How To Turn Off Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” Ad Tracking—and Why You Should

⁨425⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨original_reader@lemm.ee⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/09/how-turn-googles-privacy-sandbox-ad-tracking-and-why-you-should

Google did it again.

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

schwim@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Orrrr… don’t use Google Chrome.

source
- original_reader@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Agreed. I never understood why anyone goes out of their way to install Chrome.
  
  Rant:
  
  Why not use Edge, which comes with the OS? I’m not promoting Edge, but it’s already there. If you’re going to install another browser, why not use Firefox instead? Every time I ask someone why they’ve installed Chrome, they either don’t have an answer or say something like “it looks nice”.
  
  That said, Firefox’ handling of tabs is still horrible. “Go Vivaldi” on this count. Sadly it’s a Chromium browser.
  
  source
  - schwim@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    How does Firefox fail you at tabs? I’ve always been happy with it, I sandbox my FB and Google social stuff, Save groups for opening at once, share tabs across devices, I don’t want for anything.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - PlexSheep@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Idk what people have about chromium tabs. Firefox does tabs just fine.
    
    Also, edge does not come with most os, just w*ndows
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - Asymptote@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    
    Why not use Edge, which comes with the OS?
    
    lol
    
    Not with any of my OSes.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - TserriednichThe4th@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Using edge is probably a bigger offense than using chrome.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Inertia. For years: IE sucked and Mozilla was painfully slow and missing features. I know it’s been quite a few years since that was a thing, but people don’t like to change, so I really think it’s still leftover behavior.
    
    Or at least it is for me, but I’m mostly in the Apple ecosystem now, so it’s not as relevant
    
    source
  - cm0002@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I go out of my way to purge Edge from Windows every time it works it’s way back in no matter what registry edits I have to make, what Windows “features” it breaks or whatever script I have to write.
    
    Edge is like having a roommate constantly hitting on you and occasionally withholding things from you when you reject them and you’re basically over here going “They’re already living with you, why not go with them instead of hooking up with someone from outside”
    
    Chrome is ethically questionable admittedly at best, but Edge is straight up cancer.
    
    source
  - possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    My computer doesn’t come with edge
    
    source
  - UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Chrome was pretty good and somewhat faster than FF for a while in the oughts. At least it felt that way, and Google didn’t seem so evil at the time. My guess is people go with chrome out of inertia
    
    source
  - DingoBilly@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Yes unfortunately I’ve found chromium is just much better than Firefox when it comes to tabs. It’s at least a step removed from Chrome.
    
    source
  - Tatters@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I started using Chrome instead of IE11, which was crap for standards, and before Edge was a thing. When Edge came along, I got really ticked off by the constant nagging to use it, which made me hate it without even trying it. I will probably carry on with Chrome for now, whist I can still turn off all the ad tracking stuff.
    
    source
  - Candybar121@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    [deleted]
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - pete_the_cat@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    
    Sadly it’s a Chromium browser.
    
    Chromium is the open source project, it doesn’t contain any of the Google Chrome specific changes.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- circuscritic@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Unfortunately, on Android, Chromium based browsers are SIGNIFICANTLY more secure than any other browser framework. I recommend Mulch and Cromite.
  
  Again, this is ANDROID specific. Everywhere else, I use FF based browsers.
  
  source
  - PlexSheep@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    You can’t just say that FF on Android is less secure and not give any sources for that claim.
    
    I mean, you can, but that makes your claim not have any value.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - CrypticFawn@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Mobile FF on Android is just fine.
    
    source
  - schwim@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    I’m having problems finding unpatched vulnerabilities on Android ff, could you expand on what makes it less secure?
    
    source
  - blackbarn@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Are there issues with FF on android?
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
DonPiano@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Laughs in Firefox

source
RanchOnPancakes@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Step 1. Uninstall Chrome why are you still running it? Stop giving Google power over the internet. Just stop. Uninstall it. Use Firefox, Brave if you must. Just ditch Chrome.

Step 2. See above. Just flipping stop. No, don’t install another browser and keep chrome. Just DITCH CHROME. TOTALLY. If you need a backup use Edge or Brave or Firefox. STOP GIVING GOOGLE POWER OVER THE INTERNET.

source
- DarkenLM@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Unfortunately, it's not like it would realistically change the monopoly Google has over the internet. The greatest financial backer of Mozilla is Alphabet and if Firefox starts to gain too much traction, they will simply axe Mozilla and unless they manage to get another backer fast, Alphabet will have THE monopoly over the Internet.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I'm doing my part and using Firefox (when it doesn't constantly crash), but Alphabet's holding way too many strings currently for any change to happen.
  
  source
  - itsdavetho@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    My understanding is that Google pays Firefox to use Google as the default search engine, which they also pay Apple for the same, so it’s a win-win situation and unlikely Google would ever do such (especially since Chrome is already the dominant browser for user base)
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - lemmyvore@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    To stop supporting Firefox would be begging for antitrust investigation (if not in the US then in the EU). Plus Mozilla would probably find another sponsor so all they’d be doing is draw attention to themselves. If it were a large piece of the marketshare at stake I could see it but Firefox is currently at 3-5% (depending on who you ask) so it’s not even worth the aggravation.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- pineapplelover@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I wouldn’t use Edge, if you’re on Lemmy, use Firefox. Cmon, if you’re technically literate you can figure it out. Everybody else, use Brave. It’s the least worse normie browser.
  
  source
Chestrade@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Just install another more privacy friendly browser

source
DarienGS@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I read this article from top to bottom and didn’t find a clear explanation of why you should disable this feature.

source
- conciselyverbose@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Because it doesn't protect your privacy (Google still tracks everything), but it gives Google an even stronger monopoly to make taking other actions to protect your privacy less viable.
  
  The end game is still their web DRM pretending to be "security" to make it impossible for you to choose how a page is displayed to you.
  
  source
  - DarienGS@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Google doesn’t track everything. The browser determines your interests locally; the only information shared with Google (and advertisers) is which broad topics you’ve recently shown an interest in.
    
    source
- pjhenry1216@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Because spying on you is bad. They mention the privacy implications in the article.
  
  source
RandomVideos@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
They forgot to add “Switch to Firefox” at the end of the title

source
JungleGeorge@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Gawd Google really is just a despicable company

source
IvanOverdrive@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Everyone here has probably seen Scott McCloud’s Contra Chrome web-comic. In the off chance you haven’t, it details exactly why you shouldn’t use Chrome.

source
- Subverb@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I hadn’t seen it but am aware enough that it didn’t reach me a whole lot. But still.
  
  Damn.
  
  source
- systemglitch@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Never seen it before. I’ll give it a better read when I’m not so busy in a bit (taking a shit right now ;)
  
  source
  - PyroNeurosis@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Instead, text the boss: this is gonna be a looong shit.
    
    source
- original_reader@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I haven’t seen it yet. Thanks for sharing.
  
  source
ininewcrow@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Let me guess … every new update reverts Chrome back to default settings

Chrome feels like it’s updated every week

source
- admin@lemmy.my-box.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  It’s a browser. They have been getting weekly updates for like a decade now.
  
  source
  - ahornsirup@artemis.camp ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Updates generally don't require settings resets. It can happen if there's major changes but that's the exception, not the norm. If Chrome updates revert settings to default with any degree of regularity that's either gross incompetence or sheer malice.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - ininewcrow@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Chrome updates itself about once every five - six days on my system
    
    Firefox updates once about every two weeks and often just once a month.
    
    Everytime I run a manual update, Chrome is always on the list.
    
    source
FrostbyteIX@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Oh man! Time to give Google a damn good show of a ~~morbidly obese balding 40 something world of warcraft guy beating it heavily to lesbian futanari furry content!~~

Google wanted this to happen, so why not give those suckers the VIP First Class treatment?

Anybody else think of things that’ll make those Google folk writhe in visual and audial agony and cut the privacy invasion act?

source