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So, every page with ads (as determined by an opaque and ever-changing method in a closed source browser), will be included while computing the cohort. Got it. I

So, every page with ads (as determined by an opaque and ever-changing method in a closed source browser), will be included while computing the cohort. Got it. It seems safest to assume that "it happens on every page" since so much of the internet is monetized with ads. Please forgive us for not trusting Google's "we pinky swear it will change". We have no real reason to trust that Google will keep their word.

jefftk 6y ago
> every page with ads (as determined by an opaque and ever-changing method in a closed source browser) Chrome'a ad detection code is open source; https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/docs/ad_tagging.md https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/docs... is a good place to start.
- falcolas 6y ago
  No, Chromium's ad detection code is open source. Chrome's is closed source. It may very well be the same code, but there is no (practical) way to verify that, other than trusting Google. But as I already indicated, I have trust issues with Google.
  - mcpherrinm 6y ago
    Reverse engineering of binaries is a well-understood field. Ensuring a binary and source code align is not a fully automated task at this time as far as I know, but is well within the capabilities of our industry.
    - falcolas 6y ago
      Capability and practicality are distinct concepts. Especially since it's fairly well known that Chrome will not align 100% with Chromium thanks to closed source additions and modifications, so it becomes a question of "what is different" instead of "are they different". It's certainly not practical for me, when I can just avoid chrome for personal usage (and I'm thankful for the capability). Of course, I can't avoid it entirely, thanks to my company deciding that Chrome is the only supported browser for our product. So even though FLoC is a non-issue for me personally, it is still something I need to worry about professionally.

jefftk 6y ago

> every page with ads (as determined by an opaque and ever-changing method in a closed source browser) Chrome'a ad detection code is open source; https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/docs/ad_tagging.md https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/docs... is a good place to start.

falcolas 6y ago
No, Chromium's ad detection code is open source. Chrome's is closed source. It may very well be the same code, but there is no (practical) way to verify that, other than trusting Google. But as I already indicated, I have trust issues with Google.
- mcpherrinm 6y ago
  Reverse engineering of binaries is a well-understood field. Ensuring a binary and source code align is not a fully automated task at this time as far as I know, but is well within the capabilities of our industry.
  - falcolas 6y ago
    Capability and practicality are distinct concepts. Especially since it's fairly well known that Chrome will not align 100% with Chromium thanks to closed source additions and modifications, so it becomes a question of "what is different" instead of "are they different". It's certainly not practical for me, when I can just avoid chrome for personal usage (and I'm thankful for the capability). Of course, I can't avoid it entirely, thanks to my company deciding that Chrome is the only supported browser for our product. So even though FLoC is a non-issue for me personally, it is still something I need to worry about professionally.