ad-blockers are going to use them anyway, but some assurance that I won't be tracked would go a long way towards me turning off ad-blockers on the sites I don't frequent, an…

It's not a matter of who asked for it. It's a matter of sustaining income for many, many ad tech companies. They need to be making numbers that confirm how precise their ads hit the conversion sweet spot for specific audiences.

If they are not able to make those numbers, they fear becoming irrelevant.

These ad-tech companies are simply stuck and unable to innovate due to their current clients and promises.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#45

Post by alias_neo »

ahmedalsudani wrote: post #40
pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

Correction: they never injected ads, but they do remove ads and replace them with "attention tokens", which is an opt-out system for publishers. See also https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/this-popular-brows... . In short, please look into the questionable aspects of Brave. Brave is perhaps the most ethically challenged browser out there. Hopefully they have stopped doing this, but they were injecting their ow…

Is it Brave that uses BAT? You're being downvoted but weren't they collecting BAT for sites whose owners had never signed up, and presumably keeping it if the owner didn't claim it?

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#46

Post by pdimitar »

pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

I've been on Firefox for a few years now and it irritates me how super slow it is. Version 89 seems to be a bit better though.

I know it might be the extensions (I have 20+) but I seriously don't care. Chrome manages to be fast with the same set of extensions.

I don't like Google but Firefox's slowness is a real strain on my productivity and brain well-being. Hope they improve even more soon.

I am on an iMac Pro btw. Stuff like this should not ever happen on a workstation.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#47

Post by 3np »

EMM_386 wrote: post #30
gerbler wrote: post #18

> However, it is likely that the same FLoC IDs or range of IDs will be associated with someone. This seems all quite speculative. In the first paragraph they describe FLoc IDs as changing constantly - why would they assume new IDs are not being generated, and groups are not constantly being mixed?

Further down it quotes ... > “If your behavior doesn’t change, the algorithm will keep assigning you in that same cohort, so some users will have a persistent FLoC ID associated with them — or could." When combined with other information that is already being used (such as canvas fingerprinting and other techniques), this looks like it can help narrow it down even further. > “We can use that as another signal to crea…

Arguably for advertisers it’s a benefit - if your behavior changes to that extent, likely you’d be better targeted by different ads.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#48

Post by eingaeKaiy8ujie »

alias_neo wrote: post #42
pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

I switched to FF years ago. I used to root my Android phones but I'm getting too old (read; jaded) to care now, Firefox means that with uBlock I _still_ never see ads on my phone. I pay for apps I want to use, and I don't use apps which don't have an alternative to ad-supported, with one exception being Twitter and "Promoted" tweets, which I can spot and skip in a blink.

For Android I can also recommend Bromite. It's Chromium-based with a built-in ad blocker and focus on anti-fingerprinting.

https://www.bromite.org/

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#49

Post by pluc »

alias_neo wrote: post #42
pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

I switched to FF years ago. I used to root my Android phones but I'm getting too old (read; jaded) to care now, Firefox means that with uBlock I _still_ never see ads on my phone. I pay for apps I want to use, and I don't use apps which don't have an alternative to ad-supported, with one exception being Twitter and "Promoted" tweets, which I can spot and skip in a blink.

If you want to have fun with Twitter ads, block the advertiser whenever you see them. After two weeks or so you start to get really.. different stuff.

Re: Ad tech firms test ways to connect Google’s FLoC to other data

#50

Post by eingaeKaiy8ujie »

pdimitar wrote: post #46
pmurt7 wrote: post #27

We need to collectively switch to Firefox and Brave.

I've been on Firefox for a few years now and it irritates me how super slow it is. Version 89 seems to be a bit better though. I know it might be the extensions (I have 20+) but I seriously don't care. Chrome manages to be fast with the same set of extensions. I don't like Google but Firefox's slowness is a real strain on my productivity and brain well-being. Hope they improve even more soon. I am on an iMac Pro btw.…

Not sure if this would help in your case but try to enable `gfx.webrender.all` or `layers.acceleration.force-enabled` in `about:config` if it's not already enabled.
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