Cookies to be FLoC'd?
-
@guigirl Google has seen that 3rd-party cookies are too easy to block by users, hence interfering with their revenue stream, so they're pushing for their own tech that they can control, just like they want with the rest of the web.
I've investigated it before when I saw it the first time:
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/52362/vivaldi-downloads-hidden-floc-data-gathering-component-possibly-new-in-3-5-snapshotAlso read:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1"The problem with FLoC isn’t the process, it’s the product. FLoC would use Chrome users’ browsing history to do clustering. At a high level, it will study browsing patterns and generate groups of similar users, then assign each user to a group (called a “flock”). At the end of the process, each browser will receive a “flock name” which identifies it as a certain kind of web user. In Google’s proposal, users would then share their flock name, as an HTTP header, with everyone they interact with on the web."
Brave New World right there.
I really hope Vivaldi stays a long way away from this and pulls this out by the roots in our installs. It looks like it's not downloaded currently, but that might be because it was just some Chromium experiment at the time, maybe only downloaded for some users.
-
@guigirl said in Cookies to be FLoC'd?:
they could ever have our best interests at heart
Are you doubting about that?
I don't... (ouch)
-
I just checked, it's still being downloaded on startup in my Vivaldi Snapshot install, but I have no idea where it ends up, as
User Data\Floc
is empty currently. It's also present invivaldi://components
but with an error, maybe Vivaldi does something to block it.Download if you're curious:
wget -O floc.zip "http://r5---sn-bxuovgf5t-vnas.gvt1.com/edgedl/release2/chrome_component/ANbJyUvW8hIrXyVkxTt8TzA_1.0.4/AN3Jv7sK1aiaWtgNQAuBT8Y"
(
gvt1.com
is Google if you're wondering)It's the same crap as the "Crowd Deny" thing earlier. Chromium devs (aka Google) making little experiments and throwing it against the wall to see if it sticks (or someone notices).
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/43831/crowd-deny-what-is-it
(Still have no idea what this thing does).Vivaldi devs are suspiciously silent about these things, it's worrying...
-
If you keep deleting your browsing history at the end of every session, then would not each session be a new database from Google's point of view?
-
Saw FLoC’d cookies today. Literally a herd. Google needs to stop now.
-
@guigirl Well, if the G actually succeeds in making 3rd-party cookies mostly obsolete simply by forcing it due to their browser market share, and Vivaldi blocks the download and install of this FLoC crap, then it's a win-win for us.
My guess is that it would only apply to the Google Ad infrastructure anyway, i.e. sites that use G for ads, and Chrome/Chromium users of those sites.
Some things to worry about though:
- Sites might well start blocking or failing for anyone who does not have the FLoC component installed, because they detect the lack of said component as an attempt at ad-blocking.
- If 3rd-party cookies are phased out, how will SSO login work, as it relies on them to authenticate users?
It sure will be interesting to watch how this plays out in the long run. I'm not too worried about Vivaldi though, I'm sure they will do the right thing and burn this FLoC malware out with fire.
-
FYI : see Vivaldi statement about FLoC : https://twitter.com/vivaldibrowser/status/1379685837701517312
We are committed to protecting our users from online trackers, and we would not enable any kind of user behavioral profiling. The FLoC experiment does not work in Vivaldi, because it relies on several hidden preferences being set. We do not enable these options in Vivaldi.
Our future plan is to prevent the Floc component from functioning, no matter which way it is implemented. -
@ra-mon Great to get something concrete from the team on this
If we lose 3rd-party cookies and FLoC won't work, it's a win-win for us as users
Only thing I'm slightly worried about is that some sites might start detecting FLoC status and blocking users if their browser doesn't support it.
-
Don't be worried, those bad sites probably don't deserve our visits
-
@Pathduck said in Cookies to be FLoC'd?:
Only thing I'm slightly worried about is that some sites might start detecting FLoC status and blocking users if their browser doesn't support it.
That's very easy to fix. Vivaldi is a chromium browser. It can implement FloC in it's entirety but clear FloC data after every session.
If you're really worried about having any FloC data, maybe it could clear every 20 minutes or after every tab close.
My point is Vivaldi could make it near impossible to detect that FloC is disabled while still maintaining privacy if it implements FloC but doesn't save data.
-
@guigirl said in Cookies to be FLoC'd?:
The API exists as a browser extension within Google Chrome
Built-in?
If so, glad I don't (won't) use grumble's browser. -
It is already sickly how G tries anything to put strange things on our PC and find out what we do on the Internet, like these street vendors who put their foot in the door to prevent you from closing it, to sell you a vacuum cleaner.
Tracking Cookies, this FLoC, Header sniffing, Referer, Browser sniffing, Fingerprints, E-Tracking ..... enough of the jokes.
Good that V block them, Trace for all others -
Google has started...
-
Happiness Tracking Surveys
Oh, how sweet! -
Kum bay ya,
Kum bay ya,
Kum bay ya, -
-
@guigirl If you're happy and you know it.."
-
-
@guigirl , maybe. G is sooo happy