2y ago

Google’s new Topics API makes users vulnerable to fingerprinting attacks

www.theregister.com

Google asks websites to not abuse Topics API

Google has stated it plans to address developers’ concerns by “making web publishers promise not to abuse the API”.

Google’s new browser-based tracking functionality available via their “Topics API” has sparked numerous concerns recently, including fear that the heightened communication of web browser history could lead to “fingerprinting attacks” which could be used to track users across devices by profiling recent web history.

When prompted with this issue, Google started their short-term solution is to have web developers who enroll in the new Topics API platform take pledge that they will not abuse the new tool, whatever that means.

34 comments

Please stop using Chrome
- Between that and the online DRM of Integrity API, it's time everyone moves to Firefox.
  
  I've never understood the logic of people who switched to Chrome from Firefox.
  Mozilla has an overpaid CEO, so let's switch to a browser that's run by one of the richest companies on the planet. Firefox broke some extension, so let's switch to a browser that has an even worse extension model. Firefox shows client side ads that are easily disabled, so let's switch to a browser actually run by an ad tech company. Firefox changed the UI to look like Chrome (and they hate the design), so I guess switch to Chrome?
  It makes no sense...
- Why would I ever use Chrome? At no point in time was it ever a smart decision to use Chrome.
  
  I know you're just being hyperbolic, but there was a time when using Chrome was a smart choice.
…because pledges have always worked so well in the past.
- Didn't you hear them? They made them promise.
  
  Pinky swear, even!
- Don't worry, they checked for crossed fingers
Just like google promised to not be evil?
- They made sure to change it to "do the right thing" first, where "right thing" is probably "become synonymous with the internet".
Daily reminder that Firefox is customizable to the point of removing Mozilla's telemetry and making it look and feel almost like Chromium. And no, de-Googled Chromium probably isn't enough because preliminary code for implementing WEI has been pushed upstream (basically they added the code which makes it possible for WEI to be implemented, strongly suggesting they're intending to actually implement it upstream and not in Chrome)
- So degoogled chromium will have WEI? WTF! Deleting it now.
- Another vote for Firefox. Just switched over from chromium based, and i could easily port over all my info and bookmarks and shit, and it feels great to not support a monopoly
- The key search term is "userChrome" (userChrome.css and userChrome.js) and XUL, which is the HTML-like language FF uses to define its chrome. "Chrome" is a term that predates Google's browser, referring to the interface surrounding the displayed web content and Firefox still uses that internally.
  Right now mine is pretty minimal, but there's a lot you can change. Essentially, the interface is a kind of HTML page which can use the same features as normal HTML and can even run custom JavaScript. Also look into BetterFox for how to remove Mozilla's own telemetry and bloat.
  My userChrome.css for reference; ::: spoiler spoiler
  css
  
  /* Move findbar to the top */ .browserContainer > findbar { -moz-box-ordinal-group:0 !important; /* for 112 and older */ order: -1 !important; /* for 113 and newer */ border-top: none !important; border-bottom: 1px solid ThreeDShadow !important; } /* Remove "Open All In Tabs" button in bookmarks folders */ #PlacesToolbarItems .openintabs-menuitem, #placesContext>menuitem[id="placesContext_openContainer:tabs"], #placesContext>menuitem[id="placesContext_openContainer:tabs"]:not([hidden])+menuitem+#placesContext_openSeparator { visibility: collapse !important; } /* Tabs are attached on the bottom */ .tab-background { border-radius: var(--tab-border-radius) var(--tab-border-radius) 0 0 !important; margin-top: 1px !important; margin-bottom: 0 !important; padding-bottom: 31px !important; } .tabbrowser-tab[multiselected=true]:not([selected=true]) .tab-background { border-radius: var(--tab-border-radius) !important; margin-top: 2px !important; margin-bottom: 1px !important; padding-bottom: 29px !important; } .tabbrowser-tab[selected=true] .tab-background , .tabbrowser-tab[multiselected=true] .tab-background { background-color: var(--toolbar-bgcolor) !important; background-image: var(--toolbar-bgimage) !important; }
  :::
  I found this repo which is supposed to apply Chromium styles in line with Google's Material Design guidelines.
  Here's an article I found with some simple tweaks.
So, working as designed.
- Google is also about to force on Enhanced Safe Browsing which will report every URL you visit to them with no opt out.
  It's finally really time to change browsers.
  
  Wow, that's so safe. Nothing more safer than the world's biggest advertising company having full access to my internet history.
  It's just so dystopian almost, that these things that are objectively bad are named things that sound good, like Enhanced Safe Browsing, Topics API, Web Environment Integrity, etc
Google is likely asking them to not abuse it just to cover its own arse, to create that plausible denial that the API was not "supposed" to be used for fingerprinting. It smells bullshit from a distance.
I mean it's a tracker, after all... naming it "Privacy Sandbox" doesn't change what it is. It's as much use as a privacy tool as a wrench is for sewing.
They've almost destroyed search.
Its like they want to just kill the internet altogether.
Sigh I remember when they weren't evil.
Google made the internet usable and now they're destroying it. Thanks Google?
I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you.
How could Google allow such blatant incompetence in their products?
https://vivaldi.com/blog/news/alert-no-google-topics-in-vivaldi/
For what it's worth, no Google Topics in Vivaldi.
- Vivaldi is the best!
  
  I'm not happy with Vivaldi coming from Chrome. Are there any other good options out there?

34 comments