Privacy activists called on the new Google Rules to track online people “ignore the user’s privacy.”
The changes that come on Sunday allow the so -called “fingerprint”, which allows the advertisers online to collect more data about users including their IP addresses and information about their devices.
Google says this data is already widely used by other companies and continues to encourage the use of responsible data.
However, the company had previously come out strongly against this type of data collection, saying In the 2019 Blog This fingerprint “chooses to choose the user and a mistake.”
But in mail When announcing the new base changes, Google said the way people used the Internet – such as devices such as smart TVs and key devices – it means that it is difficult to target ads for users who use traditional data collection, which users control the approval of cookies.
It also says more privacy options provide safety for users.
“Privacy enhancing techniques provides new ways for our partners to succeed in emerging platforms … without compromising the user’s privacy,” Google BBC told a statement.
But opponents of change say that collecting fingerprints and collecting the IP address represents a privacy blow because it is difficult for users to control the data that is collected from them.
“By allowing fingerprints, Google gave itself – and the advertising industry that dominates it – then using a form of tracking that people cannot do much to stop,” said Martin Thompson, the distinguished engineer in Mozilla, a Google competitor.
Fingerprints collect information about a person and browser device and put it together to create a profile for this person.
Information is not explicitly collected to announce people, but it can be used to target specific ads based on this user data.
For example, a person’s screen size or language settings is needed legally to properly display a web site.
But when this is combined with their time zone, the type of browser, the battery level – and many other data points – it can create a unique set of settings that make it easy to know who uses a web service.
These details along with a person’s IP IP address – the unique identifier used by Internet devices – was previously banned by Google to target ads.
Privacy activists say that unlike cookies, which are small files stored on a local device, users can only control whether they send fingerprint information to advertisers.
“By explicitly allowing the tracking technology that I previously described as incompatible with user control, Google highlights his continuous priorities for privacy,” said Lina Cohen, employee technology at the Electronic Border Corporation.
She added: “The same tracking techniques that Google are essential to advertising online also offer sensitive information to individuals to data mediators, monitoring and law enforcement companies.”
“My argument will be that fingerprints are a little gray,” says Beit Wallace, of GumGum Advertising.
“Does people feel comfortable staying in a gray area of privacy? I will say no.”
GumGum, who has worked with the BBC in advertising campaigns before, depends on something called the contextual advertisement, which uses other data points to target users for users online, such as keywords on the website they are – instead of their personal data.
Mr. Wallace says that allowing the fingerprint a shift in the industry.
“It seems that fingerprints are taking a much more approach to business to use consumer data instead of the consumer’s approach,” he says.
“In my opinion, it is harmful to this path, which the industry seemed to take towards this idea of really putting the privacy of the consumer in the foreground.”
He adds that he hopes that the advertising technology companies will conclude “it is not the appropriate way to use consumer data,” but he expects them to look at the fingerprints as an option to improve the targeted ads.
The advertisement is the lifeblood of the Internet business model, and many web sites are allowed to be available for free for users without having to pay directly to reach them.
But in contrast, users often have to abandon private information about themselves so that advertisers can show relevant ads.
“The fingerprints are not a fair way to track online users because it is likely to reduce the choice of people and control how their information is collected,” says the UK Data Control Authority, the Information Commissioner Office (ICO.
in Blog post In December, ICO CEO Stephen Monde wrote: “We believe this change is not responsible.”
He added that advertisers and companies that decide to use this technology will have to show how they remain within the data and privacy laws in the United Kingdom.
“Based on our understanding of how the fingerprint techniques are currently using advertising, this is a high tape for fulfillment.”
“We look forward to more discussions with ICO about changing this policy,” Google said in a statement.
“We know that data signals like IP addresses are commonly used by others in industry today, and that Google is responsible for fighting for years.”
A spokesman added: “We continue to give users to choose whether to receive custom ads, and will work throughout the industry to encourage the use of responsible data,” added a spokesman.
