blog posts

Google recently introduced a new tool called FLoC in the Chrome browser to replace cookies. If FLoC really cares about user privacy, why do privacy browsers oppose it?

Recently, Google announced that the Chrome browser would stop supporting third-party cookies. Obviously, this action will change the way users are tracked on the Internet by companies like Google. Does this decision mean that Google intends to stop tracking Internet users forever? Of course not! Google is actually going to replace third-party cookies with another tool called FLoC (stands for Federated Learning of Cohorts).

What is FLoC?

FLoC is Google’s alternative to third-party cookies based on machine learning. FLoC allows any browser to anonymously monitor how users search the Internet to categorize them into different groups called “cohorts”.

The mechanism of FLoC is that the ads are displayed based on the group in which the user is placed and not on his personal information. Therefore, the user is still going to encounter targeted ads; But in a more anonymous way.

Also, FLoC is based on the idea of a Privacy Sandbox, a Google-led initiative for websites to request certain bits of information about users without overstepping the mark. Besides FLoC, the Privacy Sandbox covers other technologies too: for preventing ad fraud, for helping website developers analyze their incoming traffic, for measuring advertising effectiveness, and so on.

Google claims that this mechanism helps to protect user privacy because this “federal learning” takes place on the user’s device and that AI-based learning shares less information with the user than with third-party cookies.

According to Google, if companies and advertising services use such a mechanism extensively, it will protect users against various tracking methods, including “browser fingerprints. Which violates even more privacy than third-party cookies.

Which browsers oppose FLoC?

Privacy-focused browsers, including DuckDuckGo, Brave, and Vivaldi, have warned Internet users about FLoC, saying they will block the mechanism in their browser. In contrast, Microsoft and Apple and Mozilla are also hesitant to implement FLoC. It is possible that the browser of these companies will eventually apply this mechanism; But until then, the FloC situation needs to improve in terms of security and privacy.

FLoC, and privacy red flags

Removing the need to store web users’ information on servers should boost privacy. And Google argues strongly that FLoC offers stronger privacy controls than third-party cookies or alternatives such as browser fingerprinting.

Google describes FloC as a “privacy-preserving API”, in part because advertisers only have access to the cohort ID, not the identity of individual users.

But as cohorts shrink – or in advertiser speak, become more targeted – the risk of inadvertent identification grows.

“If I am a trader specializing in performance motorbikes anybody visiting my site will be placed into a cohort based partly on their interest in performance motorcycles,” explains the ISF’s Haken.

Also said “If we say 1,000 people visit my site in one month and 500 of those people also visit a football website, they would, in theory, become part of the football liking motorcycle enthusiast cohort. If 300 of this cohort also visit sites concerning craft ale a new cohort would be formed and so on.”

Why are privacy browsers opposed to FLoC?

The DuckDuckGo browser has stated in a statement that Chrome users will be surprised to find out. That they have automatically and unknowingly joined Google’s new tracking method. DuckDuckGo said about this:

FLoC groups you based on interests and demographic information derived from the browser’s search history to expose you to intrusive ads without third-party cookies. After a short trial period, Google decided not to use the new tracking method as the user’s choice. And instead automatically added millions of people to the mechanism. If you read this from the Chrome browser while logging in to your Google Account. You are one of these millions of users or you will be added to them one day.

Also, DuckDuckGo added that in response to the FLoC feature being automated. Chrome has improved its tracker plug-in to block all FLoC activity on various websites.

Brave Software, Brave’s open-source web browser, also announced that it was blocking FloC. The company added that the FLoC mechanism has now been disabled in the trial version of this browser called Nightly for desktop and Android. Brave plans to enable this blocking feature in stable versions of the browser in the coming days.

Brandon Aish, CEO and founder of Brave, and Peter Snyder, senior privacy researcher related this object said:

“The worst part of FLoC is that under the pretext of protecting the user’s privacy. He or she is actually violating his or her privacy,” Brandon Eish, CEO and founder of Brave, and Peter Snyder, the senior privacy researcher, wrote in a blog post.

This post goes on to point out three worrying and damaging aspects of FLoC: ‌

• FLoC makes the user’s browser search history available to third-party websites and companies.
•  And FLoC makes it easier for websites to track users on the Internet.
• FLoC promotes a misdefinition of privacy and the reasons for its importance.

Also, the company wrote:

Google’s approach to determining the sensitivity of Its groups often requires the company itself to monitor this sensitive group from the beginning and collect its data. A system that monitors the number of people in a group to determine their sensitivity makes one laugh.

Conclusion

Now that many users and browsers are blocking third-party cookies by default. Companies that make a lot of money from targeted advertising (such as Google and Facebook) are looking for a way to replace these cookies. Whether a cookie replacement really needed or whether the FLoC mechanism is a viable alternative depends on the user. However, if you are a strong opponent of this system, it is better to abandon the use of the Google Chrome browser for now.