Google has announced new privacy updates for its browser Google Chrome. The update will make significant changes to how Chrome handles cookies and users’ privacy on the Internet, reports TechCrunch.
The update should give users more control over how their data is processed. Cookies are very useful, for example, to stay logged in to a website or to store preferences, but they are also used to track users over the Internet. However, there are few users who wish to block all cookies and thereby miss out on the benefits.
Google Chrome therefore adapts cookies, so that developers must explicitly indicate which cookies have permission to be used on multiple websites, and thus can be used to track people. The mechanism used by the browser builds on the SamSite cookie attribute.
This change also makes it easier to identify tracking cookies in the browser. This also makes it easier for a user to delete these cookies. However, the cookies for remembering the login and settings will continue to be used.
Anti-fingerprinting
Google Chrome will also get anti-fingerprinting technology. Fingerprinting is a way for websites to identify users without the use of cookies. The technology uses technical details such as the IP address and settings of the WiFi network to recognize users.
According to Google, fingerprinting is not transparent and gives users no control. Therefore, “it results in tracking that does not respect the user’s choice”. “That’s why Chrome plans to limit fingerprinting more aggressively on the Internet,” the company says. “One way we do this is to restrict the ways in which browsers can passively restrict fingerprinting, so that we can detect fingerprinting and intervene when it happens.
Finally, the Google Ads team has announced that it will apply a new level of transparency to advertising. Users need more insight into how ads are tailored to them with a new browser extension. This extension shows which companies were involved in displaying the ad and the factors used to tailor the ad to the user.
This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.
3 hours ago
