Month: July 2024
W3C Slams Google U-turn on Third-Party Cookie Removal
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has expressed disappointment with Google’s decision to retain third-party cookies, stating it undermines collaborative efforts. Google’s reversal follows a five-year initiative to develop privacy-focused ad technology. While some advertising industry representatives welcomed the move, the W3C’s criticism highlights the ongoing debate over online privacy and advertising practices. W3C writes: Third-party cookies are not good for the web. They enable tracking, which involves following your activity across multiple websites. They can be helpful for use cases like login and single sign-on, or putting shopping choices into a cart — but they can also be used to invisibly track your browsing activity across sites for surveillance or ad-targeting purposes. This hidden personal data collection hurts everyone’s privacy.
We aren’t the only ones who are worried. The updated RFC that defines cookies says that third-party cookies have “inherent privacy issues” and that therefore web “resources cannot rely upon third-party cookies being treated consistently by user agents for the foreseeable future.” We agree. Furthermore, tracking and subsequent data collection and brokerage can support micro-targeting of political messages, which can have a detrimental impact on society, as identified by Privacy International and other organizations. Regulatory authorities, such as the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, have also called for the blocking of third-party cookies.
The job of the TAG as stewards of the architecture of the web has us looking at the big picture (the whole web platform) and the details (proposed features and specs). We try to provide guidance to spec authors so that their new technologies fill holes that need to be filled, don’t conflict with other parts of the web, and don’t set us up for avoidable trouble in the future. We’ve been working with Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox team (as well as others in the W3C community) for several years, trying to help them create better approaches for the things that third-party cookies do. While we haven’t always agreed with the Privacy Sandbox team, we have made substantial progress together. This announcement came out of the blue, and undermines a lot of the work we’ve done together to make the web work without third-party cookies.
The unfortunate climb-down will also have secondary effects, as it is likely to delay cross-browser work on effective alternatives to third-party cookies. We fear it will have an overall detrimental impact on the cause of improving privacy on the web. We sincerely hope that Google reverses this decision and re-commits to a path towards removal of third-party cookies.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has expressed disappointment with Google’s decision to retain third-party cookies, stating it undermines collaborative efforts. Google’s reversal follows a five-year initiative to develop privacy-focused ad technology. While some advertising industry representatives welcomed the move, the W3C’s criticism highlights the ongoing debate over online privacy and advertising practices. W3C writes: Third-party cookies are not good for the web. They enable tracking, which involves following your activity across multiple websites. They can be helpful for use cases like login and single sign-on, or putting shopping choices into a cart — but they can also be used to invisibly track your browsing activity across sites for surveillance or ad-targeting purposes. This hidden personal data collection hurts everyone’s privacy.
We aren’t the only ones who are worried. The updated RFC that defines cookies says that third-party cookies have “inherent privacy issues” and that therefore web “resources cannot rely upon third-party cookies being treated consistently by user agents for the foreseeable future.” We agree. Furthermore, tracking and subsequent data collection and brokerage can support micro-targeting of political messages, which can have a detrimental impact on society, as identified by Privacy International and other organizations. Regulatory authorities, such as the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, have also called for the blocking of third-party cookies.
The job of the TAG as stewards of the architecture of the web has us looking at the big picture (the whole web platform) and the details (proposed features and specs). We try to provide guidance to spec authors so that their new technologies fill holes that need to be filled, don’t conflict with other parts of the web, and don’t set us up for avoidable trouble in the future. We’ve been working with Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox team (as well as others in the W3C community) for several years, trying to help them create better approaches for the things that third-party cookies do. While we haven’t always agreed with the Privacy Sandbox team, we have made substantial progress together. This announcement came out of the blue, and undermines a lot of the work we’ve done together to make the web work without third-party cookies.
The unfortunate climb-down will also have secondary effects, as it is likely to delay cross-browser work on effective alternatives to third-party cookies. We fear it will have an overall detrimental impact on the cause of improving privacy on the web. We sincerely hope that Google reverses this decision and re-commits to a path towards removal of third-party cookies.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Gymnastics Is Often a Solo Sport. Here’s How the U.S. Women Built a True Team.
Forced team chemistry is an experiment gone bad. The U.S. gymnasts had to become natural supporters of one another.
Forced team chemistry is an experiment gone bad. The U.S. gymnasts had to become natural supporters of one another.
The Two N.H.L. Brothers Living a ‘Dream’ on the Same Team
On July 3, the St. Louis Blues traded for Mathieu Joseph. One day later, they signed his brother Pierre-Olivier.
On July 3, the St. Louis Blues traded for Mathieu Joseph. One day later, they signed his brother Pierre-Olivier.
Coco Gauff Loses to Donna Vekic at Olympics After a Line Call Controversy
A high-quality contest was overshadowed by a disputed line call at a crucial juncture in the second set.
A high-quality contest was overshadowed by a disputed line call at a crucial juncture in the second set.
How Real Madrid Is Helping N.A.S.A. Put Humans on the Moon
A fitness coach is being consulted as part of the space agency’s ambitious Artemis campaign.
A fitness coach is being consulted as part of the space agency’s ambitious Artemis campaign.
The Hall of Fame Isn’t Calling, but Andre Rison Left a Different Kind of Legacy
He was one of the N.F.L.’s most outspoken receivers. To Rison, if the way he lived his life off the field cost him, so be it.
He was one of the N.F.L.’s most outspoken receivers. To Rison, if the way he lived his life off the field cost him, so be it.
Why the Crowd in France Has Booed Joel Embiid
Embiid obtained French citizenship in 2022 so that he would be eligible to play for France at the Paris Olympics, but is playing for the Americans instead.
Embiid obtained French citizenship in 2022 so that he would be eligible to play for France at the Paris Olympics, but is playing for the Americans instead.