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The current state with third-party cookie tracking is terrible. This is terrible in a different way. It gives Google even more control over the ad-tech industry

The current state with third-party cookie tracking is terrible. This is terrible in a different way. It gives Google even more control over the ad-tech industry. Rather than a diversity of ad-tech kings using third-party cookies to track people and invade privacy, this becomes the "One Ring to Rule Them All" that makes Google even more dominant in ad-tech, while allowing them to pretend that they care about privacy as a prophylactic to anti-trust action. It's nothing if not clever.

ehsankia 6y ago
What about FLoC gives Google "even more control"? Isn't it something any ad-company can use? Maybe I don't understand how it works, but from what I've read, any website has the exact same access as Google does to the data.
- ezrast 6y ago
  It's about writes, not reads. With cookies, the tracking networks get to decide what data to store, and they're bounded by what browser APIs allow. FLoC data is computed by Chrome itself, so Google and only Google gets to decide what data is exposed, and it has full access to your browsing behavior even if you're blocking (or visiting sites that don't use) trackers.
- jedwhite 6y ago
  As noted by Consumer Reports: "When third-party cookies are replaced by FLoC, Google will have a way to track consumers that isn’t available to other companies, which could give Google a steep advantage in the advertising business." [1] According to the EFF, Google controls the algorithms, and will also be running its implementation and auditing its outputs, a task the EFF describes as "both orwellian and sisyphean". The EFF also notes that "Users and advocates must reject FLoC and other misguided attempts to reinvent behavioral targeting." [1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/duckduckgo-solution-andamp-google-floc-privacy/ar-BB1fzWHK https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/duckduckgo-solutio... [2] https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/googles-floc-terrible-idea https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/googles-floc-terrible-...
  - ehsankia 6y ago
    > that isn’t available to other companies Is there a proof for this claim? My understanding is that the cohort you belong to is available to any page. Is that not true?
    - JetSpiegel 5y ago
      > My understanding is that the cohort you belong to is available to any page. Is that not true? Chrome is closed source, do you trust Google?
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
- stefan_ 6y ago
  The "data" is just a not further specified number and then they waxed a bunch of lyric about how this number will only be determined through privacy-preserving magic algorithms. So yes, controlling how that number is calculated is infinitely more control than reading it.

ehsankia 6y ago

What about FLoC gives Google "even more control"? Isn't it something any ad-company can use? Maybe I don't understand how it works, but from what I've read, any website has the exact same access as Google does to the data.

ezrast 6y ago
It's about writes, not reads. With cookies, the tracking networks get to decide what data to store, and they're bounded by what browser APIs allow. FLoC data is computed by Chrome itself, so Google and only Google gets to decide what data is exposed, and it has full access to your browsing behavior even if you're blocking (or visiting sites that don't use) trackers.
jedwhite 6y ago
As noted by Consumer Reports: "When third-party cookies are replaced by FLoC, Google will have a way to track consumers that isn’t available to other companies, which could give Google a steep advantage in the advertising business." [1] According to the EFF, Google controls the algorithms, and will also be running its implementation and auditing its outputs, a task the EFF describes as "both orwellian and sisyphean". The EFF also notes that "Users and advocates must reject FLoC and other misguided attempts to reinvent behavioral targeting." [1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/duckduckgo-solution-andamp-google-floc-privacy/ar-BB1fzWHK https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/duckduckgo-solutio... [2] https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/googles-floc-terrible-idea https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/googles-floc-terrible-...
- ehsankia 6y ago
  > that isn’t available to other companies Is there a proof for this claim? My understanding is that the cohort you belong to is available to any page. Is that not true?
  - JetSpiegel 5y ago
    > My understanding is that the cohort you belong to is available to any page. Is that not true? Chrome is closed source, do you trust Google?
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
stefan_ 6y ago
The "data" is just a not further specified number and then they waxed a bunch of lyric about how this number will only be determined through privacy-preserving magic algorithms. So yes, controlling how that number is calculated is infinitely more control than reading it.