Mozilla slams Google's latest browser privacy plans

Date:
Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:23:21 +0000

Description:
Mozilla doesnt believe Googles Privacy Budget proposal is a feasible approach to quash browser fingerprinting.

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Mozilla CTO Eric Rescorla has raised several concerns over Googles Privacy Budget proposal to restrict fingerprinting.

Googles Privacy Budget is a proposal to restrict fingerprinting a user by measuring the amount of information requested by websites, eventually
blocking access to such revealing details once a certain limit is exceeded.

Our analysis identifies a number of potential issues with the proposal that call its practicality into question, writes Rescorla noting that its particularly hard to correctly estimate the amount of leaked information. TechRadar needs you!

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Mozilla isnt the only browser thats raised eyebrows over Googles new
proposal, and other Chrome -rivals such as Brave have shared their objections as well, according to The Register . Finger in every pie

A part of Googles larger Privacy Sandbox initiative to develop new standards for websites in order to offer a personalized experience without jeopardizing a users privacy, the Privacy Budget proposal aims to reign in browser fingerprinting.

Browser fingerprinting is an online tracking technique that involves collecting various data points that internet users make available to websites through their browsers, which can be used to track users across the web.

While Rescorla thinks Googles proposal is an attractive idea, hes concerned about the feasibility of the plan, sharing his objections in a detailed technical analysis.

In addition to raising concerns about the difficulty in estimating the amount of information leaked by a particular fingerprinting information, such as screen resolution, or type of browser, Rescorla also believes that its enforcement is likely to lead to website breakages.

Furthermore he adds that the plan itself could perhaps be used to track users defeating its purpose altogether.

"We appreciate Mozillas engagement throughout this process as we all work to build a more private web without third party cookies and other forms of invasive tracking. This is our collaborative process working as intended," a Google spokesperson told The Register welcoming Mozillas feedback. These are the best privacy tools for anonymous browsing

Via The Register



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