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Under increasing pressure from the public, Google, like Facebook, now wants to give users more control over their data than they share with advertisers. But is it enough?
Google announced Thursday that it would create a "Privacy Sandbox," a new set of standards on its Google Chrome web browser that, according to Google, "will create a more private Web."
The proposed standards would prevent advertisers from tracking the history of your searches, give you more flexibility in the types of data marketers are given, and allow you to opt out. (Theoretically, you can see what data has been shared with a company that, in turn, shows you an ad.)
But just as Facebook struggles to convince its users to protect their privacy after a series of scandals and breaches of trust, Google will also have to overcome the growing mistrust of consumers with regard to Big Tech platforms, even if these pivots are serious. And his actions follow the announcement of his intention to limit Chrome's ad blockers and the monitoring by new media of how he follows users.
What will change?
Since the standards that Google plans to apply are still rather vague at the moment, your average caller will probably not notice many changes soon in Chrome. Bennett Cyphers, of the Electronic Frontier Foundation's privacy advocacy group, said he was not expecting too much.
"They are not trying to get rid of targeted ads. They do not try to change the way ads work at a fundamental level. They are trying to edit some nobs, "Cyphers told Recode.
Skepticism abounds. Google began its announcement by emphasizing that "privacy is paramount for us, in everything we do." This has caused a ridiculous ridicule on the part of security experts, who do not have to work hard to find reasons to worry about Google's approach to user privacy. Any move towards better data privacy for users will encounter a fundamental problem: its business model is based on tracking user activity and then sharing that data with advertisers, who then use that personal information to target users. Google with ads.
"Google is an advertising agency and not a group of concerned altruists. At stakeholder meetings, there is no chart showing the amount of their "web backup" during the last quarter. They are notorious for overstepping and abusing users' personal data for the purpose of making money as an ad network, "said Mat Marquis, a web developer, at Recode." Their business model – which preserves the employment of these truly brilliant and truly well-intentioned designers and developers – depends on the company's belief that users can view their ads. "
In the end, the company's proposals are essentially a way to keep users using Google Chrome instead of migrating to other browsers, such as Safari or Firefox, which are not owned by advertisers. and who started to distance themselves from the follow-up. Google seems to recognize that users are less comfortable than ever in tracking each of their queries.
Sebastian Bicchi, security researcher and security consultant, said he welcomed the changes, but they would give Google even more control over user information.
"Google is doing the right things for the wrong reasons," said Bicchi. "It will make a difference, but it will also boost Google's power of information, because Google is already pretty much on all sides with its data followers. The difference will be that only Google will have data and that a growing number of website providers will have to rely on Google. "
Why is Google doing it now?
Google's proposals come at a time when its power and data tracking practices are under the microscope of the general public and regulators. The company is also under pressure from competitors who are starting to offer more privacy-conscious browsers to more privacy-conscious customers.
Big Tech is largely re-evaluating (or at least appear how they handle data and consumer privacy – Facebook, for example, released at the beginning of the week its own Clear History tool, which allows users to dissociate their data from their accounts, to a certain level. Both Google and Facebook recognize that they must respond to customer demand for privacy protection: their business depends on the trust of their customers.
Security experts announced on Thursday proposals for improving security: Google seems to take very seriously fingerprints, which allow browsers to identify users and follow them without their knowledge. Other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, have recently been modified to allow users to block the collection of cookies, which are data collected when you visit a website and track your online activity. Google does not plan to allow you to block cookies in their entirety.
Advertisers and publishers are watching all of these moves with caution – but so far, it seems that Google's planned changes in Chrome are more user-friendly for advertisers than the changes made by Firefox and Safari.
"Blocking cookies without any other way of delivering relevant ads dramatically reduces publishers' core funding, which compromises the future of the dynamic Web," said Justin Schuh, director of Google Engineering. Schuh cited studies suggesting that disabling cookies could lead to a 52% drop in advertising revenue, threatening publishers' financial stability.
But Google still has a lot to say about exactly how it envisions the future of private browsing on the Web. These are just standards. Lukasz Olejnik, a cybersecurity expert and associate researcher at Oxford University, described Google's actions as "first proposals, essentially an invitation for discussion".
"These are interesting concepts, but they are still in their infancy, with many details missing," he said. "But a general debate about privacy standards on the Web is exactly what we need. So it is good that Google participates in the conversation. "
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