Arrr, Google's swap for third-party cookies be nothin' but a leaky ship, lackin' privacy on the high seas!
2024-02-13
Arr, mateys! AdGuard, bein' a popular adblocker an' VPN provider, didst cast a weary eye upon th' new Google Protected Audience API, an' their heart sank. 'Tis a dire tale that bodes ill for yer privacy, me hearties. Listen well!
In January, Google Chrome announced a new advertising system called the Privacy Sandbox, which aimed to reduce the use of third-party cookies and minimize online tracking. The system, called the Protected Audience API, enables on-device auctions by the browser, allowing relevant ads to be tailored to users without sharing their information with third parties. However, according to adblocker and VPN service provider AdGuard, this solution is not as private as it seems. AdGuard's co-founder and CTO, Andrey Meshkov, stated that while the new mechanism is somewhat better for privacy, its real capabilities are different from what has been advertised.Traditionally, advertisers tracked users across the web to understand their interests and display relevant ads. Google's new API uses interest groups to allow different sites to display relevant ads to their users. However, AdGuard believes there is an issue with this system. In order to carry out these operations, Chrome needs to run scripts and ads in the background, contacting the owner of the interest group and getting updates on bidding activities. This occurs without the user's knowledge or consent, potentially violating EU GDPR rules.
Meshkov stated that Google's new system is only a slightly more private alternative to cookies. He compared it to Apple's Private Click Measurement on Safari, which only prevents the collection of sensitive personal data instead of completely replacing third-party cookies.
In response to the privacy risks, AdGuard has suppressed Google's Protected Audience API for users with its Tracking Protection filter enabled. The provider is also working on ways to safely disable the API and educate users about its risks. They have even created a demo site to illustrate their concerns and allow users to check if advertisers can still show personalized ads based on their personal data.
Overall, while Google's Protected Audience API aims to improve privacy, there are still concerns about its effectiveness and compliance with privacy regulations.