• Chrome Privacy Sandbox Open To All: Web Sites Tap Into Your Habits

    From Reg@invalid.com@21:1/5 to All on Sat Sep 9 22:15:58 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/07/google_privacy_sandbox/

    Thu 7 Sep 2023 // 21:08 UTC

    Excerpt:
    "Google's Privacy Sandbox is now open for business, the search
    advertising behemoth said today.

    Specifically, the web giant's Privacy Sandbox APIs, a set of ad
    delivery and analysis technologies, now function in the latest version
    of the Chrome browser. Website developers can thus write code that
    calls those APIs to deliver and measure ads to visitors with
    compatible browsers.

    That is to say, sites can ask Chrome directly what kinds of topics
    you're interested in – topics automatically selected by Chrome from
    your browsing history – so that ads personalized to your activities
    can be served. This is supposed to be better than being tracked via
    third-party cookies, support for which is being phased out. There are
    other aspects to the sandbox that we'll get to."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Newyana2@21:1/5 to Reg@invalid.com on Sun Sep 10 08:25:09 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    <Reg@invalid.com> wrote
    | Excerpt:
    | "Google's Privacy Sandbox is now open for business, the search
    | advertising behemoth said today.
    |

    Interesting, isn't it? They're calling it a token. Your interests
    will be stored without your name. Ads will then be based on
    the token. I doubt websites will be able to do much more
    than order an ad and maybe specify a desired token range.
    This is a lot like what the Brave browser people were trying
    to do: Become a middleman to the Internet, blocking out
    all the other scavengers in the name of privacy, while they
    take a cut of all interactions. One vulture gets the whole kill.
    Though it's actually worse than that because the software
    that's meant to be a neutral medium is being hijacked, like
    the mafia taking over all the banks and charging transaction
    fees.

    Of course, Google can still connect the dots for your ID
    because they're also tracking you with the ubiquitous webpage
    links to google-analytics, googletagmanager, gstatic, maps,
    fonts, and so on. Websites are as much addicted to Google's
    free stuff as is the average gmail-and-chome-using sucker.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Google sets up a side business
    selling more specific data. A company selling porn shows you
    an ad because Google says you like porn. Then they pay Google
    for enough info to mail you an appropriately sized cock ring
    as a free gift, with an invitation to subscribe. You then figure
    it must be just a weird coincidence. Your wife thinks it's your
    girlfriend. Your boss finds out and decides that you're not
    worth the risk of a sexual harassment lawsuit from some
    employee who doesn't feel "safe" around you... Great fun
    had by all. :)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Frank Slootweg@21:1/5 to Reg@invalid.com on Sun Sep 10 14:40:22 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    Reg@invalid.com wrote:
    https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/07/google_privacy_sandbox/

    Thu 7 Sep 2023 // 21:08 UTC

    Excerpt:
    "Google's Privacy Sandbox is now open for business, the search
    advertising behemoth said today.

    Specifically, the web giant's Privacy Sandbox APIs, a set of ad
    delivery and analysis technologies, now function in the latest version
    of the Chrome browser. Website developers can thus write code that
    calls those APIs to deliver and measure ads to visitors with
    compatible browsers.

    That is to say, sites can ask Chrome directly what kinds of topics
    you're interested in ? topics automatically selected by Chrome from
    your browsing history ? so that ads personalized to your activities
    can be served. This is supposed to be better than being tracked via third-party cookies, support for which is being phased out. There are
    other aspects to the sandbox that we'll get to."

    Not to defend Google, but trying to be objective and fair:

    This 'feature' was *announced* in Chrome when it was released and the relevant settings ('Ad privacy' (under the 'Privavy and security' tab))
    were automatically shown and could be changed. I don't remenber which
    ones -if any - were on by default, I just turned all three off ('Ad
    topics', 'Site-suggested ads' and 'Ad measurement').

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Newyana2@21:1/5 to Frank Slootweg on Sun Sep 10 13:31:38 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    "Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote

    | Not to defend Google, but trying to be objective and fair:
    |
    | This 'feature' was *announced* in Chrome when it was released and the
    | relevant settings ('Ad privacy' (under the 'Privavy and security' tab))
    | were automatically shown and could be changed. I don't remenber which
    | ones -if any - were on by default, I just turned all three off ('Ad
    | topics', 'Site-suggested ads' and 'Ad measurement').

    That's the excuse they all use. "What? You can block cookies
    in IE by just going to Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy ->
    Advanced. " They know perfectly well that 95% of people
    don't even know about settings. Of the people who do, very
    few will be able to understand the implications, even if they ever
    learn that Google has done this.

    Google are making the system default and phasing out
    3rd party cookies. Most people will never have any inkling about
    any of this, though some may scratch their heads when a
    site stops working because it required 3rd-party cookies. Most
    people don't even know what a browser is. They click the
    button on their computer that shows them the Internet.
    What OS do they have? "OS? It's the computer. The one that
    has the Internet."

    Even tech-aware people mostly don't understand these things.
    Look at gmail. That sleazeware got its start by inviting
    tech workers to a beta test. Being invited tickled their vanity,
    even though they should have known better.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Frank Slootweg@21:1/5 to Newyana2@invalid.nospam on Sun Sep 10 20:15:31 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    In alt.comp.os.windows-10 Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:
    "Frank Slootweg" <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote

    | Not to defend Google, but trying to be objective and fair:
    |
    | This 'feature' was *announced* in Chrome when it was released and the
    | relevant settings ('Ad privacy' (under the 'Privavy and security' tab))
    | were automatically shown and could be changed. I don't remenber which
    | ones -if any - were on by default, I just turned all three off ('Ad
    | topics', 'Site-suggested ads' and 'Ad measurement').

    That's the excuse they all use. "What? You can block cookies
    in IE by just going to Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy ->
    Advanced. " They know perfectly well that 95% of people
    don't even know about settings. Of the people who do, very
    few will be able to understand the implications, even if they ever
    learn that Google has done this.

    As I said, the *change* was *announced* *in Chrome* and the relevant
    settings were *automatically* shown. Nothing underhanded about that.

    Google are making the system default and phasing out
    3rd party cookies.

    So what remains is what is the situation for a *new* user/installation
    of Chrome?

    You say the new *system* is/will_be the default. But what as the
    default *settings* for this 'Ad privacy' section. Do you *know*, or do
    you just suspect, due to your bias?

    As I said:

    | Not to defend Google, but trying to be objective and fair:

    Are you objective and fair?

    [More rants deleted.]

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From John Smith@21:1/5 to All on Mon Sep 11 02:05:35 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    On 10/09/2023 18:31, Newyana2 wrote:
    Google are making the system default and phasing out
    3rd party cookies. Most people will never have any inkling about
    any of this, though some may scratch their heads when a
    site stops working because it required 3rd-party cookies. Most
    people don't even know what a browser is. They click the
    button on their computer that shows them the Internet.
    What OS do they have? "OS? It's the computer. The one that
    has the Internet."
    Actually, most people are unlikely to have any problems with their
    browsers, websites or their computers because they are not paranoid
    about privacy to mess around with computer settings or browser settings.
    They have default settings that works all the time. You have problems to
    write that non-sense piece above because you are paranoid about
    everything. You don't carry a cell phone or you don't have fully
    functional web browser because of all the scripts blocking your
    computer. You think you are protected when life without google or
    Microsoft is non-existent in this world. These two can't be blocked no
    matter what you claim in these newsgroups.

    Do you live in a modern house or are you just a gypsy travellor living
    in a caravan?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Newyana2@21:1/5 to John Smith on Mon Sep 11 08:11:03 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    "John Smith" <invalid@invalid.net> wrote

    These two can't be blocked no matter what...

    Then why are you so upset about me doing it? There
    are actually other people who think regulation of sleazy
    tech companies, and an expectation of privacy, are
    not paranoid ideas. It's called Europe.

    I think of it as generally analogous to Bell Telephone.
    Bell had patents on phones. They controlled the market
    and kept prices high. The only choice was to rent a phone
    from them. Phones couldn't be bought. Finally they got
    broken up and today we have more options, because phones
    are now a ubiquitous utility.

    In the same way, we're living through a similar transition.
    A few companies have managed to create lucrative
    monopolies, based on an outdated idea that they're crucial
    innovators, but computing and the Internet are too
    important to let private, for-profit companies own them.

    Most people don't see that yet because they just want
    convenience, so they make up lazy excuses: "Oh, you
    can't stop all this spying anyway, so you're paranoid if
    you try." But some are starting to think about what the
    public utility of the information superhighway should look
    like. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica making Brexit happen,
    and Russian Facebook posts pushing Trump, have made
    some people think twice.

    In the 2016 election, Eric
    Schmidt actually offered a deal to Hillary Clinton to virtually
    give her the election by targetting voters individually, using
    the Google spyware database. If you don't think that's a
    problem that free citizens should care about then maybe
    you don't deserve to live in a democracy.

    http://www.itwire.com/government-tech-policy/75531-google-s-schmidt-drew-up-draft-plan-for-clinton-in-2014.html

    (That page is now gone, but if you're curious you can try
    archive.org or do a search. History doesn't last long in the
    information age, ironically.)

    It's really very simple: Google, Apple, Zuck and Microsoft
    don't own your computer, or the Internet, and there's no
    reason to give it to them. So I share information to help
    people help themselves. Sorry if I interrupted your shopping.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Reg@invalid.com@21:1/5 to Newyana2@invalid.nospam on Mon Sep 11 09:40:22 2023
    XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

    On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:11:03 -0400, "Newyana2"
    <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:

    "John Smith" <invalid@invalid.net> wrote

    These two can't be blocked no matter what...

    Then why are you so upset about me doing it? There
    are actually other people who think regulation of sleazy
    tech companies, and an expectation of privacy, are
    not paranoid ideas. It's called Europe.

    I think of it as generally analogous to Bell Telephone.
    Bell had patents on phones. They controlled the market
    and kept prices high. The only choice was to rent a phone
    from them. Phones couldn't be bought. Finally they got
    broken up and today we have more options, because phones
    are now a ubiquitous utility.

    In the same way, we're living through a similar transition.
    A few companies have managed to create lucrative
    monopolies, based on an outdated idea that they're crucial
    innovators, but computing and the Internet are too
    important to let private, for-profit companies own them.

    Most people don't see that yet because they just want
    convenience, so they make up lazy excuses: "Oh, you
    can't stop all this spying anyway, so you're paranoid if
    you try." But some are starting to think about what the
    public utility of the information superhighway should look
    like. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica making Brexit happen,
    and Russian Facebook posts pushing Trump, have made
    some people think twice.

    In the 2016 election, Eric
    Schmidt actually offered a deal to Hillary Clinton to virtually
    give her the election by targetting voters individually, using
    the Google spyware database. If you don't think that's a
    problem that free citizens should care about then maybe
    you don't deserve to live in a democracy.

    http://www.itwire.com/government-tech-policy/75531-google-s-schmidt-drew-up-draft-plan-for-clinton-in-2014.html

    (That page is now gone, but if you're curious you can try
    archive.org or do a search. History doesn't last long in the
    information age, ironically.)

    It's really very simple: Google, Apple, Zuck and Microsoft
    don't own your computer, or the Internet, and there's no
    reason to give it to them. So I share information to help
    people help themselves. Sorry if I interrupted your shopping.


    That was a *really* great post!

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)